How to Kitesurf: Launch Tutorial

This video explains the principles of launching an inflatable kite, on land, with an assistant. This is to support your lessons NOT replace them.

Launching is a higher risk part of kitesurf fundamentals. Generally you are only ready to learn this after you can waterstart, bodydrag, ride upwind and transition. This is why lessons are so important, as you can't safely learn to launch a kite until you have a good level of experience.

Access our playlist to watch all tutorials in order:

[foadysfah]

Thank you so much for these videos! I can only kite on some weekends and it's great to have such well explained videos to fresh up my memory.

[govtyule]

Holy cow! I'm watching and suddenly realized that this is being shot at my first and favorite kite school. Pro Kite School Aruba. Not sure how involved they were, the excellent series does seem to be independently produced. But Pro Kite School Aruba is a great place to learn.

[OneLaunchKiteboarding]

i just watched 1.30min ! this view from above is really awesome and the graphic on top of it is really explicit ! great job !

[GaetanoCrisci]

Alex this is a good video, but I would do one too in strong wind with 2 "stunt" man to make more evident the dangers... in light wind the mistakes appear insignificant... Launching is really one of the most dangerous moment in kite... you know many are looking forward to go in the water and get to many times things too easy!

[kitesurfcollege]

Access our playlist to watch all tutorials in order:

[Hindukushsailing]

Keep posting mate that was very good info. Simple simmon even with many brews down wind!! Nice!!

[manuelgasparmartins]

just started kiting and although I had lessons you showed a few things I need to correct. Thanks!

[marcoht]

Great videos guys! very detailed! thanks for sharing all these!

[giacomolavita]

One thing I just learned the hard way is to attach the chicken loop and position the finger as well as the leash before launching. Seems obvious but even after 10 hours of lessons I forgot on my first day practicing without a lesson!

[DublinDapper]

Thumbs down?! Easier to just pat your head to put your kite back down, no confusion that way I would imagine

[janski]

My kite was on the edge of the window. It launched. Sat back down on tip. Rolled over onto its trailing edge, flipped over and roared right through the power zone. 30 it’s wind. No time to pull chicken loop. My helmet took the hit and was ripped to shreds. Lesson. Take an extra step upwind when launching. If not, you could stall. Then you have no control. Ouch!

[simonm]

Interesting.
The person walked upwind without holding the bar. She reached for the bar at the last second.
Was this a deliberate move?

Does it help keep tension on the front lines if the person is not holding the bar?
Reaching for the bar as one gives the launch to work. But can it create a flustered launch?
thoughts?

[Naaaaaat]

The guy flat out from the over powered launch 😂😂😂

[guyintci]

What if the kite is on the lee of a hill and the turbulence makes the canopy flap loosely. Should the person holding the kite keep going down wind?

[MaciejPiotrowski]

Great video, except the fact that you are launching towards the land instead of the water.
I've seen so many accidents caused by this bad habit. People get dragged across the beach when they launch and land. In this case this woman would end up on the parking lot on the other side of the dunes.
You should make a STRONG suggestion and example by launching and landing towards the water. If anything happens, the person flying the kite will end up on the water and not with broken bones on the trees on bushes.
Other that that, great video.

[robable]

I recommend KiteDrill, check out on YouTube :-)

[marcmolto]

0:15 big mistake especially for beginners: one hand on the bar to steer the kite upwards and the other hand should be placed on the quickrelease. That is very important to release immediately in case something goes wrong. Very sad to see such mistakes in tuturials.

Rerecord the video and help to avoid accidents!