Kitesurf Lessons in Sri Lanka — We guide you, you do the magic
Beginner to advanced. IKO certified school at Kalpitiya Lagoon — the best flat-water learning spot in Asia. We teach with radio helmets so your instructor coaches you in real time on the water. Equipment, water shoes, helmet and flotation vest included for every student. You only pay for hours actually delivered — no wind, no charge.
Eusebi & Ruben and all Margarita's team welcome you to the most epic lessons in Kalpitiya. We mainly teach in Spanish, French and English. German and Dutch on certain dates — ask us. Check prices below or go straight to our kite packs — lessons + accommodation in one booking.
Single hour — private
per hour / 1 student
- Pay by the hour
- Equipment included
- Radio helmet
- Great if you have a base
Single hour — 2 people
per hour / 2 students
- Share with a friend
- One kite, shared between you
- Radio helmets for both
- Same instructor
Full IKO course — private
9 hours / 1 student
- IKO Level 3 — zero to riding
- Equipment + radio helmet
- Boat transport
- IKO certificate included
Semi-private full course (2 students): €540 / 9h — one shared kite, radio helmets + IKO certificates for both. Kitefoil lessons: €65/h.
→ Bundle with accommodation: kite packs from €235 per person
Course structure
What you learn, hour by hour
Our kite school follows the IKO curriculum. With our 9h private kitesurf course, most students are riding both directions downwind by the end of the course — and some of them upwind too. Here's the full breakdown hour by hour:
Kite setup, safety systems and first beach flights
- Wind window and power zones
- Setting up and packing down the kite
- Safety systems — when and how to use them
- First kite piloting on the beach
- Flying with one hand
- Launching and landing with a partner
- Walking with the kite
Into the water — body dragging and kite control
- Body dragging downwind
- Flying in the power zone in the water
- Relaunching from the water
- Upwind body drag (one-handed)
- Board recovery
- Self-rescue and pack-down in deep water
Water start and your first rides — IKO Level 3
- Water start theory and practice
- Riding in both directions
- Speed control and stopping
- Right of way rules
- First upwind riding attempts
The teaching area — and what a day actually looks like
We teach on a sandbar on the other side of Kalpitiya Lagoon — flat water, waist-deep in most areas, wide open space with no other schools around. You get there by a short boat ride when the wind picks up. We have a beach hut there for breaks, storing your gear, and lunch between sessions. If you ask where the bathroom is, the answer is behind the dune. A donkey might wander past. A guy sometimes arrives by boat with fresh coconuts. It's that kind of place.
We use radio helmets so your instructor coaches you in real time. We include water shoes — your feet are in the water for hours and protecting them is common sense. No wind? We run wake-foil sessions — the best skill-builder for kitefoil and wingfoil, and something no other school in Kalpitiya offers.
Margarita is an IKO certified school — not just an instructor with a card. Our founder Eusebi is an IKO Examiner and the only one running a school directly on this lagoon.
The people on the water with you matter. Safran is one of the most experienced teachers at the lagoon — he's been at it long enough to know how to read a student in the first five minutes. Issuru grew up in Kalpitiya: he knows this lagoon like the back of his hand, and the gear is always ready before anyone else arrives. They don't just teach — they actually kite.
The spot
Why Kalpitiya is one of the best places to learn in Asia
Flat water, shallow bottom
Most of the teaching area is waist-deep or less. You can stand up anytime — that takes a huge amount of stress out of early sessions.
Wide open — no obstacles
Short boat ride to a large sandbar with no rocks, no reefs, no other riders. You can focus 100% on learning without worrying about anything else.
Reliable wind — two good seasons
May–October is strong and consistent. December–March is lighter — often easier for beginners. Either way you'll be on the water.
Epic spots once you're riding
Once your course is done, Vella Island and Dream Spot are on the table. We run regular kite trips to the best spots around Kalpitiya.
Safe for families with kids
We use smaller kites and shorter lines adapted for young riders. Full IKO safety protocol for every student — helmet, flotation vest and water shoes included. The lagoon's shallow, flat water makes it ideal for children learning from scratch.
Perfect conditions to start. We guide you — you do the magic. 🌊
Ready to book your kite course?
Tell us your dates, experience level and what you're after. We'll get back quickly — WhatsApp is usually fastest.
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More at Margarita Kite School — kitesurf lessons, packs & spots
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