The cheapest way to get into kitesurfing?

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WAKSA

813 posts

WAKSA

WA, 813 posts

4 Oct 2006 7:05am

Fr0st,

The W.A. Kitesurfing Association (WAKSA) is holding a Come N Try day at Scarborough Beach on the 15th October. Come along fly some trainer kites, talk to some instructors and other experienced kiters.

There will a variety of kit there, so you can see the differences between kites, boards, harnesses and safety systems.

It will be an invaluable day for you and you can ask all the questions you want.

Check out all the details here: ~~http://waksa.org.au.86.aspwebhosting.com.au/events_view.aspx?eventid=2~~

WAKSA

kitebored

NSW

593 posts

kitebored

NSW, 593 posts

4 Oct 2006 10:28am

hey fr0st, i got one lesson which was $100 and was going on the board by the end of it so u prob won't need 3, don't blow money on a trainer kite, IMHO they get boring pretty quickly..

Tonewolf

382 posts

Tonewolf

382 posts

4 Oct 2006 1:25pm

most smart ass young blokes recon that they can do anything they set their mind to,.....but history(and insurance premiums) shows that a bit of maturity and responsibility will get you further without injury!!

Get lessons...get a trainer kite.....for f's sake you can pick one up cheap as....and sell it again without much of a friggin loss when yer finished.

But maybe you shouldn't listen to the older....wiser.....veterans......and listen to the young .....naieve... know-it-alls.....

It's them we have to blame for the escallating costs of insurance.....

Bite me!

Spacemonkey!

2288 posts

Spacemonkey!

SA, 2288 posts

4 Oct 2006 6:25pm

quote:
Originally posted by Tonewolf

most smart ass young blokes recon that they can do anything they set their mind to,.....but history(and insurance premiums) shows that a bit of maturity and responsibility will get you further without injury!!

Get lessons...get a trainer kite.....for f's sake you can pick one up cheap as....and sell it again without much of a friggin loss when yer finished.

But maybe you shouldn't listen to the older....wiser.....veterans......and listen to the young .....naieve... know-it-alls.....

It's them we have to blame for the escallating costs of insurance.....

Bite me!

'

As far as wise veterans go I probably been doing this sport for longer than you, I never said don't have lessons and I never said lessons ae bad. All I said is that if you have mates to teach you then lessons aren't imperative. Kiteboarding when taught properly in the right conditions has very little risk involved in it. I also haven't been a smart arse about it, its very easy to tell all beginners to get a lesson because its is the best thing possible for them and its eases your mind that they are less likely to cause a disaster.

View it from their point, if you were strapped for cash would you spend upwards of $200 for something that is only marginally better (debatable i know) than learning from your mates. Whilst stuff you learn in your lessons will stay with you for the rest of your kiteboarding days, lessons only really have value for the real begginers out there and once you have been taught to be self sufficient its all good.

Insturctional Video + Mates Teaching is enough in my books, I would never tell anybody getting into the sport to try and each themselves which is the real danger. As long as someone experienced is teaching them I reckon their alright.

user

1140 posts

user

WA, 1140 posts

4 Oct 2006 5:30pm

"As long as someone experienced is teaching them I reckon their alright. "

If they are being "taught by someone experienced" then what you are talking about is getting a free lesson off a "mate"

I have seen SO many learners being "taught" by a "mate" get dragged and thrown into the bushes and fences its not funny!
I witnessed 3 in the past two weeks!

To all newbees out there, GET A PROPER LESSON !

Dont show up at my fave spots and proceed (if you are lucky!)to stuff things up for everyone else.

Spacemonkey!

2288 posts

Spacemonkey!

SA, 2288 posts

4 Oct 2006 7:05pm

quote:
Originally posted by user

"As long as someone experienced is teaching them I reckon their alright. "

If they are being "taught by someone experienced" then what you are talking about is getting a free lesson off a "mate"

I have seen SO many learners being "taught" by a "mate" get dragged and thrown into the bushes and fences its not funny!
I witnessed 3 in the past two weeks!

To all newbees out there, GET A PROPER LESSON !

Dont show up at my fave spots and proceed (if you are lucky!)to stuff things up for everyone else.

erm pretty staight forward I thought, mates who are proficcient in kiteboarding, preferably at advanced riders who have been riding for a while. Being taught by a mate who knows nothing is obviously not a good idea.

cwamit

1194 posts

cwamit

WA, 1194 posts

4 Oct 2006 5:54pm

hi froth, had this line of conversation down the beach other day with a guy that self taught on a 2 line kite and the stories of the times he got spanked, was in awe of him considering I just got into the sport last year and been using the new depower bows, anyhow get a trainer kite first then get lessons.. take up kitehards offer about the trainer kite because no matter how good the instructor is your the one holding the kite bar and so being confident and able is really the first step and also the best way to get the most out of a lesson.

everyone said what’s need to be said about kite gear and cheap versus the safety aspect, get hurt and that cheap kite might set you back more indirectly from injuries that’s all.

