Practice self rescue. I didn't do this enough when I first started..

Thanks dan111984
but would there really be anything I really would need to know for this sport, because all I know how to do is power kite, I seen the accidents that can happen, I just want to make sure when I go out there I will know what I'm doing, well somewhat...

Hey mate, My first kite was the Pansh ace kite too.

The major things you need to learn are to "let go of the bar" in an emergency, body dragging - primarily so you can retrieve your board if you lose it, How to use the critically important safety system, how to set up your kite and how to "self Rescue" when something goes wrong.

You really do need lessons just to go through these important steps. You like me flew power kites for a year or more before kite surfing, you will be awesome but you won't know how to be safe. If you hurt yourself you will probably end up in a hospital or worse.

If you go ahead against advice that you will surely receive in this post and cannot get lessons make sure you go to a very big shallow big open space to learn on the water.Never go out in Off shore wind. Never go out alone. Be aware of your surroundings- Power lines, Rocks, people, cars. Ask yourself when about to go in the water: Where will the wind blow me if I lose control? The biggest factor in injuries is that people do not "let go" of the bar in anemergency and sometimes are too overwhelmed to pull the safety, If you hold the bar in, you will smash hard. Let the bar go and you are less likely to hurt yourself and break the kite.

Never ever fly your kite on land. Launch your big kite near the water edge. Do not launch a Kitesurf kite like you do you Pansh kite. You need some one to help you, Look up youtube on how to launch.

Practice letting the kite pull you through the water. Learn what "upwind "" means and start body dragging up wind. Only then should you think about board riding.

Always wear a helmet, especially in the first year. I would reccomend a life vest and a Line knife.


The more i write the more i write the more i realise that you absolutely need lessons. I got lessons and i was already flying my pansh kite with a mountianboard along beaches. There's a lot more at risk in the water and the kites are very different...
I am a former instructor. you can pm me if you want more advice.

Have you tried this?

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?category=Kitesurfing&forum=General

Gilly3 said...

Have you tried this?

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?category=Kitesurfing&forum=General

Have you ever tried being remotely helpful?

Mate, unfortunately LEI kites and setups are very different to kites that you fly at the moment so lessons would be a great idea, just wait until you go on a holiday somewhere with wind and do some , you will pick it up very quickly due to your knowledge of the wind window and kite control etc so it won't cost you too much.

Goodluck!

1Newbee said...
Haydn24

Besides all the safety and getting to know your kite is it pretty easy if u know and are used to power kiting? Do you think if I were to go out and body drag and all that stuff, after I get used to that do you think I would be able to kitesurf?!
Thanks for your help I appreciate it.

Yeah it's a progression, you use the same kite skills in body dragging as you do while riding (holding the kite in the window). Getting up and going on a board however takes practice! Some people get it in an hour, others it takes days to get up and riding. Then to the point of going up wind takes a while too.

Haydn24 said..

Gilly3 said...

Have you tried this?

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?category=Kitesurfing&forum=General

Have you ever tried being remotely helpful?

Mate, unfortunately LEI kites and setups are very different to kites that you fly at the moment so lessons would be a great idea, just wait until you go on a holiday somewhere with wind and do some , you will pick it up very quickly due to your knowledge of the wind window and kite control etc so it won't cost you too much.

Goodluck!

Ohh, whoops......I'm really sorry, but I thought posting a quicklink to a wealth of information for 1Newbee was being helpful. I would have thought that the reason Seabreeze keeps all these threads in the archives is so people can easily access specific information they require by doing a search through the topics they are enquiring about. I could be wrong but, thanks for the heads up Haydn24. I promise I will try harder next time....

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Try snowkiting dude I kno North Dakota would have some snow in the fields , u can also try exploresports.ca they are in Regina Saskatchewan they mite be a closer school and in the summer lakes are nice there. Or move out of the Dakotas/prairies lol

Thanks for all the info
So probably the best way to go since I can't get lessons is to snow kite first? Would I use the 9meter surfing kite or would I use the 6m power kite?! Another question now if I was to go out on the water what if it was really light wind where I wouldn't get flung into the air really at all like around 8-10 mph? Or wouldn't that be windy enough, but if it is in light wind there wouldn't be a lot of risks right?

your 9m naish depending on your weight mite get you going from 30-50 kilometers hr. on snow

You can use inflatable leading edge kites to snow kite. I would suggest that whatever kite you use on the snow handles gusts reasonably well. Winter winds are rarely smooth, and when you are experienced you have the ability to handle those gusts. As someone starting out you don't want to get too overpowered. Right now you are in the season to learn snowkiting, but make sure you wear a helmet. Land is harder than water at any level of impact. You won't have much success in soft snow until you really get the hang of it. I would think that it would be wise to look and see if there are any snow kiters in your region and hook up with them. You need some guidance that can help avoid some of the pitfalls that do happen when you are learning.
Whatever route you take, take it easy and don't try to be a hero. Learn to use your release systems so they are automatic. Your life will always be worth more than a mere kite.

Kay thank you, I will look Into that.

BennyB12

Thanks that makes me feel more comfortable I was getting nervous from what everyone said.

Kazan said..

1Newbee said..

BennyB12

Thanks that makes me feel more comfortable I was getting nervous from what everyone said.

Lesson 1: Take everything said in Seabreeze with a grain of salt.

I second that.

Its good to ask questions, but getting lessons should be the best way to go.

Start off in light winds ( about 15mph ) when you have a safe place and steady winds, and preferably waist deep water.

sound to me like you're good to go... you have way more experience than i did when i taught myself.

get in the water, slowly dip your kite in and out of the power zone to get comfortable with it, then body drag and then body drag upwind. by then you'll be ready for the board

if that sounds too freaky then you're going to need lessons