Here are a few videos that should be very educational regarding some of the safety aspects:
Watch where you are going…
This includes looking out for other riders, swimmers and other objects. In this video while kitesurfing at Kanaha, Maui and landing badly in the impact zone, the rider was run over by a windsurfer.
Even pros make this mistake! This happened while shooting for the Wizards of Oz Windsurf DVD project.
Watch where your kite is going…
Kitesurfer at the Hatch snags a tall ship (the “Hawaiian Chieftain” visiting Hood River with the “Lady Washington” on their way up the Columbia River).
Tricks or jumps in really shallow water…
These usually do not end well. Neither does windsurfing or kiteboarding too close to shore.
Be aware of lofting…
Lofting is a very dangerous situation caused by an updraft or sudden gust catching your kite and carrying you into the air. This situation is so dangerous because it is unintentional; you can be injured by being lifted and thrown into a hard object.
Be aware of local wildlife…
Here’s a video from a Canadian kiteboarder who got chased by a shark while kitesurfing in Cuba. He had a GoPro camera rigged on his kite and while he was riding in shallow he got chased by a 8 foot shark.
