Hey all,
First time poster so please stick with me
I was going to get into it last season but it didn't happen. My old man has a boat that we occasionly use for wakeboarding but relying on him to take it out aswell as fuel etc makes it a real pain in the ass when I really want to go out (and he prefers fishing to towing me around anyday). Kiting is the next step and besides looking like way more fun, the only thing I'd have to rely on is the wind.

I've read up on heaps of things aswell as tracking down an instructional movie (kiteboarding 101) and it looks like I'll definately need lessons so I don't get myself or someone else into trouble. Is there anyone that will just get me to the stage where I can get out in the water and practice safely in one lesson?
While having 2-3 lessons would probably be best, I don't think I could afford it with my budget. Part of the fun is learning for yourself anyway, I just want to be able to learn safely.

As far as equiptment goes, I'm confident I can make my own board. I've worked with fiberglass alot and managed to pull scaled diagrams of a few boards out of catalogs . Is trying to learn on a homemade board being unrealistic?

I've been looking at second hand kites and it looks like I could pick one up for $200 if I looked hard enough. I'm only a small guy (~60kg), what size kite should I be looking at to get myself started?
I'm guessing I'll need a harness on top of that?

If anyone had any suggestions or criticisms please post them up. I'm sure I've probably missed something out, I'm here to learn what I can so please correct me if I've got something backwards

Cheers
-Matt

Hey frost.
So far so good, you,ve asked before just charging in.
There are heaps of really good kiteboarders who have never had a lesson ever.....
What they had were patient friends already in the sport who could spell out where the hidden dangers are.
Doing it this way will work ok but it will take longer and may expose you to more risk depending on whos teaching you and their interest on standing next to you when its windy.
The gear you will pick up for $200 will hurt you!
04 is as far back as i would recommend for learning on.
Save up more...
Get at least 1 lesson to see if you like it
Buy the kite first....
Learn the kite backwards
practice re launching and general kite handling on an empty beach.
save some more
buy a 140 + board, making them to save money doesnt work out.
Good luck and be patient
PM me if you need to

quote:

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Originally posted by bondo


then the sport is too expensive for you. dont bother.

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ok then... what would you recommend as a minimum budget for getting started?
Even if I can't get the money, I'd atleast have an idea of what I need to get going.

quote:

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Buy the kite first....
Learn the kite backwards
practice re launching and general kite handling on an empty beach.

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Are you talking about a trainer kite?
I was under the impression powering up a decent sized kite on the beach is a good way to go flying

Cheers
-Matt

naish boxer or aero2 04 something low aspect
size depends on where you are
i wouldnt blow $200 on a trainer

All this lesson stuff is crap. How do you think instructors learnt, they taught themselves. THat being said you should always have someone looking after you wether that be a mate or an instructor. If I had mates who wanted to get in I would teach em myself not make em fork out **** loads for a lesson. I for one have never had a lesson in my life, you don't need 'em but they are good if you want to be safe or at the very least don't go out solo to teach yourself. As for gear i would say anything that is 04-07 gear, newer is better and less used is also better so watch who you buy from, try buying off a kook if your going second hand the last thing you want is a sponered persons kite which they thrash which doesnt have problems yet but give it a couple of months and your screwed. Ideally you would want to spend 800 ish on a kite min, then if your cheap I would make a plywood board real cheap, or pick up an old twintip around 140-150cm.

quote:

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Originally posted by elizabethb

Frost ... what ever you do... get AT LEAST 2-3 lessons!

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Eliz it may suprise you but probably majority on this forum havent ever had a lesson, once you get to a stage you don't need em. If you have mates which will do the right thing by you to get you to that stage theres no problem. I seen plenty of people who have just been taught by the local crew with no problems, if anything these people turn out to be better off than people with lessons because they get to know the locals and build up friendships. Im not saying lessons are bad just that they are not a necessitiy.

dont think rocking up to a beach, introducing yourself and expecting free lessons is going to go down well. People are willing to help but you have to help youself. Get at least 1 lesson, fly a trainer kite then you will know the basics and can ask for advice from locals but not be totally dependent on them.

I had 1 lesson, all it was good for was lots of water time with a boat following me. didnt help when i turned up to the beach not knowing how to rig up, launch, relaunch etc.

spending $200 more with a good school would have saved me
1)buying the wrong sized board which I used 3 times. $180
2)buying the wrong kite which I sold 1 months later for $300 less.
3)many swims in causing burst bladders, tore kite +embarresment!

I like helping people out, but nothing worse then going out of your way to help someone then watching them do the exact same thing 15min later. save yourself and everyone else some hassle and fork out for good lessons.

