The Right Way to Learn to Kite

At Next Level, instruction is everything. That’s why we’ve built an elite team of internationally recognized coaches—bringing the knowledge, patience, and skill to help you master kiteboarding faster and safer. We set the bar higher than any other school, combining world-class talent with cutting-edge equipment and the island’s most refined watersports program.

Learning to kiteboard is an investment in your future and there is a right and wrong way to teach people how to do it. We have refined and perfected our method over the years and believe in doing it the right way. That means using the latest gear, providing truly individualized instruction from the best in the business, and keeping you comfortable and in control throughout your lesson. This results in dramatically accelerating our riders' learning curves and ensuring they learn how to practice kiteboarding in a respectful and safe manner. Providing a true return on investment.

Whether you just want to try to kite for an afternoon of fun or are all-in on learning to kiteboard, we are your solution. We encourage you to check out the resources we have put together below.

How Kite Lessons Work

Each kiteboarding lesson lasts three hours. It starts when we pick you up in our boat to take you to our flat water coaching location and ends when we drop you off right where we started. We give you time to get suited up, teach you how to safely and properly rig up all equipment, and then the rest of the time is devoted to learning to ride. A lesson is a blend of hands-on learning, allowing students to use the kite equipment, mixed with demonstrations and explanations by your instructor.

We offer the following lesson formats with cost varying by factors such as type and location. Equipment is always provided as needed, regardless of lesson type. 

PRIVATE LESSONS

A private lesson means one student learning with one instructor, who is in a boat by your side the entire time. It is the fastest and most efficient way for someone to learn to kiteboard.

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SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS

A semi-private lesson is two students learning with one instructor. Each student takes turns riding a kite, with an instructor in a boat by your side the entire time. This is a great way to get into the sport if you're worried about endurance or want to learn with a friend.

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GROUP LESSONS

Each lesson group can have up to four people per one instructor. Group lessons are available for all types of experience, from Green Level lessons to groups of experienced, self-sufficient riders who want a guardian angel watching over them. It's a great way to test out the sport with friends if you're new or go ride an awesome spot. To book a group lesson, shoot us an email or give us a call.

OFFSITE COACHING

Want to go on your first downwinder or have your first ocean side wave session. How about ripping through the mangroves? Let's do it! The NLW team is here to make your dream water adventure a reality. We can help with everything from booking a last minute hotel room and boat before four days of breeze and swell set in to designing custom offshore excursions. Contact us for more information.

NLW Learning Path

Like learning to ski & snowboard, learning to kiteboard follows a defined, incremental path with endless possibilities of where you can take your skills. Lessons are broken up into the following types to match where you are in the learning curve and your goals for the lesson. You start on Day 1 with a Green Level lesson and progress from there.

Lesson Levels

  • Green

    Day 1 courses are tailored for people who have no to minimal experience on a kite or kiteboard. We start by reviewing safety fundamentals, how to rig, and wind dynamics. From there, you'll start to fly a kite and develop your kite control. Our goal on day one is to end the lesson with you getting your first attempts at riding a board. This course is designed to make it easy to learn and provide students the basics needed to get started.

  • Blue

    Day 2 lessons are for people who have flown a kite, have kite control, and are ready to get up and riding consistently. We start by revisiting and refining your kite control. Then you'll learn how to get up efficiently to ride in both directions and hold an edge consistently, and you'll begin working on transitions and other advanced maneuvers.

  • Black

    Day 3 courses are for students who can ride consistently in both directions, have good kite & board control, and are becoming self-sufficient. These students will focus on the advanced skills needed to go out and kite solo, hold upwind confidently, complete transitions, and start getting air.

  • Double Black

    Day 4 & Beyond courses are for already self-sufficient kiteboarders looking to take their existing skill set to the next level. Our talented instructors can teach you to ride a surfboard strapless in waves, jump big (REALLY BIG!), unhook, or land one of the tricks you’ve dreamed of trying. The joy of kiting is that there is always something new to learn!

Wondering if kiting is for you?