I got lessons and to be honest at the time I thought gee it’s expensive but I am glad I got them to learn some safety aspects and to see if the sport was for me. after saying that most guys down in Esperance are self taught and help each other out , if someone asked me (particularly female

) about kite surfing and wanting to get into it I would love to help them out but would still recommend lessons. I hope some of the heated debates on here don’t put you off approaching others on the beach because this sports probably one of the most approachable to others that you can get and besides most us posers I mean posters on forums bake in our own self importance

jan

1119 posts

jan

WA, 1119 posts

4 Oct 2006 6:26pm

quote:

Regarding kites, although I don't study aerodynamics, I'm fairly confident that the theory behind them hasn't changed at all during the last 10 years. The only advances have been in the materials they use to build them. The difference between say an 04 and a 06 kite would be almost nothing in terms of design and materials,

Rubbish. The materials have not changed particularly much once rip stop nylon became the norm. The changes are significant revisions aerodynamics, shape, and airflow characteristics and safety equipment to make kites do what riders want them to do. This sport is VERY young. There has been comparatively very little R&D into the designs of the kites being used. This is why "bow" kites have had such an impact.

quote:

Boards would be somewhat the same. The principles behind them havn't changed, only the materials. Newer boards would be carbon/fiberglass composites rather than a wood relic. Apart from weighing less and being stronger, the newer boards would be the same as older ones.

Again utter crap. Some new boards are actually moving away from carbon due to cost and some wood boards are now pushing into new territory. Again, this sport is so young. The shape of rails have changed massively over the last two years. Everyone wanted sharp square rails, now nicely tapered and rolled rails are the norm. The demands on a kiteboard are unique to kiteboarding, so much has still to be learnt, designs will continue to reshape the sport from season to season.

quote:

Unless your forced to do calculus and embedded programming every day ...

Yes to both. When you get past the pricks online that hide behind a web browser and get down to your local beach you might just find that some of the guys in this sport (apart from being wind crazy) are from some amazing walks of life and are quite an intelligent bunch.

If you grab a lesson or two you will very likely progress in a much safer manner and at a far faster rate, it will probably save you money in the long run. (Let me know how long it takes u to rip your first kite in two... everyone does it.)

Having said that, grab a decent second hand (small!) kite, play it safe and take your time and you'll have a blast.

If you get hooked, your first kite will last you about 3 weeks, your first board about 2 weeks more than that. Ask anyone who has been in the sport a while and they will likely tell you about the dozens of kites and boards they have either owned or begged for and borrowed. Then ask them what they are buying next ;)

waveslave

4263 posts

waveslave

WA, 4263 posts

4 Oct 2006 6:27pm

lol
Back on topic:
One or two useless lessons are probably the least expensive component of getting into kiting.
Necessary items such as wetsuits, harnesses, kites, boards, bar/lines and surf trucks,
are all way more expensive pieces in this kitesurfing jigsaw.

Shoestring budgets and elite watersports can't co-exist.
If one link in the chain breaks,
kitesurfing doesn't happen until the problem is rectified.

gerard

QLD

175 posts

gerard

QLD, 175 posts

4 Oct 2006 9:13pm

Hey Frosty,

I starting kiteing only 2 months ago but I'm hooked already! I would totally recommend lessons hey. I have mates that kite but live 3500km away so learning from them wasn't an option for me also. I brought my gear from a guy in Freo who offers a CHOICE deal that if you buy a new kite and board package you get free unlimited lesson's. (As no advertising allowed on the forum so I can't tell you the name of the shop so you might get a hint from the bold word above) It is a expensive sport, a new kite and board will set you back between 2 to 3 G's. I think with these lesson's my learning curve has been heap's faster then it would have been doing the mate thing, but saying that I have now made some good friends who give newbie's like I tip's when they see you doing wrong. But even with the lesson's you can still get smashed I just had to keep off the water for 9 day's with a bruised rib. Get your old man to sell his boat and give you a loan for the gear cause there isn't any fish around Perth any way.

