It is captivating for anyone, including kids, to see kitesurfers firmly standing up on a surfboard when a large kite thrillingly pulls them along. A few may still be dreaming about it. Yet, for other people, it becomes one of their objectives.
When it comes to kitesurfing for kids, many parents are not sure about when their child can start learning it. In the same way as other inquiries, there is no straight response for that. However, below are some key elements that should assist you with deciding if your kid is up for it.
1. Weight
Let’s get back in the day! That time, when your youngster desired to get the hang of kitesurfing, weight was a significant thing to think about. Smaller kites are necessary for those whose weight is light, and these young riders tended to wind up with a kite overly small & too heavy even to consider staying up in the air.
That was the reason the lightweight rider often depended on an overpowered kite to have the option to ride, being in possible danger. And it also led to a need for the least weight to start playing this sport.
Still, these days, kites such as single strut kites are light to such an extent that they manage to stay in the air in marginal conditions. This enables your child to select a less sizable kite appropriate for its weight and simultaneously not endanger their safety. It is safe to say that kitesurfing for youngsters has never been that risk-free.
2. Equipment size
When can my kids learn to kite? It also has to do with your choice of the right equipment size for them.
To begin with, this sport-related equipment was totally intended for grown-ups. There were out-of-reach bars & too-large harnesses.
But the good news is, over time, a few brands have introduced equipment mainly intended for kids – for example, fitted small size harnesses, small power sails, and fast depowering kite that allows the sail to remove 100% of the power once the kite goes down.
3. Gain an understanding of independence
Regard safety & independence as the key priority when it comes to kitesurfing for kids. Your youngster will not, all the time, ride in shallow water, and their teacher will not always bring back the board to them and continually offer instructions.
Kitesurfing is viewed as an action sport that involves height, speed, & a certain level of physical exertion, aside from highly specialized gear. Do note that things can turn out badly super rapidly. It is necessary for your child to realize how to overcome trouble (i.e., when & how to respond in difficult circumstances). Also, they should figure out how to avoid falling into difficulty – to begin with. That is a matter of vital importance.
Hence, we suggest choosing the kitesurfing school & teacher carefully, given that some will zero in on the fun experience as opposed to underscoring independence & safety. Please keep in mind that there is no lack of instructors who try to quickly put your kid on the board. Subsequently, they fail to teach with great attention to detail to ultimately creating an independent rider.
4. Maturity
“When they are mature enough” is also quickly likely a proper answer to the question, “When can my kids learn to kite?
As you may know, kitesurfing skills such as board recovery & how to do it safely should get honed beforehand, which applies to grown-ups and youngsters alike. On the other hand, those considerable skills are not the most exciting or simple to learn, and youngsters may lose interest quickly.
Given that, the learner needs sufficient maturity to see how significant they are. And while they are far from being fun, honing such skills is significant before they proceed onward to the next more interesting steps.
Believe it or not, age has very little to do with this maturity level. We have seen a few 15-year-old people incapable of passing the board-recovery undertaking and lose interest even before having a go at putting the board on. On the other hand, we have admired some 10-year-old youngsters ride more excellently than we can. How different is it between them? Maturity & dedication.
5. Devotion
Again, speaking of kitesurfing for kids, devotion & maturity are the optimal combo. As your child is committed to figuring out how to kitesurf, they will enthusiastically deal with the boring & hard lessons. Nonetheless, in case your offspring learns to kite in light of the fact that you force them to do as such, they will most likely not have enough perseverance in challenging lessons.
Joining a sport with your kids (in every way) does cement you guys’ parent-child relationship. Yet, by and large, kitesurfing is not the most proper pastime for that. When the youngster does not have the motivation themselves, they are practically unlikely to ride independently.
We suggest letting the child partake in a ‘teaser’ lesson so that you can check whether they have an interest in the sport or not. After the 1st 120-minute experience with the kite, are they indifferent to it? You had better not squander your cash.
6. Age
Kitesurfing marketing tends to centre around pro kitesurfers, their a-list stunts & performances, resulting in many people fantasizing about becoming famous and turning into a superstar. Where you are not young enough for that dream, should not something be said about your youngsters? In case you support them in their practice since their young age, they could attain that riding level.
With that being said, you should somehow think about age. Personally, we consider competition about whose offspring is the youngest surfer is not healthy. At the point when super-duper young, kids do not have the decision-making abilities expected to protect themselves in the event of an emergency, particularly when there need decisions made in an instant.
How adorable and cool a three-years-of-age youngster immersed in kitesurfing is! On the other hand, watching it is nerve-racking, taking into account this is an extreme sport.
