IKO vs VDWS: Which Kite Instructor License Gets You Hired?

IKO vs VDWS comes down to where you want to teach: in the kite instructor posts we listed since January 2024, VDWS is named mostly in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, while IKO is named in posts from 29 countries, with almost half of those posts from outside Europe. So the useful question is not which license is better in general. It is which one the schools in your target country name in their posts.

Where each license is wanted

Of the 582 kitesurf instructor posts we listed, 132 name IKO and 147 name VDWS. This is how those mentions split by country:

VDWS mentions are concentrated. The 147 posts come from 18 countries, but 103 of them (70%) are in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, and 17 (12%) are outside Europe. IKO mentions are spread wider: 132 posts from 29 countries, and 62 of them (47%) are outside Europe.

Germany is the clearest case, with VDWS named 59 times and IKO 15 times. Italy shows the same pattern with 31 against 15. In the USA, Thailand, Mexico and Kenya together, which make up 45 posts, VDWS is named 0 times and IKO 24 times. Spain is close to even with IKO at 9 and VDWS at 8. In Greece IKO is named 10 times, VDWS 5 times and RYA 8 times.

Treat the table as a map, not a market share: it counts posts that name a license, not how many instructors hold one.

What resort operators ask for

Some large employers name neither license. ROBINSON, Club Med and Mark Warner, with 45 posts together, do not mention IKO or VDWS in the text. If you want to work for one of them, ask which licenses they accept before you book a course.

The two courses side by side

Both associations publish the basics of their first teaching level. Here they are next to each other:

The structure is the main difference. IKO splits the start into an assistant course and an instructor course, and you renew every year with insurance included in the membership. VDWS puts the first level into one course with exams, the license runs for 3 years, and you need private liability insurance.

The license is only one step of the path. Our guide on how to become a kitesurf instructor walks you through riding level, first aid and teaching hours in order.

Course facts as published by ikointl.com and vdws.de in October 2026.

Can you hold both?

Yes. 38 of all 582 posts (7%) name both licenses.

Some associations recognize each other's licenses. VDWS and the Dutch Watersportverbond, for example, do so until 31 December 2027, according to a VDWS press release from May 2026.

If you already hold one license, ask the other association what it takes to cross over before you pay for a full course.

The same choice comes back if you add a second sport. Both associations also run wing instructor courses, IKO through IWO, and our guide on how to become a wing foil instructor explains the routes.

Which one should you take?

Pick the license for the place you want to work.

For summer jobs in Germany or Italy, VDWS opens more doors. In Germany it is named in 59 posts and IKO in 15, and you can check what each school asks for in the current kitesurf jobs in Germany before you decide. In Italy VDWS is named in 31 posts and IKO in 15, and the open kitesurf jobs in Italy let you check each post.

Outside Europe, IKO is the license schools name most: 62 posts there name IKO and 17 name VDWS, and in the USA, Thailand, Mexico and Kenya VDWS is not named at all.

In Spain, Greece and Portugal either works, and many schools accept both. In the UK, look at BKSA.

If you plan to move between Europe and the rest of the world, holding both keeps most options open.

How we counted

kitesurfOK collects kite and watersports jobs from school career pages, resort operators and other public job listings. The numbers in this article come from the 582 kitesurf instructor posts we listed between 1 January 2024 and 22 October 2026. A post counts as naming a license when its text contains IKO or VDWS. Course facts come from ikointl.com and vdws.de as published in October 2026.