How to Choose a Kite School — What to Ask Before Booking

Not sure how to choose the right kite school? Here are 8 key questions you should ask before booking a course. Certification, equipment, safety, and more.

You’ve decided you want to learn kitesurfing. Great. Now comes the harder part — choosing a school that will actually teach you safely, effectively, and without unnecessary stress. And this is where many people get stuck, because at first glance, all kite schools look similar. Beautiful photos, smiling instructors, “the best spot in the world.”

But there are huge differences between schools. And some of them you only discover when it’s too late — you’re standing on the beach with five other people, sharing one kite, and the instructor is shouting something from shore that you can’t hear.

That’s why we’ve prepared eight questions you should ask any kite school before you pay anything. They’re not trick questions. They’re simple. And the answers will tell you more than any advertising copy.

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1. Is the School IKO or VDWS Certified?

This is the very first thing you should find out. IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) and VDWS (Verband Deutscher Wassersport Schulen) are the two main international organizations that certify kite schools and instructors.

What does that mean in practice?

• Standardized teaching — instructors have gone through rigorous training and must follow proven methods.
• A portable skill record — the instructor records the level you actually demonstrate. Another centre can use that record as evidence, but still applies its own skill check, local rules, conditions and equipment availability before allowing rental.
• Insurance — certified schools typically must carry liability insurance, which protects you too.
• Regular inspections — IKO schools undergo audits and must meet current safety standards.

If a school isn’t certified, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s bad. But you have no guarantee. It’s like going to a dentist without a license — they might be skilled, but why take the risk?

We’re a full IKO Pro Center, so recording the IKO level you actually demonstrate is included with every course at no extra charge. Course completion does not automatically create independent-rider status. VDWS certification is offered directly — we are a VDWS-accredited school with VDWS-qualified instructors (€40 exam) — so when you ask any school, be precise about exactly what they record at the end.

Tip: Ask what level of certification the instructors hold. In the IKO system there are several instructor ranks — Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 — and the higher the rank, the more experience and authority the instructor has. (Those numbers describe instructors; as a student you’ll be aiming for independent-rider level.)

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2. How Many Students Share One Kite?

This might be the most important question you can ask. And the answer at many schools will surprise you.

According to IKO rules, a maximum of two beginners should be on one kite at a time. One rides, the other rests and watches. That means each of you gets real time with the kite during the lesson — not waiting an hour in line.

Unfortunately, many schools don’t follow this. We’ve seen schools where six people rotated on one kite. That means from a two-hour lesson, you actually had the kite in your hands for twenty minutes. At full price.

What to ask:

• How many students per kite?
• How many kites does the school have for instruction?
• How many instructors per student?

We cap it at a maximum of two students per instructor for beginner lessons — and for true one-on-one progress, our private courses give you the instructor and the kite entirely to yourself. For more advanced riders the picture changes: once everyone has their own kite and rides independently, a single instructor can supervise a small group. But for complete beginners, two per kite is the line — no more.

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3. What Equipment Does the School Use and How Old Is It?

Kite equipment evolves incredibly fast. A kite that’s five years old is to a new model what an antenna TV is to a smart TV. New kites are safer, more stable, easier to control, and respond better to safety systems.

Equipment questions:

• What brand of kites do you use?
• How often do you replace equipment?
• How many kites do you have in different sizes?
• Do you track flight hours for individual kites?

Fleet size also tells you a lot. If the school only has a few kites in three sizes, its matching options are limited. A good school should measure the conditions, consider the rider’s weight and level, recommend suitable available equipment, and pause when conditions are not safe or rideable.

Our fleet includes over 250 Flysurfer kites ranging from 3 to 21 m² and over 60 boards — we’ve been Flysurfer’s official distributor and test point since 2009, and added German Levitaz hydrofoils to the mix in 2015. Each kite has logged flight hours and is regularly rotated. That’s not bragging — it’s the standard you should expect from a school. (If you want to understand kite sizing for yourself, see our guide on how to choose the right kite size.)

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4. How Do Instructors Talk to You on the Water?

Imagine you’re in the water, 50 metres from shore, kite above your head, and the instructor wants to tell you something. With no communication system they have two options: shout at you (and you can’t hear), or wait until you come back to shore (and meanwhile you’ve made the same mistake fifty times).

