"We refer all of our kiteboarding lessons to the Kiteboarding School of Maui (KSM). They offer professional, individual instruction at great rates."
Kevin Ozee
President-Neil Pryde Maui
What does FAA have to do with kiteboarding on Maui?
In September 1999, complaints to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about kiteboarding from an individual resulted in federal banning of the sport on the north shore due to perceived violations of specific Federal Aviation Regulations. That ban came not too long after KSM started up in business prompting the owner of KSM to collaborate with other Maui kiteboarders to negotiate with FAA officials to reinstate the sport. Ultimately in March 2002, FAA granted a waiver to its regulations to Martin Kirk, owner of KSM and president of Hawaii Kiteboarding Association, allowing kiteboarding to officially continue (in the interim from 1999 to 2002, FAA officials agreed to "look the other way" and allow kiteboarding to continue while a waiver application was under review). At the present time, that certificate of authorization or FAA waiver is in the name of an attorney who happens to be the dad of two prominent pro kiteboarder phenoms.
All kiteboarding activities in the Kite Beach area are regulated by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regulations due to the proximity to Kahului Airport. Although a waiver to those FAA regulations allows north shore kiteboarding, riders need to be aware of the one-mile wide by two-mile long FAA corridor at the end of the airport runway extending to seaward that is expressly off-limits to kiteboarders.
Kiteboarding Questions
- What are the terms and names for kiteboarding tricks?
- Are bow kites better than other kite designs?
- Can I use the bow kite with a 5th line?
- What does the bridle on a bow kite do?
- How do the bow kites turn?
- Is the bow kite bridle system complicated?
- What should I look for so I know I have found a safe, quality school?
- What sets KSM apart from other Maui kiteboarding schools?
- How much experience do KSM instructors have?
- How long has KSM been in business?
- Is KSM insured?
- What does the IKO and PASA certification offer students?
- What does FAA have to do with kiteboarding on Maui?
- I already kiteboard. Can I rent kites?
- What can I do to prepare for my lesson ahead of time?
- My son and I would like to take a lesson together. Do we have to each take private lessons or can we take lessons with one instructor?
- What is the best time of day for lessons?
- Will I get on the water on the first day of lessons?
- Will I be riding on a board the first day?
- I have done some trainer kite flying and body draggng. Will I be able to take a class starting with the kiteboard on my first lesson?
- What sort of physical shape do I need to be in?
- How fast will I learn the sport?
- I am a windsurfer, is it hard to convert?
- How hard is it to learn how to kite?
- Is kiteboarding safe?
- When is the best time to come to Maui for lessons?
- Do I need to bring anything with me for the lesson?
- What equipment do I need to kitesurf?
- Will I need a wetsuit on Maui?
- How many kites do I need?
- What is the typical wind range of a kite?
- How big a kiteboard should I choose?
- How much does equipment cost?
- Do I need assistance to launch or land the kite?
- Can I relaunch the kite from the water?
- What is the wind window?
- What is the difference between kitesurfing, kiteboarding, and flysurfing?
- How did kiteboarding start?