Kitesurfing School in Zanzibar

To learn to kitesurf, no prior experience is necessary. Getting familiar with the sport, however, can be shortened if you are skilled in some water sports such as wakeboarding, surfing, or windsurfing. You can even shorten the learning process if you have a background in paragliding and skydiving. As a minimum skill requirement, students should be comfortable swimming in open water.

Let’s be realistic here. The road to becoming an expert kitesurfer doesn’t happen overnight. Depending on your skill level, kitesurfing requires 10 to 15 hours of lessons. Sessions usually last for two hours each. However, don’t let this discourage you! After all, no one is born with the ability to fly a kite. It is a challenging, but highly rewarding process that every kitesurfer goes through. Kite control, safety procedures, and an understanding of the wind direction are the key elements of learning the sport.

In the first lesson, students are usually taught on land, where students work on learning kite control and muscle memory. You’ll also learn about wind and safety procedures. As part of the second kitesurfing lesson, you will do body dragging, learn how to retrieve your board if you lose it in the water, and relaunch your kite. During your third session, as you progress through your kitesurfing classes, your instructor will start getting you up on the board until you are able to ride it.

In order to learn or to practice kitesurfing, one does not need to be physically fit. However, general stamina will expedite the learning and practicing process. When you become more adept at kite control, you’ll be surprised by how little effort you’ll need to expend when compared with when you’re just starting out. 

Whatever your weight is, the kite and the board size required will be based on the wind speed, and not on how heavy you are. When facing the same wind conditions, however, a heavier rider will likely choose larger kites and boards, while a person who’s slimmer will choose smaller ones.

Here’s an example — With 15 knots of wind, a person of 100kg will fly a 15m2 kite, while a person of 60kg will fly a 9m2 kite. If you want to get into details about the ideal sizes of kites and boards, please visit our shop at Paje beach.

Safety of course should come first and getting what you paid for must come second.  Make sure that the school of your choice is certified by the IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization), BKSA (British Kite Sports Association), or the VDMS. Speaking of certification, Kite N’ Surf Team is a group of Certified Instructors in water sport activities and they can’t wait to share their knowledge with you.

All equipment for kitesurfing lessons is provided by our school, including harnesses, kites, and boards. We recommend wearing something comfortable on the beach and in the water.

It is crucial to have a qualified instructor to evaluate first whether you are ready to stop the lessons. Furthermore, you need to make sure that you are comfortable and ready to go through the process on your own; if not, you can either continue the lessons or at least ask your instructor to monitor you for a few sessions before going completely on your own.

It is not necessary to purchase kitesurfing gear before taking your first lesson. Don’t be too eager to get it. We would recommend you buy your own equipment once you have finished the course and have a clear understanding of the type of equipment you may need.  When choosing the right kite and board for you, you need to consider several factors, such as, your weight,  board size, and the wind speed in your local spot, which we explain in our practical guide in buying kitesurf equipment.