Kiteboarding Southeast Florida

Kiteboarding: Learn to Catch the Wind in Southeast Florida

Kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing, is the hottest new extreme sport today. Get in the water, strap a board to your feet and let the wind take you. It may sound easy, but there’s obviously a lot more to it than that. Launching, handling, weather, hand signals, and rigging are but a few of the basic skills needed even before getting off the beach. Safety is probably the most important issue. Learning how not to injure yourself or others, is vital. Where to play the game and how to play it, is best learned from someone with proven experience and local knowledge.

For those with the desire to learn, few places are more conducive to getting schooled than the area around Ft. Lauderdale through Miami. From the sports inception in the late 90’s, Southeast Florida quickly earned itself a reputation as a Mecca for kiteboarders in the United States. Year round warm weather, sun, water, wind, and more than enough local talent to be able to learn from some of the best, are what makes it attractive.

There are two ways to learn. Self instruction, or take lessons. Deciding which is better may depend upon how much the individual is concerned about safety and how quickly they would like to become proficient.

Self Instruction

Not everyone feels the need for structured lessons. The “do it yourself” approach, usually means picking up a few basics from a friend, then going out and practicing to get it right. There are a limited number of learning tools that can help.

The website kitesurfingschool.org has been touted as the open source authority for rules, etiquette, and what should be considered the basics. This is a great place to start.

Next, seek out clubs and online forums to discuss and learn more about the beaches or areas you intend to utilize.

Magazines can also be good for picking up a thing or two. Kiteboarding Magazine (kiteboardingmag.com), Kite Boarder Magazine (kbmag.com/) and Core (corekiteboard.com), are great resources.