I'm not suggesting demanding free lessons but chances are if your getting into kiteboarding you already know someone whos doing it. So learn from existing mates and as for the driving comment, its kiteboarding its so basic once you learn it its not funny, I very much doubt being taught bad habits. Just as long as they don't have you beach jumping while your learning I can't think of any other bad habits. Just out of interest would be good to see whos actually had lessons. The thing is if you had lessons like it sounds like you have does that mean you think your less likely to get into a bad situation than me since I haven't had lessons, and for your information I have been kiting since 2 line kites and directionals were the stock standard learners gear and you were encouraged not to hook in and havent had any problems yet. I'm sure you will pick up kiting a bit quicker and safer with lessons but IMO mates do the job if you already have them.

spaceboy,
I havent had lessons either. There were 2 of us who went to an uncrowded beach with my having 1 brief lesson under his belt (how to set up).
Having said that, I would have been up on the board a lot quicker, I wouldn't have been thrown into a fence at leighton in a storm, I woudn't have spent hundreds in repairs. The list goes on.
It is different to a few years ago. There weren't as many kiters getting into it so more often than not there was a lot of room downwind. More to the point though, we weren't quite as aware of the dangers as people are these days...ignorance is no defence boy

Frost, it sounds as if Monkeyboy is volunteering!

Sorry, I forgot to update my profile when I signed up. I'm a WA'er living north of the river near hillaries.

Another member got in contact with me regarding lessons and there not as expensive as I first thought. The plan sofar is to get a few lessons and make sure I like it before I dive into buying gear. After that I'll gradually get the gear, hopefully before christmas so I can still get in alot of kiting before summer is over.

I don't know anyone else that kite surfs so free lessons arn't an option unless someone wants to take me under there wing . Once I get past my mid semester exams I'll head up to mullaloo and see how the pro's do it

quote:

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be prepared to find creative ways to spend lots more money on the sport when you have gotten the bug. its a bit like throwing money into the sea, only more fun.

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I know that feeling all too well
Kitesurfing will probably take over from the money I pour into my car. Although I wouldn't mind a new turbo, I'd defiantely have more fun kitesurfing

Hey Frost,

I own and run the school at Pinnaroo Point, you are welcome to drop down the beach anytime and chat to us. We are happy to talk kiting all day so long as you don't interupt lessons.

We are about to sell off all of our school gear fairly cheap, boards kites, harnesses everything, even the rusty old trailer so you might want to check out what we have, it will all suit you.

I would suggest you do a lesson with us so we can teach you kite handling, self rescue, water relaunch, self landing and launching and basic looking out for dangers. We'll custome tailor the lesson to you and teach you only the stuff you need to keep you and others safe.

The rest you are welcome to work out over time. You would also be welcome to borrow one of our trainer kites to get some flying time for gratis providing you take a lesson with us.

As for getting lesson for free off mates, that doesn't work.

A few myths: No one will teach you to kite whilst it is windy, they wil be on the water themselves.

Mates don't get you to practice self rescue scenarios, they may mention it in passing if you are lucky, it's not the same!

They also will not show you how to roll lines in the water safely.

They will not care how many times you do the walk of shame or screw up because they have nothing invested in you, an instructor is a professional, it's what they do, they've been there and seen every situation a hundred times so the lesson will go more quickly and you will advance faster and more safely.

A mate wont give you a helmet and life jacket and cover you with public liability insurance if something goes wrong.

Can't do much better than that.

Chatting with us is free everyday!

One thing though, in all seriousness, maybe bondo is right. If you cannot even afford lessons, then this probably isn't the sport for you. It is expensive. Very few people have only one kite, so be prepared to buy 2. Very few people are happy with ply boards, almost everyone rides a production board with a minimum price tage of $600 second hand if it is worth riding. A good harness will set you back $250-300

All up, being honest absolute minimum start up cost is :-
Kite bar lines (2nd hand ex school) $600
Board 2nd Hand $500
Harness (new) $220
One lesson $200

Cheers and good winds,

Techno-oligarchy maybe?

last season i started picked up a board 450 and 150 harness and an 02 kite for 240 from shq

dont do it old gear will put you in a chair!!!!!! im in one not a wheel chair mind you but im sitting down.:P dont skimp out
you need at least 2 lessons 200
1 kite at least an o4 with a good safety 500
dodgy harness 80
board hahahah make it yourself and send me the pick your kidding yourself
a wetsuit 150
and in your case a helmet priceless....
there are some things money cant buy a wheel chair isnt one of themjust get a 500 centerlink loan dolebluger tard.

Hey SM,

Some of us had no options but to learn by ourselves. There were no books, no DVD's, no schools or instructors and the beaches were clear, no one to ask.

We paid in pain and learnt a lot of lessons the hard way. The punishment we received at the hands of 2 line kites and sharp boards attached to us with surf leashes was heavy. No one has to go through that any more and we get people practically riding upwind in 3 lessons without ever having had a nasty moment, but we train them for the nasty moments and teach them how to avoid them.

So at the end of the day, you can self learn if you want to go through the same learning curve as we did in the days of old. But why experience the pain, damage to gear and person and the walk of shame for longer than you have to. Why be in every one elses way and pose a hazard to other people for any longer than is absolutely necessary. Why burdon rescue services like the Police, MSB, SLSC and rescue craft like mine. Should we rescue you when you choose not to do lessons and don't know how to relaunch your kite as you drift off to Ocean Reef? We do, and sometimes we don't even get thanks!

