What makes for a GOOD kiteboarding instructor or school?

[RickI]

This is an important thread and one that will presented in the near future in a better resolved form. The idea is to provide the consumer with some ideas about what to look for in a good instructional operation.

Kiteboarding NEEDs good instructors and schools and in fairness kiteboarders DESERVE to obtain the best competitve product for their money that is available. It is likely that without more, effective GOOD instruction kiteboarding access will suffer. Of course there is always free will to do stupid things despite instruction but that is yet another problem for another thread.

I have lots of ideas about what traits make for a good instructor or school but I am looking for ideas and experiences from others out there. Particularly students that were impressed by a given school or instructor or even instructors themselves.

NOTE: It would be good to leave the identities of schools and instructors out of this to avoid introducing possible bias and conflict.

So, what things impressed you about your instructor or school? Things like:

1. Certified staff that not only can kiteboard but critically can effectively teach it.

2. A fixed lesson plan with reachable goals that is discussed in ADVANCE of the lessons and is adhered to.

3. Low instructor to student ratios.

4. A chase boat, if appropriate for the area.

5. Insurance

What else? Passing along tips to new riders on what to look for should accomplish a few things. It will provide a competitive incentive for schools and instructors to deliver an even better product. More riders will be drawn to kiteboarding instruction because of widely accepted worth and value. Threats to access should ideally be reduced from at least this one source.

[Toby]

I just had a discuss about it in a German forum.

I think a good school needs good instructors.
For me a good instructor is someone, who not only can go upwind, but has a lot of experience and is a good rider as well.

How to certify a good instructor? I don't know and I don't see a way anyone will set their limits higher (it's about money...).

Offering rescue is very important for a good school, as well as a good area.

Greets
Toby

[fokiten]

A real kite in real wind is the only instructor worth a f***,,,
Talk is cheap,,talk is not effective in getting the message across,,,
That message of course is this f*** thing will kick your ass in a heart beat,,
We teach kiting with kites,,,,not talk
take a new kiter out in the middle of the water launch him,,,,the kite
dose the rest,,,end of story,,
Trainer kites suck,,
instructors are unnessisary
a lesson learnd is a lesson earnd
kites give,,,, instructors talk
truth
fokiten

[Toby]

partly true:
you still can give very important tips which could save a life.
some talking is very important, but experience as well!

Toby

[toyletbowl]

interesting idea...no talk...grab a kite and go...cool deal.
let me see now...hop in a F-16 and go for a quick spin...no talk needed...grab a parachute and jump...no talk needed...if this is where the future lies, i'm going back to med school and then investing in cemetaries and morgues.

too much talk is for sure a waste of money. say what needs to be said and hit the water when the student shows the appropriate skill level.

[Kolahi]

Well fokiten's got a point i mean you can stress and teach all you want, but most people dont truly understand unless they experience it first hand. I think a good kite instructor is one who instills some amount of fear into the kiter. So that they understand that this is no fucking way something a person should be taking lightly, it'll kill you in a heartbeat in high winds.

The best is if you could give the beginner some kind of on the beach instruction on basics and safety. Then take him out in the middle of the ocean, and launch his kite there somehow. Hopefully in moderate winds - so that he can feel what its like to be powered up - and if something goes wrong the boat can go rescue - agreeing with Fokiten here. Sanddragging is so dangerous imo, I hate being on the beach with a kite its an accident waiting to happen in the gusts. If i'm on the beach its parked at the edge of the window and i stay for the absolute minimum amount of time.

However i think trainer kites are a must- because most people dont even know how the control bar works. You know how many beginners i've seen who twist the controlbar like its a steering wheel - inside of pulling on one side. Imagine if they did that with a big kite - even in the middle of the water its dangerous when they are doing kiteloops and dont know how to control it. Training kites are good to figure out the absolute basics even 30 minutes is the difference between life and death.

[fokiten]

interesting idea...no talk...grab a kite and go...cool deal.
let me see now...hop in a F-16 and go for a quick spin...no talk needed...grab a parachute and jump...no talk needed...if this is where the future lies, i'm going back to med school and then investing in cemetaries and morgues.

too much talk is for sure a waste of money. say what needs to be said and hit the water when the student shows the appropriate skill level.

hi toyy,,
your missing a small but cruial point here,,,,
Now it seems to me you are suggesting beach trainig first???
Right?? Are you?????
this is where the bad shit happens>>>on the Beach,,,Right???

RIGHT!!!!!
right ,,,that's where the bad shit happens!!
Now try again to say that, without making youeself sound the fool!
I do try and post the truth,,every fucking time
go
fo

[mutant]

fokiten,

The idea of using the services of an instrutor is to help you avoid the pain that the early kitesurfers went through. Also to speed the learning curve and avoid the potential dangers to yourself and others.

I agree that less talking is good because most people dont listen but take in far more by experience but a certain amount of verbal is necessary.

Perhaps you are lucky enough to be a natural at this sport but for the vast majority who are not, to just be dumped in the water with a potential killing machine is totally irresponsible.

[fokiten]

fokiten,

The idea of using the services of an instrutor is to help you avoid the pain that the early kitesurfers went through. Also to speed the learning curve and avoid the potential dangers to yourself and others.

I agree that less talking is good because most people dont listen but take in far more by experience but a certain amount of verbal is necessary.

Perhaps you are lucky enough to be a natural at this sport but for the vast majority who are not, to just be dumped in the water with a potential killing machine is totally irresponsible.

Now look here,,,
I am a man of few words, as such I lay out the entire subject in a paragraph or less. usually less,,

The above objections dismissed as follows:

If you use the bar like a steering wheel NOTHING happens, so f*** beach training.

Beach trainig is for Instructors not students.

The kite power is minimized by your body dragging the water,,on land you have to run to get this shock abosbing benift,, f*** beach training
Beach trainig comes after kite control is achieved by hours in the water,,

Killing Machine,,,,,,,exactly,,,the water is the ONLY place to start,,
f*** beach training>>>$$$$ for instructors<<<>>>no useful lessons for student kitesurfing has NOTHING to do with itty bitty lightning fast dangerious to other people on the beach string weapons,,
TRUTH,,
get it????
The thing you forum posters cannot get around is that I know what Im talking about,,you don't like it,,,But tough shit you can not suprise me,, you can call me names but you can not fault my arguments because I know what I'm talking about,, and I do not Bull-shit..
I post the whole truth,,and you are deffenceless against it,,
Sweet God in heaven,,
fikiten

[toyletbowl]

We teach kiting with kites,,,,not talk
take a new kiter out in the middle of the water launch him,,,,the kite
dose the rest,,,end of story,,
Trainer kites suck,,
instructors are unnessisary
a lesson learnd is a lesson earnd
kites give,,,, instructors talk
truth
fokiten

fo..so which is it? you seem to contradict yourself in this statement.. We teach in one statement and then instructors suck in the next... not sure if you are an instructor/trainer or what's the scoop? actually i'm just having some fun with ya. in reality we aren't far off of each others thinking 'cuz i hate long winded talking about how to do things also. say it then do it.

btw...to answer your previous beach training question, we are beach deprived where i live and only use small trainers on land. when it's water time, we walk to shallow areas and then let them ride or body drag....
we never fly kites on the beach 'cuz we can't.... must be nice to have the option though... where do you ride????
later