Beginner

Sun block, bottled water, and wear warm clothes and sneakers (no flip flops, sneakers better support for flying trainer kite)

DIRECTIONS

Visit our Contact Us Page for Directions to our facilities at Crown Beach in Alameda or Coyote Point Park in San Mateo. For our SF location we will email you directions with your confirmation as our lesson site varies based on wind conditions.

We have exclusive teaching rights at the best beginner friendly location in the SF Bay Area, Crown Beach Alameda. Alameda features a 2 mile long sandy beach with shallow warm water, little to no obstacles, and lighter beginner friendly winds (typically 10-15mph). Our beginner land & water lesson can be done as a semi-private or private lesson. All of our gear is right on the beach. This teaching location is one of the easiest places to learn due to the long beach and shallow warm water. By August, the water temperature reaches 70 degrees (vs 55 at Crissy Field in San Francico). At our facility in Alameda ("the Shack") we have an outdoor shower, changing room, and retail shop carrying a full line of kite gear and accessories. Our instructors are certified by PASA and/or IKO.

SAN MATEO:

Our land lesson is taught on a nice open grass field adjacent to our retail shop. Due to near shore obstacles, our water lessons are private only, and offered with Personal Water Craft / PWC assistance. This keeps you away from the rocky shoreline. San Mateo has stronger winds, averaging 20mph+ every day from March-September. With higher winds, chop, and swell, kite water lessons at this location are best for students that are comfortable in deep water conditions.  At our "Chalet" facility in San Mateo, we have hot showers, a snack bar, and a full retail shop. Our instructors are certified by PASA and/or IKO.

STEP 2: BEGINNER LAND & WATER LESSON - ALAMEDA OR SAN MATEO

After you have mastered the trainer kite skills, you are ready to take our Beginning Land & Water Lesson on a full sized inflatable kite. In our land lesson, you learn to how to rig, execute safety systems, launch, land, and fly a full sized inflatable kite. In our water lesson, you will learn how to body drag, upwind body drag, water re-launch, self rescue, and waterstart onto the board. The more kite skills you have (from all your trainer kite practice time), the higher probability you will be able to pop up onto the board and ride in this first water lesson. Many students add one or two more private water lessons onto their learning progression to specifically master the board skills.

Prerequisite: Trainer kite clinic or 10 hours minimum practice on trainer kite

Using a full-sized kite, you will learn to:
• Properly rig a leading edge inflatable kite

• Deploy the safety systems

• Launch & land a kite for someone else

• Confidently launch, steer & land the kite

• Learn power strokes and sheeting in and out with the 4 line controlled bar

• Kiting safety and beach etiquette

All taught at Crown Beach Alameda or Coyote Point in San Mateo. Crown Beach is where you will come back to practice on your own (Boardsports School & Shop is the only school permitted to teach on Alameda Beach, the best beginner location in the Bay Area).

Water Lesson Overview

Prerequisite: Trainer kite skills & Land Lesson

Using a full-sized kite, you will learn to:
• Refresh your kite launch skills

• Fly the kite in the water (body drag) and body drag upwind (use later to retrieve you board if and when you fall off :))

• Re-launch the kite when it falls

• Learn how to do a self rescue

• Learn to waterstart onto the board

• Right of way rules

All taught at Crown Beach Alameda or Coyote Point in San Mateo. Crown Beach is where you will come back to practice on your own (Boardsports School is the only school permitted to teach on Alameda Beach - the best beginner location in the Bay Area).

WHAT TO BRING