Kite-surfing FAQs answered by an Expert!

Have you ever thought of trying a new sport? Or maybe mastering one? There are many traditional sports like cricket, badminton and swimming along with other water sports like water polo and synchronized swimming, etc.

Out of the many sports, kite surfing particularly has been gaining a lot of popularity among Indians and if you are curious to know more about this sport, keep reading as today we interview Mr. Philippe Dartnell, who is an amazing and experienced kite surfing instructor based in Goa. Mr. Philippe answers a few of the commonly asked questions about this sport and you can count on his answers as he is a certified IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) instructor.

1.What is kite surfing?

# "Kiteboarding, also known as kitesurfing, is an action sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, skateboarding and sailing into one extreme sport."

2. Are kiteboarding and kite surfing different?

# "No, they are the same thing."

3. Who will be the instructor and where will this activity take place?

# "I will be the instructor for the courses that will be run at the lake near Revillage."

4. Which age group is this activity safe for?

# "The minimum age requirement is 12 years, the maximum? There is no limit as long as a person has the passion to learn keeping in mind their physical condition.

The main requirement is that they can swim a minimum of 100 meters in open water (sea/lake/ ocean)."

5. Should people with any health conditions be concerned? If yes then what are the conditions to keep in mind?

# "It is advisable that people with lower back pain, knee/ leg, cardio issues will find this sport quite strenuous and it is recommended they take a Doctor's approval before attempting to learn, the reality is Kitesurfing is an extremely Eco-friendly sport and it is but natural for your physical well being to improve."

6. What gears are needed for kite surfing? Will it be provided at the location?

# "The equipment required for kite surfing is:

* An inflatable LEI kite.

* An air pump.

* Bar and lines with a quick-release system.

* Safety leash.

* A kite specific waist/ seat harness

* A twin tip / directional kitesurf board with footpads and bindings.

* Helmet, optional but mandatory whilst learning

* A PDF (personal flotation device) mandatory during learning and after as well.

All the above will be provided during a course."

7. Is it easy to learn for beginners?

# "It depends on the person’s ability, the challenge being there are two major elements to master and combine to get moving, the air element is the control of the kite, the water element the control of the board, it is a lot of perseverance and practice."

8. How long will a beginner take to master this sport?

# "The minimum number of hours to learn is between 10/14 hours, this would allow a person to start practicing on their own at this stage you are considered as an intermediate kitesurfer, after which the more you the more one practices the better you get."

9. Is it dangerous to do kite surfing alone?

# "Yes it is, it always advisable to kitesurf with someone else."

10. Please describe yourself as an instructor and tell us a bit about your kite surfing institution and how long have you been teaching this sport?

# "I have been teaching for 14 years in Goa, having set up my school Kitesurfing Goa, originally Yogikiting since 2006. I am a certified Kitesurfing instructor with IKO ( International Kiteboarding Organization) and offer both certified and non-certified Kitesurfing courses which are valid worldwide."

11. What’s your experience as an instructor of kite surfing?

# "An amazing profession and the most rewarding job I have had the opportunity to learn and experience and make a career out of, would highly recommend it to anyone who is comfortable with being in the ocean

To make it a career, you get to travel around the world if you so wish."

• Types of available courses:

Discovery IKO Certified  - Level 1

Intermediate IKO Certified - Level 2

Independent IKO Certified  - Level 3

Non-Certified Course

• Price details:

Discovery IKO Certified  - Level 1

Duration: 6 hours

Cost : Rs 10,000

Prerequisites:

• Be able to swim

• Sign the student waiver form

• Be in good health with no physical restriction

Intermediate IKO Certified - Level 2

Duration: 8 hours

Cost : Rs 15,000

For Level 1 & 2

Duration: 14 hours Cost : Rs 25,000

Prerequisites:

• Complete the Discovery (level 1) course or equivalent level along with other requirements mentioned for level 1

Independent IKO Certified  - Level 3

Duration: 8 hours Cost : Rs 18,000

Prerequisites:

• Successful completion of levels 1 and 2 and certified as an Intermediate kitesurfer

• Be able to ride with confidence with other kitesurfers

• Be able to ride upwind on both tacks

• Other requirements mentioned for level 1&2

Non-Certified Course

Duration: 10 hours

Cost : Rs 17,000

Prerequisites:

• Be able to swim

• Sign the student waiver form

• Be in good health with no physical restriction

• Batch size:

Non-Certified course:

* 2 students per course.

* 2 courses per day.

* Course duration is 2 hours per session

* 2 sessions per day (can be extended depending on the wind conditions)

* Total hours per course is 10 hours spread over 6 days -

* Students are advised to keep 7/8 days for the course.

* Maximum of 4 students in a day.

* On the water it is one on one only i.e: one student + the instructor.

Certified course:

* 2 students per course.

* 2 courses per day.

* Course duration is 2 hours per session

* 2 sessions per day (can be extended depending on the wind conditions)

* Total hours per course is 14 hours spread over 8 days

* Students are advised to keep 9/10 days for the course.

* Maximum of 4 students in a day.

* On the water it is one on one only i.e: one student + the instructor.

• The bookings would start in early January 2021.

• It is mandatory for the participants to be able to swim at least 100 meters in the sea/lake/ocean.

We use the best teaching equipment and a controlled approach at Revillage. Kitesurfing being an eco-friendly and non-polluting sport fits perfectly with the values of Revillage. Join us at Revillage for experiencing kite-surfing and many more activities that are coming up. We ensure your complete safety during the progress so that you can become a confident and responsible kitesurfer very soon.

We hope to have cleared your doubts regarding kite surfing. If you have more queries feel free to reach out to us.

Mr. Philippe's website: https://kitesurfinggoa.com/