It is recommended to be at least 14 years old to get introduced to kiteboard, and you are never too old. In regard to fitness, people of all shapes and sizes kiteboard. Strength (especially in the core), flexibility, and endurance will help you to progress more quickly in the sport, but these are not pre-requisites for becoming a Kitesurfer. In fact, kiteboarding is a great way to get into shape! The only physical requirement is the ability to swim and minimum weight (30 kg). Beyond that, we match the appropriate kite to your size and the wind conditions. In a nutshell, with the same wind speed, the bigger the person, the bigger the kite, the smaller the person, the smaller the kite. You’ll learn more about this during your sessions!
Kitesurfing requires coordination & balance, two skills which are not too common in most of our daily lives. If you are not familiar with using your reflexes and balancing skills, then kitesurfing can take some time to learn. However with guided instructions good weather and good listening skills your learning curve will be super boosted! We have found that people with past history in these sports: Wakeboarding, Surfing, Waterskiing, Windsurfing, Snowboarding, Skiing, and Skateboarding have quickly picked up the board riding aspect of the sport. At Naxoskitelife our goal is to maximize your time on the water, in a safe and efficient way. Thus allowing your skills to progress at a much faster and safer rate than if you’d not taken any lessons. On average you will need 10-20 hours of supervision to get to a level where you can safely practice independently.
No, you cannot. An adequate level of piloting is required in order to feel confident enough to even safely enter the water. Then a variety of other exercises need to be mastered before you will be able to attempt waterstarting and riding the board. Keeping in mind that it’s not possible to do more than 2-3 hours a day. You should plan a couple of days at least to get an experience with the board. See step-by-step progression levels in the Become a Kitesurfer page.
That all depends on you! Generally it takes at least three sessions to stand up on the board and ride. To stand up on the board, you must firstly master kite control, and once you are riding, it is important to understand safeties, priorities and self-rescue techniques to avoid emergency situations. Each person’s kiteboarding progression is different. If you excel at the sport, we will not hold you back, and if you need more time to feel comfortable, we will not push you. Short of time? We could do two sessions in one day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon!
Although kiteboarding is considered an extreme sport, it can be practiced very safely if the right precautions are taken. Supervision from a professional must be taken until reaching the independent level. Learning on your own endangers you as well as others and your equipment. Within our supervision your safety is taken very seriously. Aside from riding skills, knowing the weather, using the correct gear for the conditions and understanding the right of way rules are critical for safe kitesurfing. We will guide you through all this during your sessions.
In Mikri Vigla kitespot we need north winds (NW, N) to proceed with our activities. This direction creates safe and steady conditions (side on-shore winds). If we get east or east-northeast wind direction, we may cancel the kite sessions because the wind becomes turbulent. With south winds we will have to wait for the direction to change no matter how strong the wind is. Only piloting levels (starters) may be possible with south winds. The windspeed should be between 12 and 30 knots.
How much strength is required to play the piano? That much strength is needed on the hands! Now about the stamina required on the water, if you don’t try to fight with the bar then you’re gonna be a winner! With modern equipment, kitesurfing does not require strength, however it does require coordination and determination. Also you should be a good swimmer.
In private supervision there is one student, one supervisor, and one kite. In a group supervision there are two or more students, but still one supervisor and one kite. For your first kitesurfing experience (piloting control on the beach) group supervision is more cost efficient than private one, so bring your friends, family members, or partners! For more advanced levels private supervision is the best way to progress as the gear will be better fitted to your individual needs.
You need to form the groups if you want to do a group supervision, meaning that you will need to find your groupmate(s). This works the best for couples, families and friends. We don’t recommend to set up a group of more than 2 people because progression will be slower in a big group. Three or four people may form a group, but don’t forget that the more people you are, the less time each of you will have to fly the kite individually. The fastest way to become a kitesurfer is with private supervision.
All the team from Naxos kitelife are qualified professionals. They speak many languages. If you would like to have your session in specific language please mention it in our booking form. Our instructors have travelled the world following their passion, besides teaching you how to kitesurf, they can give you tips where to go after.
When you can ride and stay upwind and at the same time follow the priorities, know how to bodydrag and recover the board, self rescue, set up and launch with an assistant without trouble, then you can start renting gear or get your own equipment. Still it is recommended to have somebody more experienced keeping an eye on you during your first independent sessions.
When filling out our booking form you will need to fill in your current kitesurfing level in the comments. This will make it easier for our team to pick the right gear for you. For example if your previous level was riding some short distance, our supervisor will make a quick safety refresh and level check. After that you will continue from the level you have.
All equipment is included in our kite supervised rentals, private and semi private-groups. We have wetsuits, impact vests, harnesses and helmets to fit all sizes. It is important to learn this sport with all the latest gear and for this reason we have partnered up with three of the biggest names in kitesurfing, and the biggest in hydrofoiling: Eleveight, Moses, ION and Mystic. They supply us with the latest and safest equipment that will boost your progress. You should bring your sunglasses and sunscreen.
You may want to bring:
• sunglasses (we also sell special sunglasses for watersports)
• boardshorts if its your first lesson (lvl1-piloting)
• white t-shirt if its your first lesson (lvl1-piloting)
• sunscreen
• Your ID (for registration if it’s your first session in Naxoskitelife)
Yes you will.
You will receive an IKO Certification and a KC certification. Both are showing your skills and level of progress upon completion of your course. The certificate enables you todemonstrate your level to another kite center and rent equipment (if you reached independent level). Note that every center has different policies and often there will still be a rental check which you need to pass in order to rent gear.
Board: If you are over 170cm tall, you need at least 140 x42 or bigger. Petros is riding 144×44 most of the times. Bigger board will boost your progress.
Kites shape: Never buy c shape, or open c shape kites, or kites older than 4 years.
Kites size: It is good to start with 2 sizes which fit to the usual weather conditions of your home spot. Check the kite sizes most often used at your home spot by riders who have similar weight to you. As a beginner it is recommended to go kiting with medium to light wind (avoid the stormy days).
Safety first: Get a helmet and an impact vest! Check your safeties (quick release, leash release)!
