FAQ AND CONTACT US
Please take a look at our frequently asked questions below. If your question is still unanswered, send us an enquiry using the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Is Kiteboarding and Kitesurfing the same activity?
Yes, they are two different names for the same activity.
Must I be strong to Kiteboard?
No, Kiteboarding is more about technique than strength. You wear a harness so the power of the kite goes to the core of the body rather than the arms.
Must I be able to swim to Kiteboard?
Yes, you must be able to swim. If you want to try kiting but can not swim try snowkiting or landboard kiting instead.
How long does it take to learn Kiteboarding?
Every person learns at their own speed. Some people will find the kite flying easier, whereas sometimes people who have done other board sports such as wakeboarding or snowboarding may find the board aspect easier. We cater our lessons for your learning speed. We would normally recommend a 9 or 12 hour course to cover all the basic skills of kiting.
Can I do lessons anytime of the day?
Kitesurfing is a wind related sport so we do the lessons when it is the best wind, so you must be a little flexible as we can not influence the wind. We look at forecasts and base lesson times on these.
Can I learn together with another person?
Yes, if you have a friend or family member who also wants to learn kiting you can learn in a semi private lesson – the benefit can be that you learn from watching the other person’s achievements and mistakes and it is great fun, however you share one kite and one instructor so you take turns. If one student starts progressing excessively faster than another student then it is not practical to continue with semi private lessons and we may need to separate students to private lessons. If one student is excessively bigger than the other it may not be practical to do semi private lessons if you require different kite sizes. If you do not already have a friend who wants semi private lessons the same time as you then we maybe able to put you together with another Seabreeze student of a similar level to yourself depending on who is there at the same time as you.
Can I merge my lesson hours with a friend or family to get a cheaper package price?
No, each person is treated as an individual person. For example, if you do 4 hours and your friend does 5 hours you can not claim this as a 9 hour package.
Can children take lessons?
We tend to start lessons from aged 12 upwards. The student must be big enough for the harness, lifejacket and helmet. They must be able to understand the safety aspect of the activity and stay focused throughout the lesson.
What must I bring to lessons?
You should bring something comfortable to wear in the water, sunglasses and suncream. It is good to bring a camera if you want to get some great shots to remember your experience.
What is your lesson cancellation policy?
You will be charged U$ 50 if you cancel or “NO Show” with less than 2 hours notice.
Can I rent from you if I can not kite at an advanced level?
We will rent equipment only to people who can kite proficiently, consistently upwind and that are safe.
In Lhoknga, Indonesia we offer supervision to kiters who can kite safety and under control downwind. This is not an alternative to a lesson. The supervisor is not an instructor. Please see rental page for more information.
Where should I go for lessons - Philippines or Indonesia?
The wind is cross onshore at different times of the year in Siargao, Philippines and Lhoknga, Indonesia. We do not teach in offshore winds as this is dangerous. Siargao tends to be onshore Mid November to end March whereas Lhoknga, Indonesia is cross onshore Mid May until Mid September.
Siargao, Philippines has more tourism than Lhoknga, Indonesia which is a quiet rural fishing village.
Can I buy alcohol and wear what I like in Lhoknga, Indonesia?
The area is Muslim however you can easily buy beer from certain places however other alcoholic drinks not not readily available so it is best to bring those yourself from duty free. You can drink alcoholic drinks in your guest house and certain beach bars, however do not drink it other public places. Although it is Muslim it is not expected that Non Muslims wear Muslim clothing, however out of courtesy women should wear something that covers the shoulders and down to the knees and men cover their chest in public areas. You can wear whatever you like in the guesthouse and wear bikinis on the beach by the kiteschool as this is not such a public area, but cover up on other public areas of the beach. If you are a light sleeper it is wise to bring earplugs so you do not get woken up by the mosque in the morning. Lhoknga is a relaxed quiet fishing village – it is definitely not a party place.
How much luggage do the airlines allow?
Airlines can be fairly strict on their baggage policies so make sure you have booked the correct type of bag and book sports equipment for large items such as boardbags when necessary or not – see http://www.airasia.com/id/en/baggage-info/sports-equipment.page and http://www.fireflyz.com.my/flights/fees (beware that we had issues on Firefly, Penang when they said Sports equipment only covers Scuba and Golf Equipment.) Each bag may weigh no more than 32kg.
Do we need return flight tickets and other important flight information?
Often to travel to Indonesia and the Philippines you will be asked to show your return/exit flight ticket. If you can not show this, you may be asked to buy an exit ticket so be aware of this and buy a flexible ticket where necessary.
We have also had situations where people have been denied their flight as their passport had less than 6 months left before it expired.
How can I pay you?
Seabreeze Kiteclub accepts payments in cash in local currency (Indonesian Rupiah or Philippines Peso) based on daily internet exchange rate, US dollar or Paypal with a 5% surcharge. We have had issues with Paypal not being accepted from French and Swiss clients so they may have pay cash – There are maximum amounts that you can withdraw from local ATMs per day so please take this into account.