Cheers Gerard

doppelganger

VIC

337 posts

doppelganger

VIC, 337 posts

5 Oct 2006 12:46am

Frosty, Instructional DVD’s are great, have a couple of lessons and see how you go. Trainer kites are fine, but you will outgrow it quick, see if any of your fellow uni students or mates want to chip in with the trainer cost, share it at the beach. If you like it and get into it after lessons, your dad's boat will come in very handy. Once your up on the board, down winder’s are fantastic for quicker progression, you get to spend a lot of solid time on the water to figure out what's working and what’s not, so the boats a big plus.

All the best, "once you get the bug, your gone"

fr0st

16 posts

fr0st

WA, 16 posts

5 Oct 2006 9:49am

quote:
The W.A. Kitesurfing Association (WAKSA) is holding a Come N Try day at Scarborough Beach on the 15th October. Come along fly some trainer kites, talk to some instructors and other experienced kiters.

Thanks for letting me know, I'll be there for sure!

quote:
Yes to both. When you get past the pricks online that hide behind a web browser and get down to your local beach you might just find that some of the guys in this sport (apart from being wind crazy) are from some amazing walks of life and are quite an intelligent bunch.

Sorry, I wasn't directing that at the forum as a whole, just booman for calling me a dolebludger tard (and spelling it incorrectly).

Like I said before (and noone seemed to notice

quote:
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.

So yes, I'm going to get lessons. The general concensis is I get 2 or 3 lessons or when the instructor is confident I can go out and self learn the rest of it without hurting myself or others. Is that about right?
I'm definately not against lessons, I was more asking how many would be suitable. Say if I could get away with 2 lessons instead of 3, I could put that money towards a better kite.

I didn't realise bow kites existed till some of your comments. I havn't any time to do much digging about them but from what I gather the added safety side to them is there depower?
So pretty much you can 100% depower it if you get into trouble rather than with an LEI (50% depower?) ?

My comments about kite designs and materials were aimed solely at LEI's. The theory behind them has been known for a long time, applying that to kitesurfing is what's changed. Different people ike different sizes, aspect ratios, line length etc so its more an progression toward making a better kite to suit the kitesurfer rather than advances in theory. That's just my opinion, I've never designed a kite before

getfunky

4485 posts

getfunky

WA, 4485 posts

5 Oct 2006 9:53am

Hi Matt,

As I said in my direct mail lessons are an absolute must if you don't have a very experianced mate to teach you.

As you may have noticed there are plenty of knob shiners who frequent this site who value no other opinions than there own. These shiny fellas love nothing better than slagging off a newby as they think the newbys are easy targets and also crowding out there little section of the sandbox (or sea) that is all there's because they got in 1st.

Don't be discouraged as 80% of kiters are really cool (although the shiners are loudest at times) and would be extremely helpful, especially when it comes to safety of you and others on the beach. When you go to set up on a beach always ask some other chaps and chappettes around your size/weight what they are flying and if there are any local hazards to watch out for.

INHO as far as gear goes:

Kite bar n lines low/mid aspect - $300-$400
Harness - $180ish
Helmet - $100
Cheap basic 150+cm board - $150-$300 (gets u thru 1st season and later for light winds)

Good luck,

Ian

realplayer

QLD

186 posts

realplayer

QLD, 186 posts

5 Oct 2006 11:53am

it just depends on how much you treasure your life lol

dave......

2119 posts

dave......

WA, 2119 posts

5 Oct 2006 10:18am

Lesons, lessons, lessons......

Any new kiters keen on starting this summer with testosterone in their blood?
Time to revisit www.kitemare.com/kitemare-lessons-learned/
Kiting is relatively safe when you know what your doing.....bit of a catch 22 when youre a beginner
Newer kites are safer due to better depower..period

BOOMAN

VIC

333 posts

BOOMAN

VIC, 333 posts

5 Oct 2006 9:52pm

hey dude dont get the wrong idea about what i was saying im not being a %$$# being honest no 1 wants to see a new kiter hurt just trying to put it in to perspective, cos realisticly every one ignores 90% of the stuff they hear tries things there own way and cut corners, basicly what i was trying to say be as safe as financally possible

be careful all newbies try your best not to cut corners

BOOMAN

VIC

333 posts

BOOMAN

VIC, 333 posts

5 Oct 2006 9:57pm

oh by the way im also a student and when i started i got a 500 centerlink load saved 200 bucks for a harness and 1 lesson scamed 240 off my parents and with no wetty and any idea of what the safety inmplications could be knocked my self out countless times.
just dont want any1 to go through the same crappy ordeal:)

colinwill78

VIC

1395 posts

colinwill78

VIC, 1395 posts

6 Oct 2006 1:14am

Of all the tight arses in my area (which there are very few) i got on the water the cheapest. purchased my gear in May this year through this forum and a very popular online auction site.
kite bar lines $550 (new/unused 04 model) harness new $150 Board $350.
These took a bit of finding to get decent gear (or as decent as i could in my budget. I also spent $100 on a lesson (on a windless day) and learned alot of safety and set-up stuff that my new mates never mentioned much to me. This has been invaluable.
Here's what worked for me; get one lesson to get the low down on safety. If your still cloudy get another or get a good dvd.
THEN...When your practicing on the beach take the time to listen to advice from people you trust. Lessons for safety, and Mates for technique seemed to be the way of learning for me.