There have been enough deaths and serious accidents in Australia and the rest of the world that show that kiting can be dangerous. It is also true that that number of incidents per year has probably slowly dropped or at worse remained steady despite the explosive growth of the sport in the last 4 years.

Probably about 1 in 20 people come to the beach and self teach nowadays and they are a massive problem to everyone causing complete havoc and creating near misses at best and injuries to the innocent at worse. About 2 others in that 20 are taught by friends for a few cases of beer and they are a minor problem as they learn on their friends high performance gear and get flogged through the lineup and then crash the kite and get dragged behind it for a kilometre until they swim in.

The other 17 people understand their newbiness, choose not to be a burdon on others and want to get riding quickly and safely and so get lessons. They end up buying the right gear and board and kite happily ever after and go on to spend tens of thousands of dollars on kites and boards over the next 5 years. The few hundred bucks they initially spend on lessons pales into insignificance as they spend spend spend on new gear and ride all summer long.

Good instructors do make a difference. mates can be handy for tips and pointers but not proper lessons. Knowing how to ride well and how to teach well are two different things.

Good winds and just be safe,

quote:

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Originally posted by kiterdan

mate, kites have changed dramatically in the last 2 years!! Don't get started on the evolution of kites because by the time we finish explaining, a new one will come along. The primary thing to look for in a kite as a beginner is not about the kite as such (as long as it is in good nick, relaunches well and is the right size), its the safety system. You NEED a quick release in good working order...in other words, age does matter as good safety systems on kites has only become accessible in the last few years. Also, depowerability of the kites have come in leaps and bounds even in the last year which is also a saftey aspect of the kite...the learning curve of newbies has skyrocketed since these kite have come out.

You can build your own board but you need a bit of experience on a manufactured one to know what design features you want/need. Probaly wait till you know a bit more about kiting before getting into that one.

Money is a mother-****er. You'll find that most of us who have kited for more than 3 years have spent over 5000 so get a job boy! Some of us younger crew are at uni so don't use that one as an excuse.

By the way, don't listen to everyone on these forums. Kitehard is probaly the most experienced kiter in oz, so take note as his advise as it will be invaluable to a newbie. I usually just complain about beginers. On the other hand, monkeys are known to stick fingers up each others arses

Dan

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Hey Dan thats a bit harsh firstly as I have mentioned I learnt on a 2 line kite and a directional so I been around in kiting for a while, and secondly not only have I been involved in teaching mates by giving them pointers and getting them started up I have seen them turn into pretty decent kiters. So to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about is bull. I have also seen the lesson newbies getting spanked just as much being taught in innapropriate conditions (no talking about anyone in particular). Whilst the lesson is easily the best way to go to say that their is no alternative is a load of crap, just the other day I saw my mate teach his Bro to kite, upwind on his first proper go on the board, water relaunching and all. Of course some people take longer to catch on than others and having background sports helps.

As far as I'm concerned the major danjer in kiting is either from hurting yourself doing tricks (self inflicted) or freak wind conditions. Gear failure and most other problems which are associated with newbies (e.g crashing the kite and not being able to relaunch or not being able to get back to the board) can be helped from a passer by if your riding with your mates and they got your back. All kiters in general are always willing to lend a hand normally wether it be retrieving a board or giving a few pointers. Learning from your mates from someone strapped for cash is definately not crazy.

for info.... instructors were taught by..... instructors......
I do not think it's a wise advise to tell a complete beginer that lessons aren't required and won't help him....
As in any other sport, there are good and bad instructors....
Go with someone serious (it's pretty easy to get feedbacks from previous students to find out who's good and who's not), or if you want to learn with mates, make sure they won't let you alone on the beach whenever the wind picks up (cause they can't be bothered any more and want to go kiting...). The point about paying for lessons is having someone dedicated to you, who will teach you safely and point out what you're doing wrong so you can improve faster. Mates don't always have either the patience nor the skills to instruct... And the best riders are not the best teachers (the other way around works too: the best instructors aren't necessarely the best riders...)...
Whatever you decide, make sure you chose the right spot to learn (no people around, no visible dangers such as rocs, etc.....)
And yes, a lot of people did learn on their own, and most of them will agree that lessons would have allow them to improve way faster (and to have better safety basics and weather knowledge).....
The decision is yours; whatever you decide, make sure you and the people around you are safe.
And tip of mine: I wouldn't recommend either sending 200 bucks on a trainer kite (especially if you're tight money wise), however, on top of being safe (always depends on what you do with them, but relatively safe!), trainer kites are good fun and an easy way to figure if you're into the sport or not. So go rent one for a day, it will cost you way less than buying one, it's a good practice, and it will allow you to find out whether this sport's for you. If you enjoy flying a trainer kite, you will enjoy flying an inflatable. If the foil doesnt do it to you, then you don't need to bother spending money in a sport you won't get hooked in....
(And yes, it IS an expensive sport. Remember your gears are part of your safety: DON'T BE CHEAP WITH WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HOOK YOUR LIFE ON!!!...)