Session Two – Harness the Power
Four people per group, four hours duration, £119pp.
You’ve completed session one and you now understand the wind direction, how to check wind speeds, know how to set up a depowerable kite. You can demonstrate and understand the three safety systems, can fly the kite confidently and you’re ready to take those skills and develop them further in your second kitesurf lesson – Check out how much you’ve learnt already! In our Session Two kitesurfing lesson, you’ll take to the water to complete your body drags and feel the thrill of skimming through the water powered by your kite.
What should I expect from the Session Two kitesurfing lesson?
You’ll start the session by demonstrating your new kite setting-up skills. As a group, you’ll run through a site assessment, showing what you learned in Session One hasn’t been forgotten, and head out to the water. Working in pairs it’s time to develop your fundamental kite flying skills and learn to control power by having lots of fun doing body drags. We use body drags (AKA body surfing) throughout your second kitesurf lesson to teach controlled power and direction with the kite as you body surf across the water while moving the kite. With each whoop, splash and attempt you take yourself and your kite skills closer to introducing the board.
There are four body drags you need to master:
- The downwind body drag – Moving the kite in a figure-of-eight motion with symmetry on each side of the wind window to achieve a consistent speed of movement with a downwind trajectory.
- The directional body drag – Moving the kite in sine wave motions with a bias towards one side of the wind window to pull yourself in your desired direction. This kite movement is used to develop the power and direction of movement required to get out of the water and onto your kiteboard.
- The upwind body drag – Holding the kite steady at a 45-degree angle at the edge of the wind window allowing you to move slowly through the water while you lay on your side using your body as a boat rudder to tack upwind. This is most commonly used to get back to your kiteboard if you fall away from it so it is also known as a board retrieval drag.
- The balance body drag- Holding the kite steady at the top of the wind window, inboard start position, while simulating putting the board onto your feet
Once you can demonstrate you are confidently doing these movements, you’re getting very close to introducing the board; but there is one more essential step before that happens. To complete a successful day of learning to kitesurf, your instructor will introduce you to the self-rescue and deep water pack-down techniques. This is the essential safety skill that every kiter must learn. There is a whole range of scenarios where you may need to use these techniques (it will literally save your life one day) so it is only fitting that before you start riding off on the board you know how to rescue yourself.
How do I progress from the Session Two kitesurfing lesson?
After a fun-filled four hours of learning, you’ll be ready to advance to session three and look at introducing the board. Let’s get riding!
Want to commit to learning the sport and save yourself money? Book our session 1-3 bundle to save 5% or session 1-5 bundle to save 7% from your lesson costs. Check out our deals here.
Please note – You must be aged 16+ to participate in a group lesson. Our lesson structure is subject to change depending on group ability and the forecast. All decisions made by the instructor on the day are always with safety in mind and will be beneficial to the stage of learning you are at. For our frequently asked questions about lessons, rescheduling and cancellations please click here or contact us via email/phone.
