Self-rescue, right of way and an emergency plan: what you need once your freeride sessions take you further from shore into busy traffic.
Why isn't the safety routine from your beginner course enough for freeride anymore? The honest answer: once you ride confidently, you automatically head further out, stay out longer and share the water with a lot more other riders — exactly the situations your beginner course didn't yet prepare you for.
Two skills become mandatory now: self-rescue and right-of-way rules. For self-rescue, you first depower as fully as possible by taking the tension out of the back steering lines. Then, releasing the bar through the quick-release system, the kite flags out and lies flat on the water, connected to you only through the safety leash. From there you pull yourself hand over hand along the line back to the bar — a motion you need to know cold in an emergency, because panic leaves no room to think it through.
For right of way, the basic formula is: whoever gets wind from the left (port) side must give way on a collision course. A faster rider coming from behind gives way to a slower rider ahead, and before any jump you need a clear zone of roughly 50 meters downwind and 30 meters upwind. All other water users — swimmers, surfers, SUP riders — always have priority over you.
Depower fully, release the bar via the quick release, wait until the kite lies flat on the water connected only through the leash, then pull yourself hand over hand back to the bar. Practice this sequence actively in shallow water, not for the first time when you actually need it.
Every spot can have its own extra rules, but the basic formula applies everywhere: wind from the left means you must give way, faster gives way to slower, and all non-kiters have priority. At a new spot, actively ask about local quirks.
Before any jump or bigger maneuver you need a clear zone — a good guideline is roughly 50 meters downwind and 30 meters upwind. Even with the right of way, avoiding a collision actively remains your responsibility.
The further you ride, the more communication matters: tell someone on shore where you're going and when you plan to be back. A waterproof phone or GPS device helps you relay your position quickly in an emergency.
Kitesurfing weather can shift faster than the forecast shows — approaching thunderstorms are the most dangerous scenario because they can abruptly change wind direction and strength. Actively watch the sky during your session and get out of the water too early rather than too late when dark clouds build or wind suddenly picks up.
The more confidently you ride, the more the temptation grows to skip safety routines — and that's exactly the moment they matter most. Check your safety system's function before every session, not just when you bought it, and wear a buoyancy aid whenever you're riding further from shore.
Agree on a fixed check-in window with a riding buddy — a quick eye contact or wave roughly every 30 minutes. It costs almost nothing in riding fun but gives you both a tight safety net if something does go wrong.
First depower fully, then release the bar via the quick release until the kite lies flat on the water and is connected only through the leash. Then pull yourself hand over hand back to the bar.
The basic rule: wind from the left (port) means you must give way on a collision course, faster gives way to slower, and all non-kiters like swimmers or SUP riders always have priority.
A good guideline is roughly 50 meters downwind and 30 meters upwind of clear space. Assess that distance actively before every jump, not just the first time at a spot.
Once your sessions take you further from shore or last longer than an hour, a waterproof phone or GPS device is worth it — in an emergency, every minute counts when relaying your position.
Before every single session, not just when you bought it or occasionally. The quick release, leash and bar connection should release easily and without resistance — if you find sand, corrosion or sticking, replace the part immediately.
Freeride Kitesurfing: Downwinders and the Next Level