SPLEENE Talk – Learning Kitesurfing in Germany – Baltic Sea, North Sea, Bavaria?

Kitesurfing is a fantastic sport that continues to gain popularity year after year. Powered by the wind, gliding over the water on a kiteboard and launching meters-high jumps seemingly out of nowhere is no longer reserved just for professional athletes. Safe handling and proper use of kitesurfing equipment are essential prerequisites. You can learn all this and more from professional kite instructors in multi-day kite courses.

To learn kitesurfing, you no longer need to travel to distant countries. There are great offers for kite courses and kite camps at Germany's North Sea, Baltic Sea, and numerous inland lakes, allowing you to learn kitesurfing in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Is Kitesurfing Dangerous?

Kitesurfing is still considered an extreme sport, and yes, it can be dangerous under certain conditions. Most accidents and injuries in kitesurfing occur due to overestimation of one's abilities or misjudgment of the weather. In a kite course, you will learn how to choose the right kitesurfing equipment for the conditions and when to recognize signs that indicate you should leave the water quickly. Understanding the equipment is a crucial part of every kite course and essential for safety in kitesurfing.

How much does a kitesurfing course cost in Germany?

Many kitesurfing schools offer free or extremely affordable introductory kitesurfing courses. These usually one-hour taster sessions provide a glimpse into the world of kitesurfing and leave most beginners eager for more. In these introductory courses, participants learn to fly a training kite but are far from ready to go into the water with a board and a proper kite. For that, one should take several days and book a multi-day kite course. The cost of a kitesurfing course depends on the course's scope. Most kite schools specify the number of hours included, but some only mention the number of days – it's advisable to inquire more precisely to determine the actual number of teaching hours. Globally, the cost of a kitesurfing course doesn't vary much, and hourly rates are almost the same everywhere, but unfortunately, the quality varies.

For a three-day basic kitesurfing course in Germany, you should expect to pay around €250. Depending on your progress and the quality of the instruction, you can continue practicing with your own kitesurfing equipment afterward or book additional days as part of an extended kite course.

How long does it take to learn kitesurfing?

This depends on many factors and cannot be answered in general terms. Some kitesurfing beginners only need a three-day basic course to cover their first meters on the board. Others, even after a 5-day intensive course, may not feel ready to practice independently. Having a good board feeling from windsurfing, surfing, or wakeboarding is an advantage but doesn't automatically make you a proficient kitesurfer.

From experience, we can say that the quality of kite instruction is crucial for the learning process. Therefore, when choosing your kite instructor, listen to your gut feeling and ask yourself whether you can trust them blindly with your safety or whether you'd rather not.

Is it mandatory to take a kitesurfing course?

If you ask an experienced kitesurfer, the answer will always be "Yes". However, if you look into the legal code, you won't find a mandatory requirement for a kitesurfing course. Yet, even without a legally required kite course, it is in your own interest and serves as self-protection to complete a kite course at a certified kite school. Every kitesurfer must master and understand the correct handling of kitesurfing equipment, behavior on the water, start and landing signals, as well as right of way rules for the safe practice of the sport. Especially when there are good wind conditions, you are never alone on the water at German kitesurf spots, and just like in traffic, you must be able to rely on other participants.

Do I need my own equipment for the kitesurfing course?

You do not need your own kitesurfing equipment for the course. During the equipment briefing in the kitesurfing course, you will learn about the different types of kites and models available on the market. It's only after completing the kitesurfing course and being sure that you enjoy kitesurfing that you should consider purchasing kitesurfing equipment. Professional kite schools always use up-to-date kites and boards, which are typically no more than one to two years old.

After the course, you can take your time to find suitable kitesurfing equipment. Whether brand new or used, there is a wide selection of kites and kiteboards available to fit every budget. It's also a misconception to think that the kite used in the course is the perfect kite for you just because you're familiar with it. Each kite manufacturer offers excellent beginner kites to choose from, and the bar systems are all very similar!

How much strength do I need for kitesurfing?

You don't need a lot of strength for kitesurfing, and you don't have to be a bodybuilder or an elite athlete. Even children aged six to eight can start kitesurfing because the limit is not strength but rather body size, as kitesurfing equipment is adjusted to fit adult-sized bodies.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need much arm strength because the kite is connected to your harness around your hips via the lines. Therefore, you use your entire body weight against the kite, and your arms are mainly used for steering the kite.

Do I need to prepare physically for the kitesurfing course?

A fit body is advantageous but not a requirement. More important than strength is body tension and coordination of your limbs.

How do I find a good kite school in Germany?

The good news is that there are numerous good kite schools in Germany and hardly any bad ones! You should feel well taken care of from the first conversation, and ideally, the kite school should not be too far from your place of residence. As you can imagine, no one can guarantee wind conditions, so depending on the season, it may happen that there is no wind on the scheduled date, and the kite course needs to be rescheduled. For this reason, it's worth asking how the kite school handles this situation.

Whether you're looking for a kite school in Germany or any other country in the world, make sure the kite school is certified.

VDWS or IKO certified kite school – Which one is better?

In this case, there is no better or worse because both training systems are very similar. VDWS (Association of German Windsurfing and Water Sports Schools) is the national variant, and IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) is the international counterpart. Only certified kite schools will provide you with a kite license after your course. Your progress will be noted in levels on this license. Only from a certain level can you rent kitesurfing equipment at any kite station worldwide by showing your kite license. In some kite spots like Lake Garda or Lake Reschen, you may not be allowed on the water without a kite license.

How Much Does Beginner Kitesurfing Equipment Cost?

Experienced kitesurfers use different kite sizes to match all wind conditions and often have more than one kiteboard. However, this isn't necessary initially, and one to two kites, a bar, and a kiteboard are sufficient for beginners. Beginners often make faster progress with a larger kiteboard, like the SPLEENE Door. In addition to kites and a kiteboard, you'll also need a wetsuit and a kitesurf harness (trapeze).

Overall, you should budget approximately €2,300 – 2,500 for the entire kitesurfing equipment as mentioned above. The price may vary slightly depending on kite and kiteboard size. Below, you'll find a wide selection of kites and kiteboards in all sizes. As a beginner, you should choose the SPLEENE HAZE kite.

Where can you find good spots and kite schools?