Time for a kiteboarding lesson

In the day to day running of Cloud Nine Kiteboarding one of the most difficult tasks we face is scheduling students for a lesson. There are so many factors involved that are not always apparent to the customer. So that students can better understand what we, and they are up against, here is a list of some of the factors involved in the scheduling process.
– At the top of the list is weather. At some kiteboarding locations in different parts of the world the wind blows 20 knts.+, 6 days a week on average., but not here in South Florida. For going on 8 years we have kept a log of conditions that are conducive to kiteboarding lessons, and on average there is suitable wind around 3 days per week during our 8 month season from Oct. thru May.
– Life’s priorities. This one is a touchy subject. While a child’s birthday or wedding anniversary are good excuses to miss a lesson on a windy day, playing tennis instead of running for a sudden kiteboarding lesson on a windy day could put you weeks behind. If you are serious about learning to Kiteboard, dedication to frequent lessons is of paramount importance.
– weekends vs. weekdays. We realize that some customers work regular hour jobs, 5-6 days a week, unfortunately Mother Nature does not supply good wind only on the weekends. Once a student is up and riding, it is like riding a bike, you do not forget what you have learned. But until that point every effort should be made to get a lesson in WHEN THE WIND BLOWS! Even if it means a few sick days or vacation time. If you invested in 3-4 lessons over a 3 month period, you would be riding. If you took 4 lessons over a 4 year period, you might as well buy a ski boat. You can use them on any weekend.
– Other customers. When the wind blows those few few days during each week, we have many students that need our attention. Since everyone has different amounts of time available, (some are only in town for a few days), it is important to stay in touch with us on a regular basis regarding your availability.
The sensation of kiteboarding is one of the best feelings ever! To get to that moment of riding with power takes dedication and an openness to learn, and before we learn to ride we must learn to work WITH nature to harness the wonderful resource that is the wind. It doesn’t come on at 8:00 on Wed. evening like a TV show, you can’t reserve “20 knts. s.e.” like at a restaurant.
Our most successful students in the past all had one thing in common. They learned to watch the weather themselves and when it was forecast to blow, they started calling.