i've since purchased a smaller board and a bigger kite for around $300 each the boards good but the kite is bad, so i got a cheap 17m kite i can sell ya.

my original purchase was enough to get me on the water and now i know that i'm keen, i can't wait to pour more money into it.....AND more importantly the missus can see it wasn't just a fad. This is important as she'll be more willing to let me get that new kite for christmas.........( i know you're reading this darling!!)

MalM

3 posts

MalM

WA, 3 posts

6 Oct 2006 7:02am

Probably a dangerous topic for a first post, but here goes anyway...

There's been a lot of talk here about the high cost of this sport, people saying you will spend up to $5k in the first couple of years, everyone apparently buying 2 or 3 kites, and 2 or 3 boards. In my experience this doesn't have to be the case. It is possible to do this sport on the cheap and still not skimp on training or gear.

In my first two years of this sport I spent a grand total of $1200 (not including travel costs) $1000 of that went into a kite/lines/harness/training package, $100 into making my own board, and $100 for repairs and modifications to the kite.

This combination was useful for about 13 to 19 knots when I was learning, and 15 to 22 once I had some experience, and for me that was enough range. I can't really justify a second kite. I've used larger kites in lower winds but can't stand the slow turn, and the days when the wind was higher then 22 knots were few and far between.

Since then I have upgraded my kite and board, but I still use the old homemade one for low wind days (it has no rocker other then what you force using the flex and is very fast.) So one kite is still enough for me. The newer kite is much better then the old one and I probably have a wind range now of 15 to 27.

I don't really have much to say about the training however. I had one lesson but my first few sessions after this were with friends who kited and helped me out. I wasn't at very crowded spots though so there was plenty of space to charge downwind without getting in anybodies way, and I would usually only ride in underpowered conditions while I was learning.

So in short, you can definately do this cheaper then some people are saying, and if you get suitable gear right from the start there's no reason you can't be using it a couple of years down the track.

Good luck.

Mal.

windslave

QLD

151 posts

windslave

QLD, 151 posts

6 Oct 2006 6:51pm

The Cheepest way to get into kitesurfing is to go on to E bay or Seabreeze and buy a old kite for $200 bucks aprox, make a board out a old plank of wood or ply if you can aford it.get a old sailboarding harness for 10 bucks from your local shop, dont worry about a lesson just wing it its not that hard any way.Practice in your local park for a while if your scared of the water.then once your over that just go down the beach or the dam, and your kite surfing before you know it! Wulla! to easy! you will be skimming across that water with the wind in your hair in no time. Go man Go!

If you need any other tips please let me know i dont charge a thing.

windslave

QLD

151 posts

windslave

QLD, 151 posts

6 Oct 2006 7:27pm

sorry guys just reading though this thred again and need to ad this point.... Who the hell realy went out and bought a trainer kite first off to practice with.Maybe if your totaly unco or a spastic.If a instructor tells you to go and fly this trainer kite for a while and then come and see me to do the lesson (at a small cost no dout) it is because he has onther agenda like going kiting himself.

Learn on a bow.. Hook in hang on, push the bar away!,pull the back line...shell be right! youl be up and going in no time.

Once again let me know if ya need any tips im only happy to help.
For a extra buck i will show you how to self rescue and roll your lines up in the water... and get yourself into a real mess and a tangel proberly cut your foot of in the process but hay its IKO standard.

Flying Bat

VIC

42 posts

Flying Bat

VIC, 42 posts

6 Oct 2006 9:33pm

Hey Booman,

It wasn't that bad was it??? We all looked out for you and did what we could to help you, and in return we all made a new mate

Thanks

The only mistake you ever made was to go out somewhere when you're "new" mates weren't looking out for you.

