Without having the waterstart nailed, you literally ain't going anywhere. The way you do your waterstart will change the longer you kite; in stronger winds the technique is different as you need to dip the kite less; and then the better you get you can literally jog down to the water, casually drop your board and hop in one flowing movement, keeping your dry bum a-la Aaron Hadlow.

All very slick, but for now, let's get you dipping that kite confidently into the power zone.

We shot this sequence in cross-offshore conditions so we could illustrate the action as well as possible. Christian Brouwer is a hot shot pro athlete. Don't copy him. Choose cross or cross-onshore conditions please folks.

• Walk out into water deep enough to be able to sit back and float under the kite. • With the kite parked overhead, leave the hand you're most comfortable steering the kite with on the bar, take your other hand off and grab your board.

• Pull your knees up to your chest and either place both feet into the straps at the same time, or one at a time, depending on which you find the easiest. • Once you have your feet comfortably in the straps, get both hands back on the bar.

• Tuck your legs up in between your arms and gently swing the kite in the opposite direction to which you want to go (to either 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock in the window).

• Redirect the kite in the direction you want to go. It's important to send the kite through the middle of the wind window rather than slowly around the edge, otherwise the kite will never generate enough power to pull you out of the water. Experiment by dipping the kite gently towards the middle of the window to feel how much power you're going to need. Increase the ferocity you dip the kite with each time until you can feel enough pull to get you up.

• Redirect the kite in the direction you want to go. It's important to send the kite through the middle of the wind window rather than slowly around the edge, otherwise the kite will never generate enough power to pull you out of the water. Experiment by dipping the kite gently towards the middle of the window to feel how much power you're going to need. Increase the ferocity you dip the kite with each time until you can feel enough pull to get you up.

• As the kite dips through the window, help it to pull you out of the water by pointing your front leg towards the kite and lean your shoulders forward over your knees. Keep your back leg bent and keep your weight over the back of the board for stability.

• As the kite dips through the window, help it to pull you out of the water by pointing your front leg towards the kite and lean your shoulders forward over your knees. Keep your back leg bent and keep your weight over the back of the board for stability.

• Once you're up and skimming across the water you have two choices: • If you've dipped the kite well through the window you will have to redirect the kite upwards or horizontally through the window so that it doesn't crash into the water and keeps generating power to keep you moving. • If the kite is still quite high in the sky, you obviously can't redirect it up, so send it further down through the window so you then have room to send it back up and continue generating power.

• Once you're up and skimming across the water you have two choices: • If you've dipped the kite well through the window you will have to redirect the kite upwards or horizontally through the window so that it doesn't crash into the water and keeps generating power to keep you moving. • If the kite is still quite high in the sky, you obviously can't redirect it up, so send it further down through the window so you then have room to send it back up and continue generating power.

• Sit back in your harness, engage your heel-side rail, straighten out your front leg, keep your back leg slightly bent and straighten your upper body. • Look where you want to go, not down at your board.

• Sit back in your harness, engage your heel-side rail, straighten out your front leg, keep your back leg slightly bent and straighten your upper body. • Look where you want to go, not down at your board.

PROBLEMS: • You're getting up but then sinking straight away. You're probably not diving the kite hard enough down the centre of the window, so the kite loses power. Keep the kite moving through the window, either by sending it further down or redirecting it back up if the kite is close to the water. Try to dip it through the centre of the wind window, rather than pulling tentatively on the bar and sending the kite drifting around the edge of the window where there's no power. You show that kite who's boss!

PROBLEMS: • You're getting pulled over the front of the board as if strapped to a bull. The opposite to the above problem is happening. Experiment with diving the kite more progressively to judge the amount of power you need to get up. Little dips at a time and remember to point the board towards the kite and keep your weight over your back foot.

PROBLEMS: • You're getting pulled over the front of the board as if strapped to a bull. The opposite to the above problem is happening. Experiment with diving the kite more progressively to judge the amount of power you need to get up. Little dips at a time and remember to point the board towards the kite and keep your weight over your back foot.

PROBLEMS: • You're getting pulled over the front of the board as if strapped to a bull. The opposite to the above problem is happening. Experiment with diving the kite more progressively to judge the amount of power you need to get up. Little dips at a time and remember to point the board towards the kite and keep your weight over your back foot.