Then, are you wondering, “when can my kids learn to kite?” As far as we know, twelve is a decent age to begin. Yet, it is feasible to start it sooner – say, nine years of age, if your child has maturity & dedication.
7. How patient and less ‘ambitious’ are you?
Yeah, you heard us right. Something else to consider is the satisfaction of kitesurfing for kids. It is useless to push your athlete plan on your child.
Psychological well-being is vital, and the young child should get involved in less competitive & more enjoyable things. Please bear in mind that pushing the athletic competencies is likewise an excellent way of filling them with disgust about kitesurfing until the end of time.
So, consider spreading the learning process over a couple of years, enabling things to stay fun & light. At the same time, steadily develop the mental & physical abilities required for this wave-riding sport. Generally, the younger your offspring is, the more significant that is. Once they are agreeable in the water, let them stay on your board – of course, between your legs – for instance.
For your information, an excellent way of having the kid interested (also a far safer option for younger ones) is tandem riding. What if they are now too big to do so? Then, they may prefer a basic kitesurfing technique known as body dragging. Indeed, even grown-ups who have not ever kited appreciate the experience.
What is more? A little (one meter or two) two-line-or-three foil coach kite is another fantastic option. As you can see, flying kites is a side interest all alone and is a pleasant thing to do for kids and grown-ups equally.
You may want to keep your youngster on the mentor for a couple of years before they upgrade their skills with the four-line kites & harness. At that stage, ensure your kid knows well about safety procedures. Make them stay underpowered during their kite flying on the seashore and utilize short lines to decrease dangers. Again, we recommend they put in a couple of years simply working on flying the four-line kite & body dragging prior to endeavoring to ride.
8. Consider whether you can afford lessons
“When can my kids learn to kite?” It is when you can afford money for their lessons. By saying so, we do not mean that the fees are high or not. Rather, it is whether kitesurfing instructions for your child is part of your financial plan.
If you have no prior skills and knowledge related, it is not easy to figure if your youngster will learn rapidly or slowly. For your reference, to the best of our knowledge, most teens adjust & adapt rather rapidly. We are indeed envious to witness how almost effortless they have it since we did not get it with that ease ourselves!
In comparison, children & pre-teenagers should invest additional time. In case you are a rider yourself, you might have the option to assist your kid with practicing, setting aside your hard-earned money spent in lessons.
There is one thing you do need to note. Safety lessons are not something to spend less than necessary in order to save money. For instance, in case your kid cannot play out a safe self-rescue, ensure they take part in all the necessary lessons for becoming competent. At the end of the day, adapting rapidly (& setting aside cash) is not just about as significant as learning appropriately & safely.
9. Parental responsibility
Bear in mind that you hold responsibility for the choices you are making for the offspring. Children may be brave as well as think highly about how capable they are. They are likely to pick inappropriate conditions & locations for them – for example, excessively wavy and excessively windy conditions offshore with a large number of challenges. Some may try and perform hazardous stunts.
How to train them the right way in kitesurfing for kids? It will be best if you are a kitesurfer and choose if the conditions & areas are safe. Otherwise, it is always advisable for you to think about learning the sport yourself. Who knows, you will seek out your new passion in the most unexpected way!
What if you cannot join it? If so, make a point to be informed about kite arrangement, area & condition analysis, and launching & landing plan.
We likewise recommend getting to know nearby kitesurfers and all that. Then, they can watch out for your youngster while on the water and assist you with evaluating the conditions & area.
Last but not least, it will be helpful for your kid to have an excellent example in this sport to follow. The high chance is, numerous local riders will appreciate seeing their local youngster following their example and will happily help the kid
10. The time to learn
In this sense, the summer should be the correct answer to the question, “When can my kids learn to kite?”
For any novice, the mid-year (summer) gives alluring conditions that will not create an excessive number of hindrances for kids when they are trying to get familiar with the essentials. The long summer holidays imply your child will have more time to commit to learning to kite and will probably get back to class full of stories about their fantastic adventures of a memorably spent summer. Some avid kitesurfing families even arrange their mid-year holiday around remarkable getaway destinations so that they can get the best of the two worlds.
The bottom line
Generally, kitesurfing for kids is plainly feasible these days. And when they can begin relies upon the significant factors mentioned above, particularly their maturity & motivation.
As a parent, you are mindful of providing them with appropriate instructions regarding independence & safety. You are likewise answerable for ensuring that their daily riding is suitable for their level.
As a bonus, kitesurfing can be a practical way for your child to get more involved in physical activity than being glued to their smartphone screen.
