FAQ

Answers to the most common questions asked on the beach about Kiteboarding!

It is NOT paragliding, parasailing, parachuting, skyboarding or even windsurfing! This eye catching activity that you spotted on the beach is most commonly referred to as Kiteboarding. When a surfboard is ridden with a kite, it may be more specifically called Kitesurfing or Kite Surfing. The term Kitesurfing is also a common term that is used interchangeably with the word Kiteboarding, especially outside of the USA. It may also be referred to as Kiting. There are many forms of kiteboarding such as:
Snow Kiting- Using the power of a kite on the snow with skiis or snowboard.
Landboarding- Using the power of a kite to ride a landboard or mountain board on the beach or a grassy area.
Kite Sailing- Using the power of the kite on a catamaran bottom or other vessel.
Kite Foiling- Kiteboarding on Hydrofoil allows for riding lighter wind conditions, greater speeds and better angles on the wind.
You can always get creative with the sport and find something and somewhere new to ride!

No! This is one of the most common questions (or excuses) we hear. Kiteboarding will definitely help you get in shape and can provide a great full body work out. But the most important part of kite flying is finesse! Your arms, shoulders and core muscles will increase once you become a Kiteboarder. However, you are connected to the kite through the use of a harness, enabling your body weight to hold down most of the power or the pull of the kite. A good pilot can control a kite with his finger-tips. It is more of toning movement than a strength muscle building one.

No! This is one of the most common questions (or excuses) we hear. Kiteboarding will definitely help you get in shape and can provide a great full body work out. But the most important part of kite flying is finesse! Your arms, shoulders and core muscles will increase once you become a Kiteboarder. However, you are connected to the kite through the use of a harness, enabling your body weight to hold down most of the power or the pull of the kite. A good pilot can control a kite with his finger-tips. It is more of toning movement than a strength muscle building one.

Make sure you bring a swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, BOOTIES, and a hat when taking an Intro Lesson. If the lesson is going to be in the river (Water Lessons) then you need to bring some sort of water shoes or booties. Winter months will need a wetsuit. We have booties and wetsuits available for sale in the shop if needed!

You must be able to swim if taking a water lesson! You must have a desire to learn and most importantly, be willing to have fun

Kiteboarding is not hard but it takes time, commitment and instruction to learn. Once you learn the basics and safety, Kiteboarding is a breeze and unimaginably fun. Lessons are imperative and will increase your rate of learning tremendously. Kiteboarding will seem incredibly hard, frustrating and scary if you do not receive proper training and instruction. Once you get it, then it becomes second nature and opens up a whole new lifestyle. Backgrounds in sports such as wakeboard, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, snowboarding, paragliding and skydiving crossover and help accelerate the learning process.

It really depends on you! Most students will get to the board and be given the opportunity to ride in the second hour of water lessons (3-5 hours of total instruction). Students that come in with board skills (wakeboarders, snowboarders, surfers, skateboarders etc) easily adapt once getting to this stage. Sailing, windsurfing, or stunt kite experience also accelerates the learning process. None of these backgrounds are a replacement for instruction! If you do not have any of these backgrounds, you are still extremely capable of learning! ANYONE CAN LEARN…it just takes practice and commitment.

Lessons take place at the 520 Slick in Cocoa Beach. Check it out here for more info and location map.

Kiteboarding in the 321 area can be great! The central Florida area is often referred to as “the 321” due to the area code that specially assigned to Brevard County and Seminole County. It commemorates the countdown series of the space shuttle and other rockets that are regular occurrence in the area thanks to NASA.

The 321 kiteboarding spots offer a wide variety of conditions. We are lucky to have the Banana River, Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. These bodies of water offer some amazing kiteboarding and kitesurfing conditions for riders of all levels. From the flat shallow water of the 520 Slick to the waves of the Atlantic…kiteboarding in the 321 has everything you need for your kite destination.

The “Space Coast” typically refers to the area of Central Florida on the East Coast near the Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. The areas that are included within the Space Coast include; Cocoa Beach, Cocoa (*which is a different city than Cocoa Beach), Titusville, Melbourne Beach, Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Merritt Island, Rockledge, Playa Linda, Sebastian and of course Cape Canaveral.
*Cocoa and Cocoa Beach should not be confused. If you are looking for kiteboarding lessons in Cocoa, you are most likely looking for training in or near Cocoa Beach. People who do not live in the area often interchange these two terms. But you may find a local will correct if you say Cocoa and are referring to Cocoa Beach, as they are about 15 minutes apart with Cocoa being more inland.