Safety before profit

The ways we keep you safe and what you should look for

All power kite related sports can be dangerous if not done properly. The group of companies in the Paracademy Consortium believe that safety should come before profit.

Whether you do a course with us or not you do ultimately get to make the choice about who you learn with. As such ask your school or instructor about the following items BEFORE you book your course. If you are in any doubt about their safety policy don't put yourself at risk. You can print this page out and use it as a checklist if you want .

Are all of the instructors teaching me BKSA AND IKO qualified? If in any doubt, ask for names. The full list and the only approved instructors in the country are listed here. All qualified instructors will also be able to drive a safety boat and conduct first aid.

How many students are taught at one time by one instructor? Legally for adequate supervision only 4 students may be taught by one instructor for water based courses. For land courses six students may be taught by one instructor.

Will I be insured for 3rd party personal and property damage whilst under your instruction? Legally at the moment schools don't have to provide this, but considering you are under tuition the school should take responsibility if any bystander was hurt or property damaged by you don't you think?

Does the school operate a safety boat for water based courses? The 15 top schools in the country all run at least one and in many cases two safety craft. If you need to be rescued because you get out of your depth, how long do you think it will take them to get to you if they don't have a boat?

What safety equipment do I get? At the absolute minimum you should receive a wetsuit, harness, bouyancy aid and EC rated helmet (anyone that tells you you don't need a helmet has probably not worn one and hit their head)! Anyone that says the kite will provide you with bouyancy and pull you up is negligent.

What size kite will I start with? Bigger is not necessarily best. The bigger the kite, the more the liklihood of an accident in untrained hands. Any kites bigger than 10 metres in size is too big for a beginner training and could potentially kill you.

All of the companies within the Paracademy Consortium have the following policy when it comes to safety. If you require more information please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

All of our instructors are fully qualified IKO and BKSA accredited instructors.

For water based activities, a safety boat is available at all times.

You will be provided with all the appropriate personal eqiupment:
For water based activities this would include helmet, bouyancy aid, wetsuit, boots, harness and kites fitted with leashes.
For land based acivities this would include helmet and kites fitted with "kite killers".

All of our instructors are qualified power boat drivers and have current, accredited first aid certificates.

Each instructor carries a first aid kit and sea to shore communications with them whilst teaching so they can get in touch with our shore base if necessary.

All employees of Paracademyregularly undergo "situtation" training.

We teach on the right sized kites for you given the conditions - one size does NOT fit all.

We are FULLY insured - including 3rd party.

The reason we do this is so that whilst in our care our students are kept safe and can enjoy this incredibly fun sport.

If you would like more information about our safety policies or a copy of our Risk Assessments please get in touch with Neil Godbold. Either call our office number or email him at neil@paracademy.co.uk