Lukáš has been teaching kitesurfing since 2009 as an IKO Head Instructor. Over that time, he’s seen thousands of beginners and the same mistakes over and over again. Some only cost you time; others can cost you your health — or someone else’s.
This article isn’t meant to scare you. It’s an honest list of things that keep happening and that are easy to avoid.
1. Learning Without an Instructor
This is by far the most dangerous mistake and unfortunately still surprisingly common. Every season, we see people on the beach who bought a kite online, watched a few YouTube videos, and headed out on the water.
Why It’s a Problem
A kite is a powerful tool. Even a small kite in moderate wind generates enough pull to drag you for tens of metres. If you don’t know how to control it — how to safely launch it, how to steer it, how to activate the safety system — you’re a danger to yourself and everyone around you.
Every year, serious accidents happen at spots worldwide caused by inexperienced riders. A kite that spirals out of control can injure a bystander on the beach. A rider who can’t land safely can crash into another rider or an obstacle.
What Happens in Practice
A self-taught person typically:
- Can’t judge the right kite size for the conditions
- Doesn’t know how to safely launch and land the kite (you need an assistant who knows what they’re doing)
- Doesn’t understand the wind window — where the kite pulls and where the danger zone is
- Doesn’t know how to activate the quick release when something goes wrong
- Has no idea about right-of-way rules on the water
The result? In the best case, a destroyed kite and some bruises. In the worst case, broken bones, head injuries, or harm to others.
How We Do It
In our courses, you go through full safety training before the kite even lifts off. Safety systems, emergency procedures, right-of-way rules. It’s not a formality — it’s the foundation everything else is built on.
2. Wrong Kite Size for the Conditions
Kites come in various sizes — we have everything from 2.5 m² to 21 m². Each size is designed for different wind. A big kite in strong wind = uncontrollable pull. A small kite in light wind = nothing happens.
Why Beginners Get It Wrong
The most common scenario: a beginner buys one kite (because they’re expensive) and rides it in all conditions. Light wind? Rides a 9m and barely moves. Strong wind? Rides the same 9m and fights for their life.
Second scenario: someone borrows a kite from a friend who weighs 20 kilos more. What’s a comfortable 9m kite in 20 knots for the friend is brutal overpowering for the lighter rider.
How to Avoid It
The right kite size depends on three things: your weight, wind strength, and kite type. It’s not something you estimate by eye — you need experience or advice from someone experienced.
At a professional school, the instructor handles this for you. They check the forecast, measure the wind, consider your weight, and choose the kite. We have over 250 kites, so we always find the right size. You don’t have that luxury if you own two kites and have to guess right.
If you already own your own equipment and want to ride independently, come talk to us. Through our rental, you can also borrow the right size instead of risking an unsuitable kite.
3. Ignoring Safety Systems
Modern kite equipment has several levels of safety systems. The quick release on the bar disconnects the kite from the bar and lets it flutter on the leash — the kite immediately loses most of its pull. A second quick release on the chicken loop disconnects the kite completely.
Why People Ignore Them
Some reasons:
- “That won’t happen to me” — the classic human error. It happens to everyone who rides long enough.
- “I’ve never tried the quick release and I’m afraid I’ll mess it up” — which is exactly why you practise it.
- “I don’t want to release the kite because then I have to go retrieve it” — would you rather risk injury than 10 minutes of walking to get the kite?
- A corroded or neglected safety system that doesn’t work — that’s like driving a car without brakes.
What Every Kitesurfer Should Know
Before every session:
- Check that the quick release works (try it on dry land)
- Check that the leash is connected and undamaged
- Check the lines — are they twisted, damaged, tangled?
On the water:
- Know which hand activates the quick release
- Don’t hesitate to use it whenever you feel the situation is getting beyond you
- Practise activating the safety at least every now and then
During the course, we practise this repeatedly. It’s not just about knowing where the quick release is — you need muscle memory to activate it automatically, without thinking, even under stress.
4. Moving to the Board Too Quickly
This is probably the most common mistake in terms of progression. A beginner spends two days learning kite control, tries bodydrag on day three, and on day four wants to be on the board. The problem is that their kite control isn’t automatic enough yet.
Why It Doesn’t Work
Kitesurfing requires multitasking. You have to simultaneously:
- Steer the kite with one hand
- Maintain balance on the board
- Look where you’re going
- React to changes in wind and waves
- Keep the right direction
If you still have to think about how to steer the kite (which way to move the bar to reposition the kite), you don’t have the capacity for everything else. The result: repeated falls, frustration, and very slow progress.
The Right Approach
Kite control must be automatic. You need to feel the pull without looking at the kite. You need to be able to execute a power stroke (sweeping the kite through the power zone) consistently and with confidence.
In our Basic I course, we spend sufficient time on each phase before moving to the next. The instructor only lets you on the board when they can see your kite control is adequate. That might be day three, it might be day five — it depends on each student.
And this is where the walkie-talkie helps. The instructor can tell you in real time: “Focus on the kite, you’re forgetting to steer it.” Instant correction, instead of repeating the same mistake twenty times before someone tells you on the beach.
5. Not Checking Conditions Before Riding
An experienced kitesurfer before going out:
- Checks the wind forecast (strength, direction, gusts)
- Looks at actual conditions at the spot
- Checks tides (critical at some spots)
- Checks whether storms are on the horizon
- Assesses whether the spot is suitable for their level
A beginner? Sees that it’s windy, grabs a kite, and goes. Doesn’t check the forecast, doesn’t know what gusts mean, doesn’t know the spot’s rules.
Why Conditions Matter So Much
Wind changes. What’s a pleasant 15 knots in the morning can become gusty 25 with gusts to 35 in the afternoon. If you’re on the water with too big a kite when the wind picks up, you have a problem.
Wind direction is also key. At some spots, offshore wind (blowing from shore) is dangerous — if something fails, the wind carries you away from shore. At our lagoon in El Gouna, this isn’t an issue — the wind blows along the coast (sideshore) and the lagoon is enclosed, so you won’t drift anywhere. That’s one of the reasons this spot is so safe for instruction.
Storms are a chapter of their own. A storm can arrive quickly and bring extremely strong wind. You do not want to be on the water with a kite during a storm under any circumstances.
How We Handle It
Every morning at our centre, we check conditions and decide whether it’s safe to teach. If conditions aren’t suitable, we don’t teach — even if that means rescheduling a lesson. Safety always comes first.
For students in a course, you don’t need to worry about this — the instructor decides. But once you start riding independently, you need to learn to assess conditions yourself. And that’s a skill no YouTube video can teach.
How to Avoid These Mistakes
Most of these mistakes share one common solution: professional instruction. This isn’t an advertisement for our school (though of course we love teaching) — it’s a fact. Any certified IKO or VDWS school will take you through safety training, teach you the proper progression, and won’t let you skip steps.
Walkie-talkie, rescue boat on the water, an instructor watching over you — all of this acts as a safety net that catches your mistakes before they become dangerous.
And after the course? Ride at spots where there’s rescue, where you know the conditions, where other riders are present. Don’t buy your first kite based on a YouTube review — get advice from someone who’s seen you ride and knows your level.
Kitesurfing is an amazing sport. But like any sport involving natural elements — water and wind — it demands respect. The five mistakes above aren’t a scare list. They’re a list to help you enjoy kitesurfing safely and for as long as possible.