FAQ
Below we have listed answers to the most commonly asked questions about kitesurfing and lessons with Coastline. We fully understand you may have some more questions before starting your first course. Therefore we feel it’s necessary that you do not hesitate to contact us directly for any more questions!
There is no need to complete each lesson one day after the other. Lessons are scheduled to fit your own agenda coupled onto that of the weathers. However, we do recommend trying to complete your lessons as close to each other as possible. Simply because this way, you retain more information efficiently, and can capitalize on the sponge effect, of learning new information at a quicker rate in a short period of time. If practised consecutively.
If your session must be rescheduled due to weather conditions, your remaining credit will be applied to your next scheduled session.
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 and good listening skills your learning curve will be super charged!
We have found that people with past history in these sports:
- Wakeboarding
- Surfing
- Waterskiing
- Windsurfing
- Snowboarding
Have quickly picked up the board riding aspect of the sport.
At Coastline 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 rate than if you’d not taken any lessons.
Learning to kitesurf in waves larger than 1.5m can start to become tricky when first trying to stand on the board. This is why we make sure to always plan our lessons in unison with the ocean conditions, and teach when the waves are at their smallest.
Depending on your own ability to soak up information like a sponge. However, it is not unheard of for some people to stand up on the board, their first day.
There are many variables that come into play when regarding one’s learning curve on their lesson day, a few of the main ones are;
a. What are the ocean conditions like?
b. How determined are you to learn kitesurfing?
c. Are you a good listener?
d. What are the wind conditions like?
e. Have you eaten enough prior to lesson?
At Coastline, we take care of all the kite related stuff. Making sure to stock only the latest equipment, employ only the most experienced instructors and so on. But the rest is up to you, bring the stoke and the possibilities are limitless! : )
Kiteboarding is considered an extreme sport, safety within lessons is taken very seriously. Understanding the sport from step 1 is critical in order to learn the sport safely. This is where Coastline instructors take care of you. When explained thoroughly and demonstrated professionally, learning to kitesurf becomes a very safe and pleasing sport to learn. Knowing the weather, understanding the right of way rules, having the correct gear for the conditions and being in shape will all aid you in your journey, becoming a kiteboarder.
Our group lessons never consist of more than 3 people. (Unless arranged otherwise for groups of friends.)
Group lessons – 3 people max
Semi-private lessons – 2 people max
Private lessons – 1 person max
I suppose the most honest answer would be, we do not focus on what other schools are doing, in a sense this is perhaps, what makes Coastline unique. We simply LOVE the feeling that kitesurfing gives you.
In all, the complete experience.
We think the more people that get to feel that feeling, that only kitesurfing gives you, will thus lead to more happy people on earth.
So that’s all we want, we want more happy people on earth.
Which means, we will do our best at teaching you EVERYTHING there is to know about kitesurfing!
We work very hard in order to predict the wind accurately to insure you have a fun, safe experience.
Therefore, we have partnered up with WINDY which is a modern reliable forecast system.
We try our best to plan your lessons around the date you require, and thanks to Cape Town’s trade winds this is usually possible 85% of the time.
If you are unlucky and you become the 15%, do not fear!
We will then re plan your lesson for your next available date.
All our instructors have to be IKO certified in order to be employed by Coastline, with a minimum of level 2 experience.
Our instructors not only have experience, but have character, these are guys & girls that have travelled the world following their passion, besides teaching you how to kitesurf. We are sure they will have some EPIC stories to tell you.
Due to our modern equipment, kitesurfing does not require strength, however it does require coordination. This is something you are either born with or not, if not it requires slightly more time in order to perfect your abilities. We have enough experience teaching to tell you that no matter who you are, if you are determined, our instructors will make sure you stand on your board by the end of your course!
We use a variety of brands such as Naish, Core, Cabrinha & RRD. You will be supplied with a helmet, wetsuit, harness, rash vest, kite, bar with lines and a pump. All of this equipment will be the latest models.
All you need to bring is a positive attitude, happy vibes, a towel and sunglasses. We supply the rest!
All equipment is included in all of our courses, we feel it is important to learn this sport with all the latest gear. For that very reason we have partnered up with four of the biggest names in kitesurfing, Naish, Core, Cabrinha and Mystic. They supply us with ALL the latest kites and equipment.