Kitesurfing


 

THE VERY FIRST KITE-SURF & WINDSURF CENTRE IN VIETNAM (SINCE 2000)

Warning! Jibe’s Beach Club is one of the few officially licensed centre for teaching Kite-surfing in Vietnam

IMG_9632Jibe’s Beach Club and our team will be happy to safely teach kite-surfing. You can contact us on: school@windsurf-vietnam.com Learning to kitesurf is all about fun, and the amount of power available at a kiter’s fingertips is truly awesome… but to learn this sport properly and safely requires a serious approach- for your own sake and for others around you. Too many kite-related accidents and injuries in Mui Ne and throughout the world continue to convince us at Jibe’s that there is no substitute for: 1) a very experienced and knowledgeable instructor 2) a consistently applied, well-thought out lesson plan, and 3) awareness of safety checklists and protocols at every step. Please beware! there are also temporary, seasonal, and unlicensed schools operating in Mui Ne. Some schools may promise to get you riding in just a few hours by shortcutting important safety information and procedures such as the self rescue or by asking students to use a board leash (a major cause of injuries) instead of learning board recovery. Careful and complete instruction is still our focus at Jibe’s, using techniques we’ve fine-tuned over eight years of teaching thousands of students and seeing what works and what doesn’t. No shortcuts, no teaching in marginal or insufficient wind conditions, no wasting time during billable lesson hours, and no overloading of students. Jibe’s unique lesson organization also allows each student to benefit from free learning time every day regardless of the amount of time spent with us, instead of being locked into a package with set hours. We are well aware that with kitesurfing, the details do matter– assimilating a large body of technical information, acquiring muscle memory and reflex skill sets, developing situational awareness, and learning how to make judgement calls based on conditions. Our mission at Jibes is that each student who passes through here gains a deep understanding of the tremendous possibilities as well as the limitations of the equipment- your future kiting fun depends on it!

INTRODUCING JIBE’S 2014-2015 INSTRUCTOR TEAM – OUR BEST ASSET

Jibe’s instructors are all dedicated, experienced and well-rounded sports professionals.

Michael-BandWMichael Blum (Netherlands) Chief Surf Instructor. Michael is what we call a natural, coming from a professional kick boxing background at a competitive level and later training future world champions. Anytime we have surf swell you can find him on the waves. Michael has been teaching surfing at Jibe’s for over two years, and has passed on his skills to many beginners, opening the door to one of the most natural water sports ever. Matt-BandWMatthew “Matt-0” Kwantes

Coming to watersports from a snowboarding background, Matt started teaching kitesurf at Jibe’s in 2003. Matt has been teaching windsurf at Jibe’s since 2011. Since 2013, he has also been teaching catamaran sailing. Matt believes that “a good instructor should be a student of the learning process and how it relates to each individual in his or her own unique way.”

drewDrew Parsons (Wales), Chief Kite-surf instructor. Drew has been an IKO level 2 Instructor for 7 years and has been kitesurfing for 10 years. He has taught and kitesurfed in various places around the world including Egypt, Madagascar and Sri lanka. Drew has a background in teaching which has been useful in his instructor career. He is also a keen Stand Up Paddler ready to offer you any tips. Adie-BandWAdie (UK), Water Sport Manager.Adie started teaching kitesurfing for Jibes in 2004, coming from a kite background fresh from the beaches of Australia, with over 14 years experience he understands the need for professionalism and a high level of safety both on and off the water.  

COURSE SYLLABUS

PHASE I: Ground School and Intro to 4-line Kite Control. Here you will first learn the basics of managing your equipment and flying your kite safely, then we’ll start increasing the power.

  • Judging beach, water, and wind conditions
  • Kite and Line Setup (set up lines upwind of kite)
  • Using the main and “Plan B” (safety leash) emergency quick releases
  •  Launch Procedure (S.P.L.A.T.)
  • 360 Degree Awareness and keeping your danger zone as clear as possible
  • Kite Recovery procedure on land, followed by:
  • Line Check/ Untangling Lines (from downwind)
  • Controlling the kite throughout the wind window:
    • Smooth launchings and landings (unhook immediately each time your kite is caught)
    • Sheeting effectively to manage luffing and backstalling and to control power and speed
    • Moving the kite smoothly along the edge of the window and in 2m increments (minimize power)
    • Powerstroke (sine) the kite to generate power from the direction you want
    • Keeping the kite steady at 10/2 o’clock with one hand

The following procedures are necessary for you to become independent in the water:

  • Self-Rescue Deciding what to do with your lines will depend on the conditions and on your location.
  • Relaunching In light wind it can be an art; in strong wind the kite might relaunch unexpectedly.

PHASE II: Bodydragging and Preparation for Waterstart. Mastering these skills will get you ready to practice the waterstart effectively with the kite’s power under your control. As you work on these, you’ll also be improving your reflexes, accuracy, timing, and confidence.

  • Smooth transition from launching to entering water & getting past shorebreak
  • Getting maximum power without losing control: time your sheeting for acceleration and sharp turns
  • Bodydragging upwind
  • Controlling the direction you’re moving (upwind, downwind, crosswind) using the kite and your body
  • Board recovery: strategies to get back to your board quickly and efficiently
  • Managing board and kite at the same time, getting a stable waterstart position (head and shoulders drill)
  • Waterstart form in both directions: effective powerstrokes and board control (Develop the habit of checking 360 degrees around you before each waterstart attempt)
  • Recovering and sorting yourself out after the kite falls: regain control of the kite first, then get the board

PHASE III: Waterstart and Riding. All the skills you’ve been working on come together here.- Getting used to longer lines and fine-tuning the powerstroke for control and accuracy

  • Right-of-way conventions (priority rules)
  • Combining board control (edging and weight distribution) with powerstroke to get riding
  • Stopping and changing direction (do a 360 check first)
  • Riding upwind (Once you’ve learned to stay upwind consistently, the sky’s the limit!)We will be covering important safety information at each stage of our lesson. Throughout the course, both you and the instructor will be respecting safety rules and making the judgments calls required for each situation you are in.

Safety rule #1: Keep your downwind area clear and always be aware of the area 360 degrees around yourself.