Okay so first off before we use our kite we need to check that the wind strength for kitesurfing is actually a good amount for us. It’s often the case when starting out that students will start trying to kite in too much wind as they will look at everyone else and think, okay, everyone else is out so I should be too!

Trust us when we say that it is a much better idea to kite in too little wind than not enough, especially when you are learning a new skill. It takes time and practice to get things right and you want to be able to make lots of mistakes without consequence.

How to learn fast:

1. Put yourself in a situation where you are not afraid to try new things.
2. Put yourself in a situation where you understand what you are trying to achieve.
3. Put yourself in a situation where the consequences of making a mistake are as low as possible.
4. Make lots and lots of mistakes.

What does this mean for us?

1. It means keep the power LOW, low power=low consequence
2. Take some instruction, have a plan. This is what this course aims to do.
3. Practice regularly.

What Wind Strength Is Best For A Beginner?

As a beginner is can be awfully confusing trying to figure out what weather is suitable. There are lots of great weather apps that will give you an idea about when the wind is coming, but I have generally found them to be unreliable in regards to actual strength. 

By all means use The MET Office, Windfinder, Windguru, Etc, to give you a few days warning, but nothing beats standing outside and having a look (and feel) of the weather at the time.

As this is a beginners lesson the best way to think about wind strength is this:

If the tree branches/leaves are moving then there is probably enough wind to fly your kite. You want to look for a steady rustle in the trees but not thick bending branches!

On the Beaufort scale which is a universal way to measure wind, you are looking for a Force 3-4. Ideally anywhere from 7-16 knots  or 8-18 mph will be plenty for your first efforts.

These wind speed recommendations are assuming that you are using a small power kite between 1.5 and 2 meter squared. More on kite sizes later.

Here are a few good examples of good wind strengths for beginner power kiting:

• Feel wind on face.
• Leaves and small twigs in constant motion.
• Loose bits of paper and dust moving.

Here is an excellent picture of the Beaufort Scale, which will help you visualise the kind of conditions best to start learning in.

Always try to Kite Surf Underpowered.

We will get into the reasons why later, but for now just think back to the reasons about learning quickly. Less power means less risk and as you are a novice, minimising risk and keeping confidence high are both key to learning quickly and getting the most fun out of your sessions.