L'effet KiteSchool

L'effet KiteSchool is Julien Coissac's school in Palavas-les-Flots, teaching kitesurfing, kitefoiling, wingfoiling and wakeboarding, in French or English. A former sailing instructor, he has taught kitesurfing since 2003 with an IKO qualification, first abroad (Thailand, the Caribbean, Morocco, Cape Verde), and has held the French state diploma for kite sports (BPJEPS glisses aérotractées) since 2007; he taught at several schools around Montpellier before starting his own. The school is affiliated to AFKite (school no. 34005) and gives every student a Kite Pass, a level card recognised in IKO centres.

The school has no fixed beach base: depending on wind direction and timing, the instructor takes students by boat to the best-placed beach (photos on the website show in particular Les Aresquiers beach, between Palavas and Frontignan) and follows each of them by radio. Kitesurf lessons last 5 hours, including the boat trip and kitting out, with little classroom theory: safety, weather, spot choice, right-of-way rules and equipment choice are covered during breaks. Three options: a 4-consecutive-day course for beginners aiming for independence, day lessons for spreading progress over time, and supervised sessions, where independent riders with their own gear ride under the instructor's watch and use the boat to get away from crowded spots.

Kitefoiling is for independent kitesurfers, as a private lesson with a radio helmet and a safety boat that follows the student and saves the walk back upwind. Wingfoiling is taught in 2-hour private lessons. Boat-towed wakeboarding takes place in the morning on the sea side off Palavas, in groups of 2 to 4; on windless days kitesurfers also use it to practise waterstarts, upwind stance, pop for jumps and turns. Equipment from Duotone and Ion is provided and renewed every year, wetsuit, harness, buoyancy vest and helmet included.

The website gives no season dates; it distinguishes a low season and a high season (July, August and public holidays).

There are no fixed hours: the instructor sets the session time the day before according to the weather, somewhere between 9 am and 7 pm. A kitesurf lesson lasts 5 hours; if the wind does not hold for the whole session it may be cut to a half session, and it is postponed if there is no wind all day. Wakeboarding takes place in the morning.

Booking by email or by phone on +33 6 98 76 71 23; availability can be checked on the website's online calendar.