There are many extreme sports to do and choose from. What makes kitesurfing so cool and what are the reasons why people choose to stick with it?
People fall in love with kitesurfing because it offers a feeling of freedom, physical and mental benefits, an adrenaline rush, an opportunity to connect to nature and other cool people and a chance to fly. It’s also a sport that people from almost all ages can learn and there are always new things to learn or to try within the various disciplines.
Now you know what the reasons are in short and below you can discover more about the benefits that make people fall in love with kitesurfing.
- It Gives a Feeling of Freedom
What is most commonly mentioned among kitesurfers when you ask them why they fell in love with the sport is the sense of freedom that it gives. You make your own rules and you decide where to go. The whole open ocean right there. Just send your kite somewhere and you can go wherever you want.
This is the reason why I fell in love with the sport. Riding on the water, feeling the wind and being out in nature gives such an immense feeling of freedom.
- Kitesurfing is great Exercise!
It is a common mistake people make that you can only go kiting if you’re young and super fit. The cool thing about kitesurfing is that anyone can get into it! However, the sport can still be a great workout and you will definitely burn some calories. Although, in the beginning when you take lessons your neck will probably mostly hurt from looking up to the kite, but as you advance you train your whole body and especially your core and upper body strength and with directional or foil board riding also your leg muscles.
And the great thing is that you’re working out, while it doesn’t even feel like you’re doing a workout because you’re just enjoying yourself. But you will definitely have a good sleep afterwards that night.
- It Can Fulfill Your Dream of Flying
For many people flying is something they have always dreamed of doing, but something they think they will never be able to. When you can kite, you can also learn to jump high and it will feel as if you’re flying. In the beginning you’ll think you jumped 5 meters, while in reality it was just a meter. But as you progress, you can even jump heights of 10-25 meters and reach big air times!
And different than with wakeboarding or surfing; if you fall, you can start riding within seconds again!
- You Can Still Enjoy the Outside if the Weather is Bad
If the wind is blowing through the trees, it’s rainy outside and the sky looks grey, you might not want to go outside or go enjoy nature. But once you learn how to kitesurf your adrenaline already starts pumping when it’s windy outside and you see the tree leaves moving. Instead of sitting inside, you’ll want to be at the beach and enjoy the ride!
- It is a Sport for the Whole Family
Many kite surfers inspire their whole family to take lessons. As an instructor I often see parents and children or couples who take lessons together. People can also learn at any age, I’ve taught children from the age of 8 to adults aged in the seventies. I also know of some families who go on kitesurfing holidays together. Which brings me to my next reason…
- Holiday Destinations You Can Go on Kitesurf Vacations
Something extremely fun about kitesurfing is that you can combine it with holiday destinations! Spend a vacation not just chilling on the beach, but also riding some waves or practicing your freestyle. You might also discover cool locations you’d otherwise not even think about visiting, such as Dakhla in Morocco in the middle of the Desert or Masirah Island in Oman or Zanzibar in Tanzania. And you will have some crazy kite adventure stories to tell from your travels.
And kitesurfing in your bikini or board shorts is really THE best, I promise!
- Being on the Water Reduces Stress
Living in the moment on the water is the best thing you can do for your mental state. You will let go of worrying and the hectic day to day stress and relax. Just be in the moment and enjoy the fresh air and water all around you. One of the most relaxing sounds to listen to is probably waves crashing on the beach.
The ocean is therapeutic. When we see, feel, hear, smell or taste water, we are happy and at peace. Research suggests that just looking at a photo of the ocean already improves a person’s mood and their level of the stress hormone cortisol will drop, so spending the whole day in nature and immersed in the elements definitely will be beneficial!
An interesting book about this is “Blue Mind” by Wallace J. Nicholas.
- Kitesurfing is Super Versatile and There is Always Something New to Learn
There are so many disciplines in kitesurfing, freestyle, big air, wake style, wave kitesurfing, foiling, snow kiting, so many things to try!
You will never know what this session will bring. You might want to explore the surroundings or if the wind is stronger try to jump as high as you can, or if the waves are good maybe try some wave kiting, or if the wind is low maybe some foil kiting.
You can progress so much in every discipline that you never stop learning or get bored.
- You Can Do It Alone or With Friends
If you don’t know any friends who kite, you can go to a kitespot on your own (if there are other people there to help you launch and so you can watch out for each other, because it’s always good to have a buddy) and practice your riding skills. Or sometimes if you’re more advanced you also just want to practice that one trick alone. But you can also choose to kitesurf with friends pushing each other to do new tricks or just have some fun.
- You Will Get an Adrenaline Rush and a Natural High
Kitesurfing is exciting and the stoke you get from it is addictive! Kitesurfing is an extreme sport and it will for sure send some dopamine to your brain the first times you ride and jump or when you finally land a trick you’ve been practicing.
- You’ll Feel Connected to Nature.
The combination of wind and water, if you’re lucky also the sun, Being one with nature and enjoying the elements. You forget about your thoughts and you really live in the moment. Not worrying about the past or the future, but totally in flow and in awe of the power of the wind and waves.
With kitesurfing you just make use of the elements, no motor or machines. You fly your kite and get pulled by the wind, you ride the waves or on the flat ocean and enjoy being in the midst of nature’s power.
- You Get to Meet Cool New People
As you are kitesurfing yourself you will for sure meet some really cool fun people. Most of the time kitesurfers are also very friendly and ready to help you launch your kite. The more you kite, the more friends you will meet who also kite.
I think half my friends are all friends I met through kitesurfing and going on kitesurf vacations with them.
- A Good Session Can Make Your Day (It’s Fun!)
A good session on the water is one where you have a smile on your face the whole time, maybe you land a trick for the first time or you jump a personal record height. Before you know it hours have passed, the sun is setting and you didn’t even realize that you were hungry until you left the water.
What Does It Cost to Get into Kitesurfing?
It will take some lessons ( about 6-12 hours of private lessons) and you have to buy your own set of kiteboarding gear. Kite lessons, depending on where you are, cost about 90 dollars an hour for private lessons and a whole gear set can cost from 1000-3000 dollars to get started.
BUT once you have got the equipment it’s free and you can go anytime you want.
Is It Worth It?
There are so many reasons why I would say try it out. The most important one being the feeling of freedom that it can give you. There are so many hobbies you can take up, but not many hobbies give you this extreme freedom, adrenaline rush and connection to nature all in one. Try it out and judge for yourself! 😉