Many see kiting and think: “I could never do that. It takes a ton of upper body strength. I’ve heard it’s dangerous. It looks difficult to learn. It’s too expensive.” Our job is to break those misconceptions as kiting can be for everyone, and it's a lot of fun! Check out our most frequently asked kiteboarding questions below.

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Kiteboarding FAQ

Why learn to kite with NLW? What makes you the best Kiteboarding School on Nantucket?

We are different. And each lesson gets our NLW Guarantee.We started Next Level Watersports out of a love for teaching kiteboarding and a realization that there is a shortage of top-notch coaching in the market. When you learn to kite, you shouldn’t be grouped with a crowd of students, you shouldn’t be left alone in the water, and you shouldn’t be getting slammed by waves. Rather, you should have a coach, in a boat, by your side at all times ensuring you are in control, feel comfortable, and who paces you appropriately while you learn in flat water. That is why people come from all over to be taught by NLW coaches and our reviews tell the story.

Is kiting safe

This is our number one priority. Kiting has evolved into a very safe sport when observing the refined safety systems that give you the ability to depower and quickly detach from a kite. We teach and re-teach how to use these systems and other fundamentals until all becomes second nature. Safety is at the core of becoming a true kiteboarder

Who can learn?

Kiting does not require significant strength, as the load of the kite is on your harness, not on your hands. Gender nor age plays a factor in who is able to kite. Our students range from young kids to those in their 70s. The advances in safety features over the last six years have transformed the sport, making it safe to teach and partake in for the whole family. Kiteboarding is truly a sport that can last you a lifetime. Please note that while kiting does not require significant strength, we do require students to weigh at least 70 pounds.

How old do you have to be? How much do you have to weigh?

Kiteboarders come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Typically, our students run from 12-year-old kids to people in their 70s, but there are no age restrictions. We do require our students to weigh a minimum of 70 pounds to partake in the sport.

What makes for a good location to learn how to kiteboard? What are ideal learning conditions?

Waist deep, shallow water. It’s the key component to reducing the learning curve and practicing the sport in a safe environment. Why? Step one of learning to kiteboard involves learning to fly the kite, the controls, and developing muscle memory. The best place to do this is standing in that waist deep, shallow water. That way, if you fall or get dragged, you simply land in the water. Other schools will teach on the beach or in the sand, but we highly advise against this type of schooling.

We also believe high quality gear and veteran coaches are pertinent to the best conditions. You can find the quintessential ingredients to the best learning conditions can be found.

What is the kiteboarding learning curve like?

This is inherently a tough question because the pace at which you learn depends on your background of skills. While everyone has a unique learning curve, a kite tends to be intuitive to fly and comes naturally to most. Learning to fly a kite effectively generally occurs by the end of one lesson, and you can expect to be riding a board with one to two lessons. The process of learning to kiteboard involves:

  • Learning about equipment and safety
  • How to fly the kite and developing muscle memory
  • Adding in the board
  • Developing skills to become self-sufficient
  • Practicing & repeating

 Clients that have wakeboarded before are likely to pick it up a little quicker. It’s like two sports in one: flying the kite and riding the board. When teaching it, we isolate each water activity and then combine them together. But don't forget, we can teach anyone! Board skills are not required and riding a board with a kite is actually a bit easier than behind a boat. That's because the pull from a tow rope behind a boat is parallel to the water, and since the pull from a kite is at roughly 45 degrees to the water, it assists in getting you up out of the water onto your feet and makes you lighter on the water as you ride. It is one of the magical parts of kiteboarding.  

How long until I can kiteboard by myself?

We are different. And each lesson gets our NLW Guarantee.We started Next Level Watersports out of a love for teaching kiteboarding and a realization that there is a shortage of top-notch coaching in the market. When you learn to kite, you shouldn’t be grouped with a crowd of students, you shouldn’t be left alone in the water, and you shouldn’t be getting slammed by waves. Rather, you should have a coach, in a boat, by your side at all times ensuring you are in control, feel comfortable, and who paces you appropriately while you learn in flat water. That is why people come from all over to be taught by NLW coaches and our reviews tell the story.

Where can I kiteboard on Nantucket?

