1. Step 1: Unpack the lines

   Take the handles and lines out of the bag and leave the kite in place. Place the kite and bag on top of the lines.

2. Step 2: Unravel the lines

   Unwind the lines downwind from the kite bag. These should be colour coded, red and blue for left and right on the kite. The red lines should be attached to the red handle and vice versa with the blue.

3. Step 3: Detangle the lines

   Lay your handles flat on the ground making sure you have your blue and red centre lines in the middle and the grey break lines on the outside. Pick all the lines up and run them through your fingers to keep them seperate. Walk like this towards the kite and it will help identify any knots or tangles which need to be sorted. When you get to the end separate the lines and lay them clearly on the floor with grey break lines on the outside.

4. Step 4: Unpack the kite

   Unwrap your kite and lay flat, ready to attach the lines. You can use a weight bag (or a bag filled with sand or rocks) to stop the kite from blowing away.

5. Step 5: Attach the lines

   The blue and red lines attach to the kite in the middle (this may well be colour coded) and the break lines attach to the outside. You attach the lines using a larks head knot, which stops them coming undone. Make sure the break lines are always secured underneath the main lines. There will be several positions to choose from on your break line. Attaching the line closer to the kite will make the breaks more snappy and effective.

6. Step 6: Attach the kite killers

   Please see VideoJug’s “How to attach kite killers” for more advice on how to do this.

7. Step 7: Launch

   You are now ready to fly. Always test the break lines when you first start flying to check all your set up is secure.

   

Work on your endurance

The first thing you need to take care of is your general level of endurance. You need to be fit enough to go hard for 10 – 15 minutes minimum as often this is the minimum paddling requirement for getting through the breakers and out the back.

You should be swimming or surfing at least twice a week, every week of the year. Do not leave it till a month before your holidays, it is impossible to develop water fitness in such a small span of time. If you love surfing, you will love the water. Make it a part of your life. Then, in the month leading up to your holiday, increase you workload by 1 or 2 sessions a week and make your sessions much more intensive. This will give you a little fitness boost pre-arrival.

Flexibility and Core Strength

The second key to surfing fitness is flexibility, balance and core strength. Once again, this is not something you want to leave till the last minute, rather something you want to develop over time as part of your commitment to surfing, health and fitness. Yoga is so good for surfing fitness.  Yoga helps you improve your flexibility, balance and core strength. Our  advice, get yourself a surf specific yoga DVD and do it 2 or 3 times a week.

Specific Functional Surfing Training Programme

The final thing you can do is a surf specific, functional training program. If you have taken care on the first and second items above, surf specific training is the ideal pre holiday fitness preparation. It should be short, (Ie a fitness programme which runs from 4 – 12 weeks) it should gradually increase in intensity over those weeks and it should be designed specifically for the muscles you use in the water. The point with such a training program is to give your surf specific fitness a massive boost prior to arriving on your holiday. You’ve got your base level of fitness sorted out already by ensuring point 1 and 2 above are part of your lifestyle. This training program recognises though, that there will be a short period of time where you will need a higher level of fitness (Ie. For those long sessions while on holiday) and prepares you specifically with those higher needs in mind.

Don’t forget diet is also extremely important as well as the usual lifestyle factors such as sleep and keeping hydrated.

EBO have many years of experience teaching individuals the skills required  of surfing.  Our surfing lessons in Newquay are available to stag and hen groups as well as families.  Learn about the equipment, catching a wave and finally standing up on whitewater and then (hopefully)your first greenwater wave.  For more experienced surfers including competition surfers we can hook you up with a professional such as Jonny Friar who will put you through your paces and critique your surfing technique.

Come and join at the Newquay Adventure Centre www.newquayadventurecentre.com

Over the last couple of years Duncan Scott has been following an ‘Endless Winter’ of swell around the world, chasing heavy water swells in prime new and recently-discovered locations. His recent session at the sharky Dungeons has paid off in a big way, featuring in print and electronic media around the world, alongside international surf stars like Twiggy Baker (SA), Greg Long (USA) and Carlos Burle (Brazil).

EBO towsurfer

Duncan Scott has also been invited alongside an elite crew of top European big-wave surfers to participate in the second La Santa Towsurf Invitational, held only in huge surf conditions over the winter months at the feared, shallow surf spot ‘El Bravo’ in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

“I look forward to representing Great Britain amongst some of the top European big wave surfers this winter, El Bravo is one of the heaviest waves in Europe, and I’m looking forward to pushing my levels along with some truly inspirational surfers,” stated Duncan.

The LaSanta event has a 6-month waiting period, to ensure it is run in only the best conditions, on the biggest day of the European prime surf season.