The question nobody wants to ask the instructor
Before booking a first kitesurfing lesson, almost everyone has the same doubt. They search for it on their phone at eleven at night, with the booking tab still open. The question is: is this actually dangerous?
The honest answer — from someone who has been teaching in El Médano for over a decade — is: yes, kitesurfing has risks. Like skiing, surfing, mountain biking or any sport practised in a natural environment with physical forces involved.
But having risks doesn't make something reckless. It means those risks need to be managed well. And that's exactly what proper instruction does: not eliminate risk — that's impossible — but reduce it to a minimum from day one.
The real risks of kitesurfing
I'd rather you know these before you start than encounter them unprepared. These are the real risks that exist in kitesurfing, particularly in the early stages of learning.
The kite as a force element
A kitesurfing kite can generate significant pull, especially in winds above 20 knots. If you don't control the bar correctly, or the kite enters a high-power position, it can drag you, lift you or throw you off balance. Modern safety systems are designed to cut that force instantly — but they work well only when the student knows when and how to use them.
The marine environment
Practising on water adds variables that don't exist on land: currents, waves, changing depth. At El Médano's main beach, the bottom is sandy with gradually increasing depth, making it well suited for beginners. Knowing which zone you're in and what its conditions are is essential.
Overestimating your own level
The most common mistake I see isn't technical: it's when someone who's been practising for three days decides to go out alone because they "already control the kite". Kitesurfing has a confidence curve that moves faster than the real skill curve. That can be dangerous if nobody slows you down in time.
The day's conditions
Wind is never the same. A day with 18 knots of clean wind is completely different from one with 25 knots and irregular gusts. Learning to read conditions before entering the water — choosing the right kite size, judging whether the wind is suitable for your level — is a skill that develops with time and instruction. In the early stages, that call is made by your instructor.
Why El Médano has characteristics that support safe learning
Not all spots are equally suitable for learning. I've seen students try to learn at beaches with offshore wind, rocky bottoms or lateral currents. El Médano isn't a perfect spot — no spot is — but it has specific characteristics that make it one of the best places in Europe for beginners.
Onshore, consistent wind
El Médano's wind comes predominantly from the northeast, almost parallel to the coastline. This means that if you lose control and the kite pulls you, you end up on the beach rather than out at sea. This type of wind is much safer for someone learning than offshore wind, which would carry you away from land.
Sandy bottom and gradual depth
The main beach has a sandy bottom with no obstacles and a depth that increases progressively. You can be just a few metres from the shore with the water at your waist.
Consistent wind year-round
In summer the trade winds blow at a typical strength of 25 to 30 knots — conditions that require equipment suited to your level and solid instruction. In winter the wind drops to between 15 and 25 knots, more consistent and manageable, making the November-to-March months the best time to start: fewer people in the water and ideal conditions for beginners.
The difference between learning well and learning badly
Kitesurfing isn't inherently dangerous. What can be dangerous is learning it the wrong way. I've seen many different approaches to learning, and the safety differences between them are enormous.
Certified instructor vs. experienced friend
The most common mistake I see among adults who want to learn is asking a kiter friend to "show them the basics" for a weekend. The issue isn't that the friend can't kitesurf — many can, very well. The issue is that teaching is a different skill to practising. A certified instructor knows which mistakes to correct before an accident happens, not after. They know which kite to use for the level and the day's wind. They know which area of the beach to be in and which to avoid.
The student-to-instructor ratio matters
Something that directly affects both safety and progress is the number of students per instructor. In groups of four or five people, the instructor can't be everywhere at once — and on top of that, a single kite is shared among all of them. When I work with students, I never exceed two at a time — and during the most critical stages of progression, I work with one person only. This isn't just about quality: it's a safety standard.
Structured progression changes everything
The KITE UP METHOD™ I use always starts with the same phase: understanding. Before touching the kite, the student understands how wind works, what the wind window is, where the power zone is and where the safety zone is. This preparatory step isn't optional — it determines how the student responds when the kite behaves unexpectedly.
A student who has understood the wind doesn't panic when the kite falls in the water or when a gust shifts them sideways. They know what to do. And in kitesurfing, that can make all the difference.
Modern safety equipment
Kitesurfing in 2026 is not the kitesurfing of twenty years ago. Safety systems have evolved radically and any quality modern kit includes mechanisms that simply didn't exist in the sport's early years.
Letting go of the bar
The first safety move any student learns is the simplest: letting go of the bar. When you release it completely, the kite loses pull and becomes a passive flag flying without dragging. It's the most basic reflex in kitesurfing and the first one to automate — before activating any other system, before thinking about what to do. Let go, breathe, assess.
