The water start in kitesurfing is the moment every beginner longs for: up out of the water onto the board and gliding off. It looks harder than it is. With the right sequence it usually works after just a few attempts. Here is the water start step by step, including the mistakes that make it unnecessarily hard.
The basic position
Sit down in the water, both feet in the straps, knees pulled in to your body. The kite sits calmly at the zenith, that is, directly above you. Everything starts from this position. Stay relaxed, let the water carry you, and do not rush.
Step 1: Kite slightly to the side
Steer the kite slowly in the direction you want to go, that is to the left or right, to roughly the “one o’clock” or “eleven o’clock” position. Still without power, just bringing it into position. Your body turns slightly with it automatically.
Step 2: A gentle pull downward
Now you steer the kite with a calm movement down toward the water and back up. This arc generates the pull that lifts you out of the water. Important: smooth and steady, no jerk. Too fast, and the kite overtakes you, too slow, and nothing happens.
Step 3: Let yourself stand up, do not pull yourself up
The most common error in thinking: beginners want to pull themselves up. Instead, let the kite do the work. Its pull raises you, you only follow, stretch your legs and come over the board. Look forward, not at the board. Then you glide off.
The most common mistakes
- Too much pressure on the board: you brace against the pull instead of going with it. Keep your legs loose.
- Kite too frantic: a pull that is too fast tips you forward. Better calm and round.
- Wanting to stand too early: first glide, then slowly straighten up, not the other way around.
- Looking down: eyes forward, to where you want to go.
How you learn the water start fastest
The water start is best practised where you can stand, in a shallow learning area. If something goes wrong, you simply stand up and start again, completely without stress. That is exactly what the Baltic is perfect for. And an instructor standing next to you corrects in minutes what you would spend weeks searching for on your own. This is how you learn it properly, pick a calm day with the Wind Check, and the first water start comes sooner than you think.