Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are in the group courses?
We keep our groups small for Kitesurfing lessons. Before the Covid 19 pandemic we ran our Day 1, day 2 and Day 3 group lessons with up to 3 students per instructor. Most schools will run with up to 4 per instructor but we believe this is slightly too many for a good lesson to be carried out.
Since Covid we have started to run our Day 1, day 2 and Day 3 group lessons with 2 students per instructor.
We also offer 1-2-1 instruction for a slightly higher fee although this does mean a lot more time “hands on”.
How long are my lessons or vouchers valid for?
Your lessons and vouchers are valid for 12 months from the purchase date. We are unable to offer any lessons after the 12 months. Lessons and vouchers bought before 2021 have now expired.
What is your Cancellation policy?
We need wind to run courses (see wind and weather below). So if we find ourselves with unusable wind conditions then we will rebook your lesson/course for a time that suits you, we are unable to offer any refunds under any circumstances for weather postponed lessons/courses. We are available 7 days a week from the 3rd week of March each year to the end of the year so we will be able to rebook you quickly If you need to move your course we ask for 7 days notice, we have limited spaces on courses so we need to make sure they are all full especially on weekends.
f you cancel your lesson and request a different lesson date within 7 days you will forfeit you course/lesson unless we are unable to refill that space.
What wind and weather do we need?
We need 10-12 knots of wind to fly kites on Day 1 and 13 or more knots of wind for you to enjoy your Day 2 and Day 3 lessons. We will teach in any safe conditions as long as it’s windy. We cannot teach in zero wind. Hill Head is open to winds from the West Northwest, West, Southwest, South, Southeast and East Southeast. In Easterly conditions we may move lessons and courses to Calshot. As we do need wind for our lessons there is always the chance your lesson will be rebooked and we will rebook when it suits you but we will not be able to give any refunds on courses for lack of wind. For the best weather forecasts please check XC Weather and WindGuru.
How do I book?
Decide which course you would like (see Kitesurf lessons page) and then look for dates and times that suit you. You can also contact us via email or phone to see if your preferred date is available then pay online via our online or make a payment by bank transfer to confirm your place. We only take prepaid bookings.
What do I need to bring?
We have all the equipment you need to complete your kitesurfing course and lessons including wetsuit and wetsuit boots. We understand that it’s always nicer to use your own equipment so if you have some of your own gear then bring it along and we can tell you if it’s suitable to use. For most lessons other than short 1-2-1 lessons of less than 3 hours we recommend that you bring Lunch/a snack, Water, Towel, Sun protection, Swimwear and for our powerkite lessons, some Trainers / sturdy footwear. We DO NOT “upsell” you boots or any other items, everything you need to complete your course is provided. We also use the latest equipment from leading brands. Our present kites of choice are the Ozone Catayst and Ozone Alpha.
We also have a shop onsite called The Watersports Centre which sells a large range of watersports equipment from gloves and boots, to wetsuits and harnesses, and from boards to kites. You can check out their store website at The Watersports Centre.
What time do lessons start?
For Kitesurfing lessons we teach at mid to low and low to mid tide. Tide times change daily so start times will always be different.
Our group courses are 3 hours so we could start as late as 6pm in the mid to late summer months. This means that we do have the opportunity to run courses and lessons in the eveing when some clients have finished work.
SUP lessons can start whenever you like although we do prefer to run SUP sessions on a high tide when the tidewater movement in the Solent is less. We are able to run evening and lunchtime SUP sessions through the week and at weekends.
Do we have to pay for parking?
Hill Head and Lee-on-Solent and Meon Shore all now have paid car parking throughout the year. Parking near our centre is free on the roadside except for the bays directly opposite our centre which are limited to two hours so are of little use and wardens do patrol them. The restrictions do not however apply on Sundays! The main car park at Salterns Park is no longer free as the local council (Fareham Borough Council) have installed “Pay and Display” parking machines.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, we have a £5,000,000.00 public liability insurance.
What is kitesurfing?
Kitesurfing is the ultimate extreme sport combing aspects of Wakeboarding,
Paragliding and Kite flying. It’s a fantastic way to keep fit and experience surfing and flying at the same time!One element of the sport, Kitesurf Course Foilboard racing is to be an event in the 2024 summer Olympics.
Do I need previous experience?
No. Our Day 1 course starts right at the beginning. If you do have balance skills from surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding or even skateboarding then this will of course help when you start getting up on the board on Day 2. If you are really unsure then maybe think about booking private tuition or our Fast-Track course that way we can go exactly at your pace. You can also start with a Powerkite lesson which is all land based.
Once you have completed your 3 Day or Fast-Track course with us we will advise you on what further tuition you may require. The governing body of Kitesurfing, the British Kite Sports Association (BKSA), suggest that before someone is safe to “go Solo” around 12-14 hours of tuition should be undertaken. You can see more by taking a look at the BKSA website here.
We also recommend becoming a member of the BKSA once you are thinking about going solo. As above, more details on membership and membership benefits are available on their website.
See our Kitesurfing Lessons page for more info here.
Our kitesurf school instructors are ALL fully BKSA qualified. Our kitesurfing centre is located 20 minutes from Portsmouth and 30 minutes from Southampton and is just an hour from the M25.