Quick Release
The Quick Release is the emergency release system on the control bar. With a single movement — pulling the chicken loop — the kite loses almost all its pull and drops to the water in a controlled way. This is the second safety system I teach every student before entering the water. It's not optional: it's the foundation.
The Safety Leash
The leash keeps the kite connected to the rider's body even after activating the Quick Release. Once activated, the leash holds the kite via a single point and turns it into a passive flag with no pull. This prevents the kite from flying away and becoming a hazard for others on the beach.
Modern LEI kites
Current Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) kites have inflated tubes that keep the kite's shape even when it falls in the water, making them much easier to relaunch. When you're learning and water landings are frequent, being able to relaunch the kite safely from the security position is important.
Signs that the instruction you're receiving is serious
Before booking lessons with any instructor or school, there are specific questions that tell you a lot about how they work.
- Does the instructor hold an official certification? What matters is that they are certified by a recognised body — IKO, the Spanish Sailing Federation or another equivalent. Having a certification means they have received specific training in safety and teaching methodology, not just knowing how to kitesurf.
- Is the student-to-instructor ratio reasonable? More than two students per instructor in the water is a warning sign, particularly in the early stages of learning.
- Does the lesson start on land? Any serious instructor begins on land: equipment, safety systems, wind theory, before going in the water. If someone wants to take you straight to the sea without that preparation, that already says something.
- Do they explain the Quick Release before you touch the kite? Non-negotiable. If an instructor doesn't explain how to activate the safety before the kite is in the air, they're not the right person to learn from.
- Do they operate with insurance? Ask. Any serious instructor or school has liability and accident insurance. There's nothing awkward about asking.
What you should never do
After more than a decade of watching how people learn — and sometimes how they don't — there's a short list of things I would never recommend.
- Never practise alone in the first months. Kitesurfing requires accumulated experience to read situations well. Until that develops, having someone experienced present can be decisive.
- Never use second-hand equipment without having it checked. Worn lines, safety systems that don't work properly, kites with air leaks. If you buy second-hand equipment, have someone knowledgeable inspect it before using it.
- Never go out in conditions beyond your level. If you're unsure whether the day's conditions are right for your level, don't go out. The sea will be there again tomorrow.
- Never learn solely from videos. Videos are useful for understanding concepts, not for learning to kitesurf. The difference between understanding something on a screen and being able to do it in the water with real wind is enormous.
Is kitesurfing more dangerous than other water sports?
The short answer: not necessarily, if you learn properly.
Surfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding and many other water sports have their own risks. Kitesurfing's particular characteristic is that it involves a high-pull kite, adding a force dimension that doesn't exist in surfing, for example. But that force is also managed with modern safety systems and a structured progression.
The factor that most influences kitesurfing accidents isn't the sport itself — it's the quality of instruction in the first few hours. A well-taught beginner has a significantly lower real risk than someone who learned half-way with a friend or through videos.
How we approach it in El Médano
I've taught kitesurfing in various conditions over the years. El Médano has something few spots have: consistency. The wind arrives, it has the expected strength and blows in the expected direction. That gives the learning process a reliability that doesn't exist in other destinations.
When a student doesn't have to deal with unpredictable or changing conditions, they can focus on learning. And when they can focus on learning, they progress faster and with fewer accidents.
It's not the perfect spot in the world. But for learning kitesurfing seriously, systematically and safely, it's one of the best places in Europe you can be.
If you have doubts about whether kitesurfing is for you, or specific safety questions before making a decision, get in touch. I have no interest in persuading you either way — just in you making an informed choice. I reply in English, Spanish, German or Italian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kitesurfing more dangerous than other water sports?
Not necessarily, with certified instruction. The key difference is that kitesurfing involves a powerful kite generating significant pull, which means safety systems must be understood from day one. With structured progression at a suitable spot like El Médano, the risks are comparable to other water sports.
Can I learn to kitesurf if I'm afraid of water?
Yes. The early phases of learning take place in shallow water where you can stand. El Médano has a sandy bottom with gradually increasing depth. Most initial exercises are done with the water at waist height, not swimming.
How many hours before I can go out alone?
As a reference: after 9 to 12 hours of well-structured instruction, most students have the fundamentals to manage independently. That doesn't mean going out alone on the first attempt — for the first few months it's advisable to practise with experienced people present or at spots with lifeguard cover.
What insurance do I need to kitesurf in Tenerife?
During the course, any officially certified instructor or school operates with liability and accident insurance covering the activity. For practising independently afterwards, a highly recommended option is joining El Médano Kite Club: for €80 per year it includes civil liability and accident insurance with AXA, specific to kitesurfing.
What are the most common safety mistakes beginners make?
The most frequent: not activating safety systems when needed (which is why it's the first thing taught), choosing a kite too large for the day's conditions, going out alone too early, and skipping the land briefing before entering the water. All of these are preventable with proper instruction.