A strapless waterstart gets a rider up on a strapless surfboard: tilt it onto the upwind rail, set both feet on the deck and steer the kite across the window.
Also called: surfboard water start · strapless start · strapless water start
Prerequisites
Schools teach this differently
Sources diverge on how to enter the trick: IKSURFMAG and Kite Fun Tarifa teach a floating waterstart with the kite parked near 12 before the pull-up stroke (Tarifa: for first rides do it "floating (sitted) on the water as you would on a twintip"), while ProKite Alby Rondina teaches a beach start instead — run, throw the board in the direction you want to ride so it slides, dive the kite and jump on so it pulls you straight into the ride.
Ideal conditions
Flat water with enough depth for the fins and steady power in the kite; IKSURFMAG suggests learning with 10–12 m kite sizes on flat water before attempting harder conditions, and keeping at least a little power on while you set your feet, working the kite back and forth if the wind is light.
How to do it
1. Set up: board in front, kite parked
- Park the kite at 12 o'clock, or ever so slightly past vertical on the same side as the board; parked on the opposite side it pulls you away from it.
- Grab the tail with your back hand on the downwind edge, far enough forward that you can lean down on the tail.
- Drop your elbow onto the upwind rail so the board tilts toward you and the nose lifts, then swing the board across in front of you.
- Hold that tilt. If the downwind rail digs into the water the board stops dead and you get dragged over it.
- Check the water is deep enough for the fins before you set up.
2. Feet on, board pinned
- Set your front foot on the near, upwind side of the deck rather than the middle, so the board stays tilted toward you.
- Push the tail as far away as you can with your back hand, lift your knee and place the back foot on the upwind side too.
- Get each whole foot onto the deck, heels and toes, in a wide stance with the front foot further forward than you'd expect.
- Pull your knees up into your chest with your bum between your feet; staying compact over the board keeps the balance manageable.
- Keep the bar sheeted in for power and tension. Drifting downwind under tension is what pins the board against your feet; in light wind, work the kite gently either side of 12 to keep that pull alive.
3. Pull up and ride away
- Start the kite at 1 o'clock, then steer it briskly back toward 11 with your knees still bent.
- As the kite passes overhead it lifts you. Go with the pull and roll up over the board onto both feet, body centred between them.
- Keep your head over your front knee and lean against the kite's pull; weight hanging back over the tail turns the board sharply upwind.
- Stand tall and press hard through the front foot to flatten the board. A surfboard needs far more front-foot pressure than a twintip, or the tail digs and you never plane.
- Dive the kite again with the board pointed downwind to build speed, then twist your body upwind to bring the board across the wind.
- Once you are tracking across the wind, ease off: lean back gently as you edge upwind, softer than you would with straps.
Common mistakes and fixes
Mistake
The board stalls while you position it and drags you over the top
Fix
Keep the board tilted toward you with your elbow on the upwind rail so the nose stays up; the moment the downwind rail digs, the board stops and you get dragged over it.
Mistake
You can't get the back foot on
Fix
Put the front foot on the upwind side so the tilt holds, then push the tail as far away from you as possible to make room for the back foot.
Mistake
The board floats away from your feet
Fix
Both feet on the upwind edge with the whole foot down, heels and toes, and pull the bar in so you drift onto the board and it pushes back against you.
Mistake
The board shoots upwind as you stand
Fix
Roll up onto both feet with your body centred and head over the front knee; don't lean back against the power with the front leg extended, or the board rounds up into wind.
Mistake
Nose rides high and the board never planes
Fix
Stand up straight and drive more pressure through the front foot than you would on a twintip, with the aim of flattening the board out.
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 schoolEducational 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
What should I be able to do before trying a strapless waterstart?+
IKSURFMAG pitches the move at anyone who can happily waterstart and ride a twintip. Kite Fun Tarifa adds that arriving with solid upwind riding, toeside, pop and body-drag recovery makes the strapless progression much faster.
What conditions and kite should I learn in?+
Flat water first, deep enough for the fins. IKSURFMAG suggests practising with 10–12 m kites before taking it into harder conditions, and Kite Fun Tarifa recommends delta-shaped kites for strapless riding because they are powerful, fast and easy to relaunch; it advises against C-kites.
How do I keep my feet on a board with no straps?+
Grip comes from the deck and the kite. Run pads or plenty of wax on the deck, and keep tension in the lines while you set up: with the bar sheeted in you drift downwind and the board stays pressed against your feet.
Is the start harder than on a twintip?+
The board behaves differently. A surfboard is far more buoyant than a twintip and tends to bob along and drift away from you, so line tension has to do the job the straps used to. IKSURFMAG still files it under beginner technique, and notes the free feet can even make riding strapless easier than a strapped board.
Should I ride with a board leash?+
Kite Fun Tarifa's advice: only when the board could wash onto rocks, because the leash itself can be very dangerous depending on the conditions.
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.