Tips for the beginner: What they fail to tell you in a lesson
Some of these tips are for etiquette, some for convenience, some for consideration, and many for safety reasons. However you look at it, these are the unwritten rules to live by in kiteboarding. No one ever formally walks you through these things, but they are a must to live by!Setting up your gear:
- Lay out your lines downwind. This means that as you unravel your lines from your bar, you are walking upwind, or into the wind. This makes it easier to untangle your lines when you set your bar down and start untangling your lines because you are walking with the wind, versus against it.
- Ask (if you can) before borrowing a pump. Don't just snag a pump and start pumping. And if no one is around, make sure you grab a standard pump with industry nozzles, versus something customized with duct tape and who-knows-what.
- When pumping, always use two hands on the pump. Most kite pumps are cheap, and the handles can easily break with too much pressure on one side from pumping with one hand.
- Secure your kite properly. I don't care how cool you are, if your kite goes tumbling down the beach or into the ocean from not securing it properly, you're the one who's going to look like an idiot. Secure your kite with sand, sandbags, a kitebag with round rocks or other heavy, non-sharp items in it, or a board. And with that....
- When securing your kite with a board, always lay the board fins up. I've seen many canopy cuts the size of fins from the board being laid on the kite with the fins down.
- Keep your gear tidy at the beach. In a small setup and launch area, only set up your gear when you are ready to go kiteboarding. Do not take up valuable setup space by setting up your lines and kite and "hanging out" for an hour. Be courteous to those who want to set up and go out by moving your gear or setting up only when you are ready. And with that...
- Roll up your lines when you come into the beach or if you're taking a "break." You don't have to completely undo your lines, but at least roll them onto your bar to keep the beach area tidy and safe. There is nothing more annoying than having someone's bar and lines strewn all over and another person's gear is under those lines, who then is ready to launch.
- Always double-check your lines. No one is in that much of a hurry that they can't double-check their lines before launching. If you don't, you could risk the safety of yourself, others, and double that time it took to check them by having to re-rig your lines all over again.
- Keep your leash with your harness. This may be confusing to some because leashes always come with bars. But once you get your leash, put it on your harness and keep it there. A safety leash is something you never want to be without.
- Double check all board screws. Whether it's your footstraps or your fins, check to make sure all screws and securing points are tight and snug. It really sucks to be on a 16-mile downwinder with empty, deserted beaches and in double-overhead waves when your footstrap comes out. I always bring a screwdriver to the beach now and check all straps and fins.
Riding:
- Look the other way before transitioning. It's like looking both ways before you cross the street. Do not send your kite the other direction before first looking that direction to make sure there is no one next to you.
- Position your kite when passing other kiters. If you are approaching another kiter coming toward you, position your kite to make it easier for them to pass by. If you are downwind of the kiter, bring your kite down toward the water. If you are upwind of the kiter, bring your kite up higher in the wind window. If you are heading straight for each other, make it very obvious with hand signals or body language (like pointing your board downwind) of the direction you will take (upwind, downwind, or transition the other way.)
- Know how to self-rescue. Do you know how to "sail" your kite in if you go down? Do you know how to release all of your equipment if you need to in an emergency? Do you know what to do with your bar and board? Learn your safety systems and practice self-rescue so that you can do it yourself when you have to. And you will have to someday!
- Smile and wave at windsurfers and other kiters. I know this sounds cheesy, but it stokes out other riders and keeps the peace between our other wind rivals who think kiteboarders are a bunch of punks. Let's show them!
Off-the-water:
- Rinse off your gear. Specifically, your harness, bar, and board. This will prolong the life of your gear and keep you invited back for downwinders as a courteous kite passenger in your friends' car!
