Kite surfing is a water sport where the surfer is propelled through the water by wind that pulls on the kite attached to the surfboard.
Nice, France is located on the Mediterranean Coast where kite surfing is prevalent. The months from March to August are excellent for learning how to surf due to Le Ponat, the thermal wind south, blowing steady and light. In the winter months, big storms make the Mediterranean a place with a fair amount of good waves although there is a problem with a low frequency of good waves. The same problem goes with on-shore waves in this area.
During the months of April to October, the Bay of Cannes in Mandelieu, about 30 miles down the coast, provides better winds than Nice that are more suited for intermediate riders. Depending on the weather conditions, Frejus Hyeres is also a place to check out.
Other popular locations include the Isles of Lérins, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, St-Laurent-du-Var and Antibes. It is helpful to contact the Ligue de Voile Côte d'Azur and Comité Départemental de Voile for more information.
The most popular place to kite surf in all of Europe is in a town called Wissant on the Atlantic Coast about 12 hours north of Nice.
A well known kite boarding school, AirX Kite, is in Nice. It offers kite surfing lessons that last four hours and have a limit of four riders per instructor. You must make reservations 15 days in advance, and the cost is 150 Euros per lesson. The school is approved by the French Federation of Free Flight that promotes sports in France.
It is highly recommended to take a lesson before attempting kite surfing. Kite surfing is expensive--all the equipment falls within the $2,000 range--whereas a lesson is only $150. Some schools sell beginner packages for an excellent price. When taking a lesson, the beginning rider can even try out certain items before making the big purchase.
The equipment needed to kite surf is a kite, which comes in a number of shapes and sizes, flying lines, control bar, kite harness, safety hook knife, kite board and a helmet. Other items such as a wet suit, personal inflation device, impact vest, board leash, signaling device and a GPS may be used depending on the location and the personal preference of the surfer.
