Toms Kiteboarding Tips

6 huge tips to help you get the most from your kiteboarding lessons and truly learn Kiteboarding faster 

SLOW DOWN. Yes that's it, just do it slowly! Bring your kite to 12, staying low with knees bent as if you were going to sit down, then before your bum (ass for those Americans!) would normally touch the water, you dive the kite in the new direction with weight on your new back foot. That's it! 

Troubleshooting: 

If you're sinking  - keep your bar in to keep the power, and dive your kite a little sooner. 

If you're being pulled off your board or into the air - slow down! 

If you're loosing speed after transitioning - go downwind a little first before edging back upwind. And dive the kite again if needed. 

Happy transitioning!!!!! 

Katie and Tom 

The first episode from Katie and Tom as Katoms Kiteboarding Tips! 

Todays episode is a podcast all about Kiteboarding in Turks and Caicos, specifically at the main spot of Long Bay as a beginner. 

We discuss why TCI (Turks and Caicos) is worth the money. What to expect from your lessons and how to get the best out of them, what to bring, where to stay, when to come and as much info as we can give to help anyone thinking of coming to get the best out of their trip. 

Board recovery

Board recovery is also known as upwind body dragging. It is absolutely essential in Kitesurfing to be able recover your board in deep water.
Imagine you are in deep water and you have fallen off your board. Your board is now upwind of you some ten meters or even further. You cannot use your kite to pull you into the wind and you cannot swim back to your board and If you keep your kite at 12, you are drifting downwind.
The secret is to remember that your board is also drifting downwind. Yes your board is coming to you so all you have to do is body drag across the wind and your board will magically appear in front of you! 

Riding toeside is so much fun. You will feel like you are surfing plus it's just so useful for spicing up so many other moves as well as making riding a surfboard so much easier.

Landing a regular jump to toeside or a backroll or frontroll to toeside completely changes the move and will help you to make those super smooth silky transitions you see more experienced/advanced riders doing.

Being able to land a trick to toeside can also help you to save yourself when you over or under rotate or even if you make a mistake with your kite position.

Not only does riding toeside feel a bit like surfing but its great for riding downwind too. This is extremely useful and arguably an essential skill for when you are on a downwinder (riding from point A to point B and getting a ride back to where you started instead of kiting back to where you started)

The best part of learning to ride toeside in my opinion is that when you are confident to ride toeside as well as perform carving transition from and into toeside then you will be able to ride waves..

Toeside really does feel amazing and you want to learn it immediately, as soon as you can ride upwind plus it will even help you to nail your first transitions like a total bad ass too.

 The Backroll is not as difficult as you think. Anyone and I mean anyone who can ride upwind can backroll.
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It is not a jump, it is a turn and your first attempts need only be a few inches off the water which means almost zero risk with huge amounts of fun. Landing and even crashing your first back rolls in a controlled, easy manor will open up a whole new world of possibilities for you in the realisation that rotations are not extreme, will lead on to some many other tricks and are within the reach of virtually all riders.
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So the first thing to understand is that your lines are going to be twisted after a backroll or any rotation. .
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Here’s the thing, it doesn’t matter. As long as red (or whatever colour left is on your kite) then your lines can be twisted many, many times and your kite will still ride perfectly albeit a little less responsive with every rotation.
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The safest and easiest way to practice the back roll and dealing with twisted lines is to go to some shallow water (above knee below waist) without your board and practice walking around your lines as if you were backrolling just without your board.
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Simply put your kite to 12, put your hands together on the bar (this is so important as then there is less chance that your kite does anything unexpected and give you unwanted pull) and walk around your lines.
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You do not have to jump, just turn.
Most of us have a stronger side, if you are Goofy (right foot forward) then practice spinning from left to right and aim your first attempts while riding right foot forward. If you are regular (left foot forward) then practice rotating right to left and aim your first attempts while riding left foot forwards.
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When you have completed your standing turn without the board, calmly, without moving the kite from 12, spin your bar back so your lines are untwisted. 

This episode is all about using some pretty out there stuff, its not for everyone and Im not doctor and not recommending that anyone doesn't seek the advice of a doctor BUT from my own personal experience I have healed some serious injuries in record time plus my body has healed stronger than before. If you know anyone who this will help please share :)

How to launch a kitesurfing Kite, some tips for every rider especially new Kiteboarders