FAQ Topics
What physical condition do I need to be in to take lessons?
You should be in good overall physical condition. You should be able to swim and fly the trainer kite prior to your first lesson. Most people think you need a lot of upper body strength and that is NOT true, your harness carries most of the kite's load. We've had students both men and women ranging from ages 14 to 70 years old!
If you have any physical disabilities/ conditions please contact us.
Can I bring my friend/ family member with me?
We teach on a remote island that is only accessible by boat; due to the limited space on the boat additional transportation for non-kiters can be provided for an island ride fee.
*Please note this is a small island in the middle of Barnegat Bay, which does not have restrroms, shade, or protection from the elements.
Do you have availability for this week/weekend for lessons or island rides?
We only create a schedule 1-3 days in advance. The reason we do this is becasue we want to make sure the weather is going to be good and it's very difficult to tell more than 1-3 days in advance. It's not very fun learning to kite in super gusty or light winds so we try our best to avoid those days.
After we create a schedule it's on a first come first serve basis. You can sign up to recieve email alerts by entering your email address in the box below the second paragraph that says "Alerts via Email"
We guarantee 3 hours for 1 on 1 lessons or 5 hours for 2 on 1 lessons, however we are usually out for much longer. Typically we go out when the wind starts (between 10:00-2:00) and come back when the wind dies, the sun starts setting, or if storms come.
How long will it take me to learn to kiteboard?
We have found that the average person will need 3 days of water lessons (step #2-4) in addition to learning to fly the trainer kite on their own. On occasion some people can learn quicker and others will need more lessons. This depends of previous related skills and even daily weather conditions.
Is Kiteboarding difficult to learn?
With the proper insturction it is not difficult to learn, but it will take some time. Some people will learn faster than others.
What do I need to bring for my lessons?
All the kite gear you need is included in the price of your kite skill and board skills lesson. This is what you need/ should bring
- Kiteboard Booties (required for all lessons)
- Wetsuit (weather depoendant)
- Lunch/ Snack
- Water/ Drinks
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
We will be out on the island for several hours and there is no where to get food and drinks.
- April, May, October: Full wetsuit (in April, May and October at least a 4/3 mm thick wetsuit may be needed); hood and gloves are recommended in April and October.
- May, June, September: 3/2 wetsuit or a shorty
- July and August: Bug repellent, preferably waterproof.
What is the minimum/ max age to kiteboard?
The youngest students we teach are between 12-14. Students that are between 12 and 16 yrs old will need a parent with them. For the max age, we have taught people into their 70's. So there is a huge range and really no max age! It has more to do with your physical condition and determination to learn this super fun sport.
What is your student to instructor ratio?
The max student to instructor ratio is 2 students per instructor for kite skill and board skills lessons. Supervised riding the max is 3 students per instructor.
What Kind of Gear Do you teach on?
We always teach on the newest and safeest gear. We have several brands of gear we teach on, this allows you to try many brands during your lessons to help get an idea of what you will want to buy. We use Carbinha, CORE, Best, Slingshot and Naish kites for lessons.
Lessons are taught on a small island in the middle of Barnegat Bay, NJ known by the kite community as "Kite Island." It has a sandy beach with waist deep flat water for miles. There are no wind obsturctions (buildings, trees, etc) and is one of the best locations on the East Coast to learn to kiteboard or work on new skills/ tricks.
General Kiteboarding Gear Questions
Can I use a Wakeboard or Surfboard to kite with?
You can use these to kite, but they will be very difficult and potentially impossible to stay upwind with. Wakeboards have a much bigger rocker, making them not go upwind very well. They are also much stiffer and will make for a rough ride. Standard surf boards are also not designed as well to go upwind as well as a kitesurf board, but you they can be used to kitesurf.
How Many Kites/kiteboards Do I need?
You only need 1 kite and 1 board, but that will restrict the amount of days you can get out. If the wind goes up or down a little, you'll be sitting on the beach for a while. Typically most people have 2 or 3 kites and some people will even have a 2nd larger kiteboard for light wind days.
This is the average amount of days you can get out with specified # of kites:
1 Kite 60% of kiteable days
2 Kites 80% of kiteable days
3 Kites 90% of kiteable days
Should I buy Kiteboarding Gear before my lessons?
No, we recomend waiting until after your 2nd water lesson before buying gear. Your instructor will be able to better assess what gear is best for you depending on: your weight, the style/skill you want, the location you will be kiting and your budget. Also, you will get to try out different brands of gear during your lesson which can help you get an idea of what you like.
We do however recomend getting gear before your supervised riding lesson (step #4), this way we can go over rigging and safety for your particular gear before you go to the beach on your own. Each brand of gear is a little bit different.
NO! We highly advise against using a kiteboard leash because they can be extremely dangerous. There is a potential when you fall that the leash will unreel until the end, then your kite lines will load with a lot of tension. Eventually something has to give and the board will usually come out of the water flying towards your head.
With a bit of practice you can easily recover your board by learning to body drag upwind.
Wearing a helmet is always a good idea. Some location will even require helmets to be worn. We have kiteboard specific helmets.
Please see our return policy here: Return Policy.
Are Green Hat Kiteboarding Instructors IKO Certified?
Yes, all of our instructors are IKO certiied and also have CPR and first aid training. Some of our instrcutors are EMT certified.
Can I get my IKO certification card?
Yes, our instructors are all IKO certified and we can issue you an IKO card. After your last lesson with us ask for your IKO certification card. The cards have check marks for all of the skills you completed, so we give them to you after your last lesson.
IKO is the International Kiteboarding Organisation. IKO is an organization which introduced worldwide standards for safe kiteboarding teaching. It allows instructors to know what to teach and how to teach it, schools to have a safe teaching ethic as well as medical and liability insurance coverage for customers and instructors.