Please refer to our Kiteboarding on Nantucket guide for detailed information on this.

How much wind do you need to kiteboard?

You typically need at least 12mph to fly a kite and get riding!

When do you teach kiteboarding on Nantucket?

We are available to teach seven days a week from May through October. Our lessons are booked in three-hour blocks throughout each day and are weather dependent.

How strong do you need to be to kiteboard?

Kiting does not require significant strength – it's a sport available to people of all shapes and sizes. You wear a harness and the power of the kite is transferred to your lower body. For people with bad backs, we have a special harness called ‘seat harnesses’ that transfers power lower towards the hips which can reduce strain on the lower back.

What is IKO and is it important to kiteboarding?

The International Kiteboarding Organization seeks to help schools and individual instructors create a program to teach kiteboarding and provide insurance while doing so. Next Level Watersports has gone a step above this and developed a robust business plan and instruction program which allows us to acquire a private insurance with higher levels of protection than the IKO. NLW has developed the best way to teach kiting in an incremental and safe manner, to train and foster the best staff, and to continue to evolve our proprietary platform that we proudly stand behind.

I'm all signed up! Now what should I bring for my kiteboarding lesson?

We will have your equipment for you, but suggest bringing:

  • Water
  • Snack (i.e. Granola Bar, Apple)
  • Sunscreen
  • Towel
  • Appropriate waterwear for the day if you have it (i.e. sunshirt, wetsuit, wetsuit top) If you don't have it, no worries! Please tell your instructor when they reach out prior to your lesson that you’d like to borrow one
  • Bag or backpack to keep your valuables in

Do I need a wetsuit to kiteboard?

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to being comfortable while in the water. The difference between kiting and a sport like diving or surfing is, with kiting, you go back and forth from being completely in the water to having time out of the water, riding above it. When out of the water, the wind may hit you and chill you down. With diving and surfing, you spend most of the time in the water. If you are taking a lesson, we suggest that you wear a thicker suit. It's always better to be warm when you are learning something new. The second you get cold, it can hinder your focus and physical ability, decreasing your progress. So, when in doubt, go thicker! Check out the table below for our suggestions on the time of the year and what wetsuit you should wear for kiting based on our locations.

What type of wetsuits are there for kiteboarding?

There is an array of neoprene material available designed to keep you warm while getting in a session. There are neoprene tops, shorty suits, and full suits.

  • Neoprene Top - Typically 2mm thick
  • Shorty Suit - Typically 2mm thick
  • Full Suit - These come in many different thicknesses. The first number dictates the thickness of the neoprene in the chest areas, while the second number dictates the thickness of the neoprene in the legs and arms. So, a 4/3 signifies that the suit has 4mm thick neoprene in the chest and 3mm thick neoprene in that arms and legs. Typical suits are 3/2, 4/3 and 5/4.
  • Neoprene Jacket - If you are getting into the sport, we also suggest getting a neoprene jacket. This is without a doubt one of the most used pieces of neoprene by our staff. It can be worn while rigging, as an extra layer while riding, and is the perfect tool to warm you back up at the end of a long day or session on the water!

Which wetsuit should I wear kiteboarding?

Below are our recommendations for what suit to wear in our locations based on the time of year. Remember, it is always easier to flush a suit and cool off than it is to get warm, and we highly suggest erring on the side of warmth to get the most out of your lesson. If you don't have a wetsuit, just let us know and our staff will bring you one to use during your lesson.

Nantucket, Massachusetts

  • May - 4/3 Full Suit
  • June - 3/2 Full Suit
  • July - Shorty or Wetsuit Top
  • August - Shorty or Wetsuit Top
  • September - 3/2 Full Suit
  • October - 4/3 Full Suit

Is it kiteboarding or kitesurfing?

Kiteboarding is technically defined by riding a board that is called a twin tip. This means the board can be ridden in both directions, and the tip and the tail are exactly the same. Both ends are symmetrical. This is the type of board that most people learn on.

Kitesurfing is when you ride a directional board. A directional board can only be riding in one direction. This makes it necessary to tack or gybe the board to transition and ride the other way.