Kitesurfing is the fastest growing sport in the world, with influences from many other freesports including wakeboarding, surfing and power kiting. It hit the UK shores in the late 90's with an explosion of new riders on every beach in England in the last two years. There are disciplines to suit all tastes, including cruising, waveriding, big air and the new school technical wakestyle tricks. Skimboards, surfboards and wakeskates can also be used for making the most of light wind days or doing something different to other riders. Because of the sport's risky nature, it is highly encouraged that courses are taken to learn how to fly the kite and get up on the board as well as to gain the essential knowledge of safety systems and self rescues in deep water. Many beaches are less welcoming to beginners who do not take courses in kitesurfing schools with BKSA/IKO qualified instructors such as kiteFORCE, the only school to have permission to use Dymchurch beach and its kite zone. After learning, most people purchase their own kit which is a daunting prospect-instructors are the best source for information with regards suitable kit, but as a general rule, a good first kite is a 10-14 metre medium aspect kite, this will cover you for average winds. Size should be dependant on weight-a 60kg person can use a 10m when an 80kg person is on a 14m for example. Mid aspect kites tend to be stable, have easy relaunchability and can be slowed down to make them more predictable, the ideal characteristics for learners. These kites will also take any rider well into their riding progression and will never be outgrown. The best board size to learn on is 140-160cm long and around 40cm wide. As more people start kitesurfing, unfortunately more incidents and clashes with local councils occur, this means that many beaches now have clubs with restricted zones for members/holders of insurance only. These avoid total bans and should be adhered to, for example in the case of Dymchurch beach, which is a very busy location in the summer with a large amount of tourists. Dymchurch Kitesurf Club has a big area of beach for launching and landing which can be used all year, unlike the rest of the beach. Land based kitesports are completely banned on the beach. This minimises problems with other beach users, reducing the risk of a ban.