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Airstyle · Intermediate

Seatbelt Grab

See it in the Trick Tree

Seatbelt Grab is a hooked-in jump where the rider reaches the front hand across the body and grabs the tail of the board, like buckling a seatbelt.

Also called: Hooked Seatbelt Grab · Seatbelt

Prerequisites

Tail GrabIndy Grab

Unlocks

Nothing in the tree needs this one yet — it stands on its own.

Schools teach this differently

Sources disagree on which hand grabs which end of the board. Elite Watersports, Progression, Next Level Watersports and Global Kitespots all define the Seatbelt the same way: front hand, across the body, onto the tail. Duotone's own trick list describes its "Hooked Seatbelt Grab" as reaching diagonally down with the back hand to grab between the nose and the front footstrap, which is closer to what the others call a Crail. Treat front-hand-to-tail as the common definition and Duotone's as a brand-specific reading. The sources also split on the send: Next Level says don't send the kite too much, while IKSURFMAG's fix for a kite flying too far forward one-handed is to send it a bit further behind you before take off.

How to do it

  1. 1. Before you send

    • Have your jump and your invert already working. Grabs come after you can boost and hold a shape in the air, not before.
    • Get the back-hand grabs first. The tail grab is the easiest one to start with and the indy is the natural next step. Back-hand grabs leave your front hand on the bar, pushing the kite forward in your direction of travel and helping you land.
    • Ride in hooked and powered, with medium to higher speed into the jump.
    • Put both hands in the middle of the bar and keep a bit of pressure on the front hand.
    • On the first sessions just try to touch the board and let go again. Work up to holding on for longer and longer.

  2. 2. Send and pop

    • With a good edge and power on, have the kite around 1 o'clock and send it back to just past 12.
    • Ease the bar out as the kite starts to lift, then pull down hard on the bar for an elevated jump.
    • Don't send the kite too much.
    • Pop hard, but keep your legs controlled.
    • Don't let the kite swing back on top of you.

  3. 3. The reach

    • Elbows to hips, knees to elbows, the same shape as a standard jump. Because you've brought your knees to elbows, the board should be easily within reach.
    • Lift the board up to your torso as you go up. Reaching down for it will throw off your balance in the air.
    • At about three quarters of the way up, take the grabbing hand off the bar — for the Seatbelt that's the front hand.
    • Let the bar out slightly to decrease your steering input.
    • Reach across your body and grab the tail. Like the Crail, it helps to poke the front leg out hard to reach easier.
    • Beware of sharp fins as you reach for the board.

  4. 4. Release and land

    • At about a quarter of the way down, release the grab and prepare for landing.
    • As you get close to landing, take your hand off the board rail.
    • Bring both hands back on the bar.
    • Gain control of the kite, then spot the landing and ride away.
    • If the kite flies too far forward while you're holding on one-handed, try sending it a bit further behind you before take off next time.

Common mistakes and fixes

Mistake

Reaching down to the board instead of bringing the board up to your hand.

Fix

Bring the board up, don't reach down. Pull elbows to hips and knees to elbows so the board arrives at you — reaching down will throw off your balance in the air and make it harder to stay controlled.

Mistake

Letting the kite swing back on top of you after the send.

Fix

Keep both hands in the middle of the bar with a bit of pressure on the front hand, and don't let the kite swing back over you.

Mistake

Your hand never gets to the tail.

Fix

Poke the front leg out hard, the same as you would for the Crail, to reach easier. On early attempts just try to touch the board, then work up to holding on for longer and longer.

Mistake

Still steering the kite while your grabbing hand is off the bar.

Fix

Let the bar out slightly to decrease your steering input before you reach.

Mistake

Holding the grab too far into the descent.

Fix

Release the grab at about 25% of the way down and prepare for landing with both hands back on the bar.

If it goes wrong

  • Take your hand off the board rail and bring both hands back on the bar.
  • Gain control of the kite, then spot your landing.
  • If at any stage of learning you need to get rid of the board, try and drop it behind you so that you don't land on it.
  • Beware of sharp fins as you let go.

Learn this with a coach, not from a page

This guide explains what the move is and what riders get wrong, so you arrive at the session knowing what you are trying to do. It cannot watch your kite, read the gust coming, or stop you committing to something you are not ready for — a coach or instructor can.

Find a certified school

Educational reference, not instruction. Kitesurfing is a risk sport: the steps here describe what named schools, instructors and technique libraries teach, and the page lists exactly which ones, but real conditions involve wind, gusts, water state, traffic and equipment behaviour that no written guide accounts for. Schools also teach justified variations — where our sources disagree, the page says so instead of picking one. Judge your own readiness, use the safety systems on your kite, and do not attempt a move because a page made it sound achievable. KitesurfingOfficial accepts no liability for the use of this information on the water.

Questions riders ask

Which hand grabs, and where on the board?+

The common definition is front hand, reaching across your body onto the tail of the board, which is where the name comes from — Elite Watersports, Progression, Next Level and Global Kitespots all list it that way. Duotone's own trick list is the odd one out: it describes its Hooked Seatbelt Grab as reaching diagonally down with the back hand to grab between the nose of the board and the front footstrap.

What should I be able to do before I try it?+

Have jumping sorted and be able to do an invert. The best way to start is to try grabs on a simple hooked-in jump, and the tail grab is the easiest one to begin with, with the indy a great next step, before you start reaching across your body.

Why does it feel harder than a tail grab or an indy?+

All grabs are easiest with your back hand, because that leaves your front hand on the bar, pushing the kite forward in your direction of travel and helping you land. The Seatbelt takes that hand away. Front-hand grabs are more complicated — you have to control the kite and avoid overspending it while making the grab — and the more advanced grabs take more flexibility, coordination and skill.

Do I need to be unhooked?+

No. Duotone lists it in its hooked section and Global Kitespots files it under powered hooked-in tricks.

How do I make it look like a grab instead of a poke at the board?+

Poke the front leg out hard so you can actually reach the tail, work up from touching the board to holding on for longer and longer, and try to get as inverted and elongated as possible for more style.

Keep reading

Sources

Every step on this page traces to the sources below. Where they disagree or stay silent, the page says so instead of guessing.