Intermediated kitesurf lessons at Lake Garda

What can you expect from your intermediated kitesurf lesson?

You will start with a couple of simulations on the beach. We need to check that you know how and when to use the safety systems on our or your own kites.

We recommend you use our latest kites but if you insist on using your own kite, you can. However, your lesson must be a private or duo lesson or your level is staying consistent upwind. The price of the lesson does not change.

You depend on us to pick you out of the water at the end of the kite session. We depend on you to stay in the explained kite area.

Wind Riders safety rules:

• Stay 300 meters away from any shore.
• Stay below the explained upwind limit and above the explained downwind limit. (If kiting upwind is not working for you, please take your board in your hand and bodydrag upwind).
• Right hand for has priority over left hand for. If you have priority, keep a consistant line and consistant speed. But avoid collisions all time. If you pass downwind of someone keep your kite low and minimum 5 meters distance. If you see it is a beginner (You can recognize a beginner by it’s bigger lifejacket, helmet, in some situation the lack of a board or the porer body position) you stay out of their wind window. They can crash there kite anytime! If you pass upwind of someone keep your kite high and a minimum of 5 meters. If it is a beginner keep even more distance. They can bring there kite up to 12 any time!
• Left hand for gives priority. You give priority in time by going a lot upwind, downwind or turn around.
• Only perform a jump, trick or turn if your wind window is free.
• Never put a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) in your windwindow.

If you or your kite is going to crash, we want you to let go of the bar. This prevents a hard impact. It will safe the kite and you from unnecessary pain.

If  you tangle with another kiter, or water users we want you to activate your quick release and leash releash. Wave for help. You are not allowed to try to sort out the lines yourself.

We ask you to take a look at the IKO communication signals. We use the signals for: Stop, Kite at 12, Kite at the water, Let go of the bar, Release quick release and release the safety leash.

On the beach you also learn how to pack your kite for a boat launch. Depending on your level we show you a video with the next step that you will be learning.

What can you expect from the first time getting launched on Lake Garda?

Your instructor will drive the RIB to the kitespot. Arriving at the spot the instructor will do a spot assesment. What to expect from the Wind and where to kite.

The kites get inflated by the compressor and your go in the water. The instructor drives to the edge of the Wind Window. Normally you do not have to do anything. Incase the instructor does need you the swim he will signal you the direction you should swim at. When the kite is at the edge of the wind window he will hold the kite up. Now you can spin the bar to check the lines. If everything is good on your side you give the tumbs up signal. If your lines are tangled or you notice a problem. Let go of the bar and give the tumbs down signal. If the instructor feels that the kite wants to start flying by itself, he will not let go of the kite but try to solve the situation or if needed deflate the kite. If the kite is relaxed, he will place the kite in the water and drive to you and sort out the line problem. In case you gave the tumbs up, your instructor will check his side of the lines and bridles and will answer with thumbs up or down. In case of tumbs up your can lauch the kite out of his hands. Incase of thumbs down you let go of the bar and wait for furter instructions.

How does your lesson start?

Now that you are in the water your instructor will briefly check your water relaunch,  down wind bodrag, upwind bodydrag skills and then give you a board. You recover the board and then the lessons proceeds depending on your level.

We at Wind Riders give everyone their own kite as soon as you are independently practicing your exercises safely. This depends also on the wind. If the wind is very stabile and strong everything is easier and you will progress quicker and get a kite for yourself sooner. If the wind is light everything is slightly different and more difficult. In that case you will benefit more from having your instructor close by for quality time over self practise time. If you are not yet able to relaunch a kite by yourself then you get rotated with another student (in case of group lessons) to prevent you from spending to much time in the water getting frustrated by a crashed kite.

When you reach the level that you are going to learn something new or you are struggle with something our instructors will take you in the boat. Explain the exercise, check if you have understood it by asking you to rephrase it and they will demonstrate in the water briefly your exercise. The fact that our instructors are waterproof and not too lazy to go in the water and demonstrate you an upwind body drag to your board, a waterstart or your mistake will make you learn a lot faster. The visual image of the exercise makes it easier to understand what you have to do.

With the radio you can always hear your instructor and feel watched and safe. You won’t me making the same mistake to many times. Your instructor will spot your mistake and explain it to you and help you improove. The same for the things you are doing good. You will hear your instructor say what you are doing good, and what you should keep doing. Specially in light wind conditions it is great to know that you are doing the right thing, you just need to stay patient and your kite will relaunch  for example 🙂