The Kitesurf Academy

The Kitesurf Academy is a kitesurf school in Northern Ireland run by Gareth Glynn, an IKO Level 2 instructor with thirteen years' teaching experience. It follows IKO lesson plans, tailored to each person's ability and goals, from beginner to advanced.

Lessons have no fixed schedule: they depend on the wind (about 14mph is needed) and take place on different beaches depending on wind direction and tide, mostly in North Down and the Ards Peninsula (Millisle, Greyabbey and others). The discovery course is for two people at most: kite control, safety and kite set-up, then body dragging and self-rescue techniques on the water.

The school uses only Core Kiteboarding gear and describes itself as Ireland's only Core retailer: it sells kites, boards, control bars, surfboards and accessories, new and used, with local advice.