Finding an Experienced Kitesurfing Instructor in Portugal (10+ Years)
When choosing a kitesurfing instructor, experience matters. An instructor with 10+ years of teaching has encountered every student profile, every weather scenario, and every equipment issue — which translates directly into better safety, more effective coaching, and faster progression for you.
Why Experience Counts
Kitesurfing instruction isn’t just about knowing how to kite. It’s about reading wind shifts in real time, adapting exercises to each student’s body type and learning style, recognising when to push and when to pause, and managing safety in a dynamic ocean or lagoon environment. These skills develop over thousands of hours, not months.
What to Look For
IKO Level 2 or 3: The IKO certification system goes up to Level 3. An instructor at Level 2 or above has completed formal training, passed exams, and logged significant teaching hours. Level 3 (the highest) requires 150+ students and 1,200+ teaching hours.
Teaching hours, not just “years in the sport”: Someone who has been kiting for 15 years but only teaches occasionally is different from someone with 5,000+ dedicated teaching hours. Ask about teaching volume, not just time in the sport.
Student count: An instructor who has taught 1,000+ students has refined their approach across a vast range of ages, fitness levels, and learning styles.
Where to Find Experienced Instructors in Portugal
Portugal’s main kite teaching regions are Óbidos Lagoon (Silver Coast), Alvor Lagoon (Algarve), and Viana do Castelo (North). The largest concentration of experienced instructors is at Óbidos Lagoon, where several schools operate with IKO-certified staff.
At We Are Salty People
Federico Kessler, the instructor at We Are Salty People, holds IKO Level 3 certification (IKO #40442) with over 11 years of continuous teaching, 5,000+ hours, and 1,300+ students. Every lesson — from first-time beginners to advanced riders — is taught by Federico personally. The school operates at Óbidos Lagoon, one hour from Lisbon.
Ready to start?
📲 Message Federico on WhatsApp
🌍 Explore lessons at wearesaltypeople.com
— We Are Salty People