Just interested to hear from different people about how long it took you to learn to kitesurf at a proficient level? Meaning how long did it take you to be able to ride upwind, both natural and goofy stance, ridding toeside aan heelside feeling in control and having good kite skills? How often did you get out there and what was your learning curve like?

One of the reasons I ask is because I wish to be able to get out into the surf with a surfboard and ride some waves. I know that i will need some good skills before heading out into the surf. I do enjoy the flatwater but being a keen surfer for many years now, I am keen to hit the waves, thats why I took up kitesurfing. I can so far rig up easy, bodydrag down/upwind, relaunch well and can get up heelside but still a bit wabbly getting my edge. I've only been kitesurfing 2 months and only been out about 10 times now and only twice properly taken out a kiteboard and all the other times I was mostly without the board and just practising with the kite. I hope to get out there twice a week for the rest of the season for about 2 hours per session. So far I've found learning to kitesurf fun but also frustrating, consequently I have been spending time surfing heaps more than kitesurfing. I hope to be ready to get into the waves and have a basic but competent level of riding with decent kite control by april, do you think my goal is realistic? Tell me about your experiences.....

I think your goal is realistic too, but stick to it.

When I learnt, my instructor told me that it took from about 8 to 20 hours of water time for most people to get upwind. I think I was at the fatter end of that scale, closer to 20. Kites then weren't as forgiving as they are now though, so I think the time scale has reduced a bit now.

For me it was petty slow, I took a while to stay upwind, prob a couple of months due to only getting out every couple of weeks. But in terms of water time those predictions seem right.
If you keep getting out a couple of times a week you will be on top of it in a month or so. You could go out in 2 - 3 foot waves if you know the break. That way you are OK getting in if you have a prob without getting pounded by the waves and trashing your kite. By April you will be rippin it up.


Jim

You never stop learning, but in saying that I had no surfing, wakeboarding or windsurfing experience. I would say it took me a full 12 months to feel comfortable on the water going upwind and starting to do some jumps.

Best thing I ever did however was get some lessons, Progressed out of sight.

Cheers

About 9 months With 4-5 hours a months on the water. Whenever i got out i would have to learn most of the previous stuff again. No coaching after the initial lessons and i was mostly by myself after the first 2 months so i wasn't getting any tips from others.
When i started, i had no board skills to speak of, a little wind knowledge and a lot of kite knowledge.

There are three of us that started about the same time, the major diff in learning was from my experience, is that 15 hours will get you going up wind and starting to get quite confident , we kite all year round with dodgy winter gusty conditions which hones the skills significantly when summer comes back around.
by the end of summer if you can out 3 times per week the following will happen

A) your skills for self launching, self rescue, self landing will have improved significantly
B) you will be totally addicted to the rush !!!! of kitesurfing
C) You will be buying a newer faster responding kite to meet your improved wave skills

the frustration goes after you land your first jump or snap one off the lip

I started with lots of surfing/wakeboarding and snowboarding experience but no windsurfing or sailing or anything.

1. I flew the trainer about 5 times for an hour each
2. Had one 3 hour lesson on a motorboard (which meant no time wasted walking)
3. Probably had 3 sessions of bodydragging by myself
4. Probably 5-6 sessions on the board where I was only able to ride in the water for 10-20 minutes at a time before I had to walk the length of Brighton (the Sydney Brighton) to get back upwind.
5. From the moment I was able to keep my posisition (ie. stay upwind) the learning curve was just exponential. Toeside came that day, jumps came a few sessions later.

Mind you, I went every time it was windy (which was about every second or third day or so), so I did not have to re-learn any skills.

So all in all, I guess proabably 1.5 months from the first time a flew an actual powerkite in a lesson until I could keep my posision. As soon as you break the barrier of not having to spend 3/4 of your time walking back up-wind. ENJOY!