likewise

Yeah agreed. Best explanation ever.

Yeah my instructors never mentioned this. Makes me think they were a bit lacking

So it means putting your weight on your back leg, right? I find it more natural going towards my right, as my strongest leg is my left leg. It is less natural for me to put my weight on my right leg. Any tip? 😉

my instructor told me to keep it 12 o'clock when I am putting the board on. If it was 10 or 2 the kite would pull me. So i am not sure the tip in the video is correct. Maybe applicable for less windy conditions.

I'm not an instructor, but it took me a LOOOONG time to get the hang of this, so I'm very familiar with the problems. By the time someone's an instructor, it's instinctive, and some forget how challenging the little details are (especially if they first learned when they were young). Let's be frank - you can do it either way, but there are different strategies for each. If you do it 10/2, yes, the kite will pull you, but you use that to your advantage. If you're body dragging with your hand on the end of the board, you're going to want the foot openings pointed away from the line of your shoulders; then angle the board so the kite pulling/current swivels the board around towards being in front of your body with the openings towards you of course. I find it's easier to grab the board by the edge when the board starts getting into position - hold the edge underwater so you don't jam your toes on the board. As you're being pulled, it's better to get the front foot in first, and when your foot is in all the way, you can use it to help position the board to get your back foot in. But depending on your coordination, one foot may be easier than the other. At any rate, having one foot in all the way allows you to use that foot (along with your free arm) to help position the board for the other foot. It seems to me if there are waves, it's easier to control the board by getting your feet in from kite in noon position. Also, for me, I'm less likely to pull the bar the wrong way and move the kite before I'm ready. In this position you'll still be moving, but drifting downwind. So the board will be coming at you and you have to hold it away from you to get your feet in. Again, I find it easier to hold by the edge than the handle, and holding the edge underwater prevents jamming your toes on it - but you need to be ready to get your foot up there when you hold the edge under water, because that will cause the board to drift less than you are, and it will be pushing towards you - easier to hold away with your leg, once your foot is in the strap. And again, unless you're a natural, one foot will be easier than the other - get that one all the way in and use it and your leg muscles to help get the board into position for your other foot. If you're a natural, you might be able to do both feet at once.

@@JamesLamb how many hrs did it take you to navigate? I’m still trying to learn how to water start :/

@@leopinc after each session I wrote down approximate hours... It took about 40 hours of practice with the kite - on the beach and body dragging... before I was able to get my feet in the straps in water (not sitting on bottom). Probably the best intermediate challenge - whenever I was body dragging with the board in waves, and try to turn around and head back to shore - switching hands that are on the board and kite bar. Sometimes the board would catch in the water while trying to turn around; sometimes I'd lose control of the kite... That's probably a good part-way skill - being able to switch directions body-dragging with the board - switch hands on bar and board; maneuver the board back towards shore. And of course if you get separated from the board that's good practice getting back to the board. It takes a bit to get used to handling the board in waves so it doesn't dive under, or catch in the water and make you choose between losing the board and controlling the kite. The wind and wave conditions can make a big difference - where I learned it's not usually like in the videos where they somehow have both flat water and plenty of wind!

@@JamesLamb finally someone giving honest answers! I’m fed up of reading people say “kitesurfing is easy” and “I learned water start in my second lesson”… I snowboard, ski, wakeboard, windsurf and had experience with flying stunt kites yet learning Kitesurf water start took me 7 X 3 hour lesson, then 5 hours practicing on my own gear without lesson. So that’s about 30 hours. I learned in deep water with waves so that is a disadvantage for sure but yeah it’s not easy. But so worth it!

Yeah I specifically took a high paid job in Amsterdam so that I can learn kitesurfing :D

Great to hear, thanks!

Glad it helped!

Luckily I don’t have that problem in Northern Europe ! That would add a whole level of hardcore to it . Congratz !

Very good point! Thanks for mentioning

I find a larger board so difficult to put on my feet thohhht

Glad to help!

Haha I know that feeling ! Zandvoort Amsterdam beach. Hardcore

My only tip is “be quick” don’t hang about

And don’t bother using the handle - grab anything like foot straps etc depending on flexibility 😂 I was struggling so much getting the feet in using the handle 🙄

haha yea I went through the all same mistakes, you have to be patience and go through the motions carefully and safely. Your persistence will be rewarded if you stick with it! Keep it up 😄

I totally agree with this. I’ve done wakeboarding behind a boat and with kitesurfing I’m really struggling to figure out which direction to point my board in and where to look as a focal point once I’m up (with wakeboarding I look forward at the boat). I’m nailing board starts consistently and I am doing 2nd power swoop but I can’t stay up and riding- it’s sooooo frustrating! This video is brilliant. I’m going to watch it another 100 times until I get my head round it.

I’d say “during” the dive, about half way and it’s gradual like ‘as you’re being lifted up’. Such a tricky thing but when you get it , you really get it. Like riding a bike

5 months later I still can’t do the water start🤣🤣

@@Weekdiertje haha keep going bruv, it took my ages of pain and dispair too and today I really felt like I get it

Are you saying that unlike the video you don't sit down to put your feet in the strap? I suppose you deepen the board flat under the water and you stand on it but isn't one foot of water too shallow?

@@frenchtiger two foot . Of water chuck board on water . Stand on it to sink it . Then put your feet in foot straps. Wiggle them in. So nice n secure . Then sit in water bring board up in water. At angle . Now you can do your water start with the kite. As getting in water to waist deep then if any chop etc.. bobbing around . Trying to get board on feet end up getting spnning . And lose control of kite . And kite end up on the water

@@AndrewPattullo thanks for the tip. I will find it easier I think

Hi! I would think it's a GoPro Bite Mount + Floaty, like most kiters use when making videos.