Ask whether instructors coach you live while you’re on the water. The best setup is a two-way Bluetooth helmet — at Kitepower every student wears a BB Talkin two-way Bluetooth helmet, so the instructor can both talk to you and hear you in real time. “Pull your right hand down.” “Keep your body further back.” “Now — stand up!” And you can ask a question without paddling back to the beach. That two-way link is a huge difference in learning speed compared with a one-way radio, let alone shouting.

Not all schools offer this, because it means investing in equipment and places higher demands on instructors. But if you have a choice, always go with the school that coaches you live, both ways, on the water.

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5. Do You Have a Rescue Boat? And When Does It Run?

Water safety isn’t just about wearing a vest. A rescue boat is essential, especially if you’re learning in places where the wind can carry you away from shore.

Key question: During which operating hours is rescue support available, and what are its limits?

Some schools have a boat only for students and only during teaching hours. But what coverage applies if a practically verified independent rider rents equipment from the rental centre in the afternoon? And what applies when someone who has already passed the required independent-rider and self-rescue check goes back on the water after coaching?

A responsible school explains its rescue coverage without promising continuous boat presence or a response time. At Kitepower, rescue support is available during operating hours, but a specific intervention or response time cannot be guaranteed.

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6. What’s Included in the Course Price?

This is a classic trap. The price looks great, but then you find out it doesn’t include:

• Equipment (you have to pay for rental separately)
• Certification (the IKO card costs extra)
• Insurance
• Rescue boat
• Wetsuit or rashguard

Ask for a complete breakdown:

• Is all equipment included?
• Is certification included?
• Are there any hidden fees?

A transparent price list is a sign of a serious school. For example, our Beginner course — 8 hours of instruction — includes complete equipment, two-way helmet coaching, rescue support during operating hours without a guaranteed intervention or response time, and recording of the IKO level actually demonstrated at no extra charge. VDWS certification is available through our instructors for an additional €40 if you want it. You can see exactly what’s bundled in on the course page rather than having to guess.

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7. What Languages Do Your Instructors Speak?

It might seem like a minor detail, but it’s not. When the instructor is explaining safety procedures or giving you instructions on the water, you need to understand them. Kitesurfing has its own specific terminology, and explaining the correct body movement in your native language is incomparably more effective.

The more languages a school covers, the more professionally it approaches instruction and the broader the clientele it serves. This usually correlates with overall quality.

Our instructors speak eight languages between them, so most guests can learn in their mother tongue — and on the water, where every second of clear communication counts, that matters more than you’d think.

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8. How Many Instructors Do You Have in Season?

This question tells you a lot about the size and stability of a school. A small school with two instructors will struggle to cover peak season. A larger school with a stable team that returns year after year is a sign that it’s a good place to work — and to learn.

Also ask about turnover. Do instructors come back from previous seasons? That’s a good indicator — returning instructors mean the school looks after its people, and a happy instructor teaches better.

Our returning-customer rate is about 8 in 10. Kitepower’s school history dates to 2004, the current northern base has operated since 2016, and Lukáš and Andrea have co-owned and run it since 2023. The northern position provides open fetch, while the usable area always depends on live wind, water level, traffic and rider ability.

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Bonus: Check Reviews — But Read Between the Lines

Reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, or in Facebook groups are useful, but take them with a grain of salt. Look for specific mentions of teaching quality, equipment, and safety. A generic “it was great” doesn’t tell you much. But “the instructor spoke my language, I had a two-way helmet, and after three days I was riding” — that’s real information.

Our guest reviews page shows the current Google rating and review count directly from the source. A serious school lets you read the original reviews instead of freezing a number in an article.

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Now You Know What to Ask

Eight questions. None of them is tricky or rude. Every good kite school will answer them gladly and openly. If a school avoids answering or reacts irritably — that’s your answer.

And if you’re wondering about our answers? You just read them. For the full picture of our approach, see how we teach — straight into the water from the first session, never parked on the beach with a trainer kite.

Have more questions? Get in touch — we’re happy to answer anything you’re curious about. Or go ahead and book a course and come see for yourself.