Koh Phangan is a natural island with impressive beaches, waterfalls, cliffs, and many enjoyable events like the famous party scene. The south coast of the island provides a flat shallow, secure environment that makes it a great spot for many watersports including Kitesurfing.
The key windy season begins in January and lasts until April or May when the wind arrives from the south-east. The winds are very steady from 10 until 20 knots. This is also the dry season with rather enjoyable temperatures. February and March are the strongest months. On average we have 75 per cent windy days during this time. The second season begins from July until October when the breeze arrives from the south-west. This time of the year you will get an odd rainstorm that will carry heavy winds, often 20+ knots. This is a perfect opportunity for experienced riders to boost those big air tricks. The two most rainy months are from mid-October to mid-December. December is the only month that the breeze arrives from the north. At this time the only decent kite spot is in Chaloklum, on the north side of the island. This place may get a little crowded because all kite schools come here during these few weeks.
Contrary to common opinion, you don’t need to be super-fit to kitesurf. You may see little 10-year-old kids out on the water! Girls particularly shouldn’t be put off by the preconception that you need huge biceps. With the right kite, virtually everybody can kitesurf. It’s not really your muscles that bear the pressure, rather the tug of the kite passes through your harness, so it’s your core that gets the workout. Having said that, you ought to feel relaxed in the water and you still need a good standard of health.
Kitesurfing offers you a whole-body exercise any time you do it. The heart, head, and legs are all engaged as you kite over the sea. If you’re one who refuses to visit the gym, kitesurfing is a perfect way to remain toned without realizing that you’ve gotten a workout. The belt from kitesurfing helps alleviate unnecessary pressure on the back and knees, making it an activity that is also gentle on the joints yet strength-building. While you’re kitesurfing, your concerns are left on the land. There are no taxes, job obligations, or problems that follow you into the sea. Spending time in nature is an established stress reliever and what better way to do that than to kitesurf on Koh Phangan?
While you’re kitesurfing, it’s important that you stay absolutely in the moment. Focusing on your kite place, your environment, and where you’re heading means that you don’t have much brain capacity left for your mind to drift. As any kitesurfer knows, it just takes a slight arm movement to guide the kite on a new path. This concentration on tiny gestures teaches the brain to be hyper-alert at the moment that you’re in. You’ll be able to pass this ability to your land-locked life, making you happy and more prosperous.
Endorphins are the neurotransmitters that produce a normal high and can also act as a pain-killer. Endorphins are related to tension reduction and the capacity to deal with stress. Why aim for an artificial and harmful high when you can get a natural lift after a single kite session?
Kitesurfing is inherently immersive, whilst participating with others on the water it highly depends on respect and communication. Kitesurfers seem easy to speak to and to approach. If you fly to a new destination, you will still find a familiar face inside the kitesurfing network. Kitesurfers love kiting together not just for safety purposes but also for camaraderie. Koh Phangan has a friendly community of Kitesurfers whether they are the school owners, teachers, students or just doing it for pleasure. You’ll often find them on the beach waiting for wind, relaxing with each other, enjoying conversation and always with good vibes on this island.
Learning to Kitesurf on Koh Phangan is more affordable than other places in the world, with the added benefit of the beautiful scenery. It makes it truly worth it. Of course, it is not one of the cheapest activities as you will need equipment, either your own or the instructors plus most importantly the years of knowledge that the school and teachers have.
Most places will let you try one lesson before committing to a course if you are still not sure if it’s for you. These lessons are around 4000 Baht for 2 hours and can sometimes be cheaper if you go with another student. In these intro lessons, you can learn about philosophy, safety, basic kite flying and simple self-rescue so you can decide if you want to learn more.
If you want to commit to a course then there are lots of different options depending on the school and instructors you choose. Plans such as beginner to rider, refresher lessons, full 30-day courses, and packages including a certain amount of hours lessons. Costs range from 10,000 Baht to upwards of 30,000 Baht.
For the equipment, you will need to check whether the lessons include this or if you have to pay extra for the rental. Otherwise, you use your own if you have it.
One of Thailand's top IKO kite schools is KITEFLIP Kite & Wakeboard Centers. With a storage room for your kite equipment, a shop, a chill-out area, and a bar it makes for a lovely setup right on the beach.
The kite spot is located in a wide lagoon with flat, shallow water sheltered by a reef and gets the island's most consistent wind.
There is plenty of room to kitesurf since it is the only school in a 3-kilometre radius.
The owner, Philip, from Belgium, assembled a fantastic group of foreign IKO instructors who speak many different languages, including German, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian, etc.
They provide private and group lessons for beginners and intermediate riders and use the latest 2023 equipment.
Upon completing the course successfully, you will receive an IKO certification which is recognized worldwide.
Kite equipment for rent is also available at the premises.
A Kite academy suitable for beginners, however, they still appeal to riders who want to improve or try new freestyle tricks. The courses are conducted by professional IKO trained teachers, which offer a protection and quality guarantee for students lessons. They use the new Airush kites and boards to ensure the equipment is both fresh and clean. Natural Kite Park’s mission is to give you all the skills you need to become a healthy and independent kiteboarder. The courses will take place in front of the kite school in the natural lagoon formed by the coral reef. This natural phenomena blocks the waves and produces a shallow calm environment suitable for learning to Kitesurf.
Breeze surf club was founded as a watersports community with tons of local members along with long-term visitors. Dani, the founder of Breeze, has been an involved resident of the island since 2006 and is considered to be the island weather guru. He is involved and supports many of the island activities. His love for kitesurfing began in 2008 when he moved from windsurfing to kiteboarding. With American's mentality on the business, customer service is always number one. Dani's target is the create the biggest kitesurfing and watersports group in Thailand.
Breeze's Thai national instructors have been trained personally by Dani and required at least two months of kite assistant duties before they become a Jr. Instructor. The coaches are accomplished kiteboarders, their understanding of kiteboarding gained from actual scenario instruction. They are available all year long, kiteboard all year round, and the squad stays on the island full-time. Their experience of teaching areas and weather forecasts are extremely reliable and they take consumer loyalty and protection very seriously, along with making your kiteboarding experience enjoyable.
KBA founded the first kiteboarding centre in Hua Hin back in 2001. Since then they have opened several schools in Thailand and Vietnam including one on Koh Phangan. 16+ years on they have discovered much about kiteboarding, coaching, and how to operate the fastest kitesurfing services. KBA are by far the biggest kiteboarding school and shop network in Asia.
They have put 10,000+ students through courses, and qualified 100s of kiteboarding instructors many of whom have gone on to make good careers doing what they enjoy in paradise.
A Kitesurf school associated with IKO on Koh Phangan so after the Kitesurf School internship you can get a license IKO (International Kitesurf Organization) authorizing you to hire equipment when you hit stage 3K (Riding upwind). Your online qualification becomes your ticket to continue your IKO training anywhere you want in the country. Your IKO account would also encourage you to view videos and use educational resources to advance across the IKO curriculum. Learning kite in an IKO accredited kitesurf school is a promise of quality education, enjoyed and successful.
Learning how to kitesurf can sometimes be a frustrating experience at first. For the first hours, you’re losing your board, failing to move upwind, face planting, and figuring out how to control the kite. In all this, you learn to push through the pain and anger and come out the other side. Perseverance and persistence are the most important traits in people who reach their goals. Your ability to pursue kitesurfing even when it’s not comfortable to do so is a skill that will help you every day to overcome nearly every obstacle in your life. What a huge thing to come away with from your time on this stunning island of Koh Phangan!
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