See you when the wind blows

viffer

QLD

32 posts

viffer

QLD, 32 posts

6 Oct 2006 11:55pm

59 posts helping out a newbie,

what a great freeekin sport,

yeah everyone of you is protecting your own sport, but the assistance for new guys is great.

feels good to be part of the kite crew.

jan

1119 posts

jan

WA, 1119 posts

7 Oct 2006 12:51am

quote:
Originally posted by windslave

sorry guys just reading though this thred again and need to ad this point.... Who the hell realy went out and bought a trainer kite first off to practice with.

you can usually tell... they are the ones that actually have decent kite skills.

dan OK?

VIC

253 posts

dan OK?

VIC, 253 posts

7 Oct 2006 8:42am

Oh Um Hey Jan how do you spell that noise a cat makes is it hissssssssss or more of a reeeeoooowwwww[}:)].

People who drive volvos dont become bad drivers, they were bad drivers and so required all the safety a volvo can offer.

If you are naturally unco sure buy a trainer get 10 lessons buy a bow (oh im gonna cop it arent i?)

But if youve got half a clue, this sport isnt rocket surgery!!!

colinwill78

VIC

1395 posts

colinwill78

VIC, 1395 posts

8 Oct 2006 1:47pm

"rocket surgery"

...... i like it.

RayQ

638 posts

RayQ

WA, 638 posts

8 Oct 2006 1:02pm

"Cheapest way to get into kitesurfing", thats what it reads ,so here goes.......
Pick up a 6 meter 2 line foil kite for about the price of carton of cheap piss, you got a surf board ? if not, go to the tipp (recycling section) an buy board for $10 - $15.
fit three staps to board ( glass on some seat belt webbing if you got no dosh at all)
2nd hand harness will cost $20 up.
Invest $90 in WICHARD quick rewlease (optional purchas only)

Now, read as much as you can about the sport, check out some beginners dvds (seen stuff at the library)

Go to the beach and wave $50 around ( some guy will get you started and tell you what to do)
This will get you going, it can also kill you.

A lot of guys went down this road, and i have seen worse not to long ago, with some guy getting a hot launch first time round from his mother

p4rlx

QLD

103 posts

p4rlx

QLD, 103 posts

8 Oct 2006 6:38pm

LOL @ Rocket Surgery

jan

1119 posts

jan

WA, 1119 posts

8 Oct 2006 7:02pm

quote:
Originally posted by dan OK?

Oh Um Hey Jan how do you spell that noise a cat makes is it hissssssssss or more of a reeeeoooowwwww[}:)].

If you are naturally unco sure buy a trainer get 10 lessons buy a bow (oh im gonna cop it arent i?)

But if youve got half a clue, this sport isnt rocket surgery!!!

what i mean is, the beginners who spend a lot of time learning to fly small trainers and little kites well have far better control of their larger kitesurfing kites.

imo, if your looking to get into the sport, buy a trainer for about 150-200 bucks new and fly it every day for two or there weeks and learn it backwards. then get lessons. the instructor will spend a fraction of the time on the basics, afaik the first 2-3 hours for most instructors (excluding safety, assessing conditions, theory etc) is just getting the student familiar with a small kite.

between lessons, you can practice what the instructor teaches with your trainer kite in your own time... then sell your trainer for a 100 bucks or so on seabreeze.

i bought a trainer some time in my second season well after learning to fly full size kites, for mates etc. i flew it heapsss. it was pretty fun. i sold it to a mate who sold it to another mate... i actually regret selling it, light wind and a skateboard is fun too ;)

Personally, I think that instructors are best value for deep water body dragging, getting u up on a board, and drilling all the correct safety and condition assessment sorta stuff into you. you rarely get that sorta guidance learning with mates.

and really, has anyone who has been through the four-five students flying a 3m inflato down at peli point in a group actually enjoyed it! :)

Kitehard

2782 posts

Kitehard

WA, 2782 posts

8 Oct 2006 8:35pm

Hi Em,

We had three students last Friday who had all flown trainer kites and we end up advancing them very quickly through the lesson as you say because we don't have to spend all the time teaching them to fly and waiting for them to get comfortable enough to continue with more intricate tasks.

A trainer kite is a solid way to save money on your lessons. We have sold a bunch of 3m Trainers and offer now a buy back scheme, but have not been able to buy them back as most people enjoy flying them or teach their mates to fly them or just want to keep them etc.

I agree a 2m trainer foil is pretty crap, fly too fast, turn too quick and don't have much grunt. This is why we only sell 3m kites as they turn a bit slower, have a safety leash, fly a bit slower and pull like tractors even in light wind. They have a very similar feel to big kites.

Its not spaz' or idiots that buy trainers but the intelligent and canny. They know how to fly a kite before they even get to us which makes our job much easier and allows them to advance faster usually dropping a lesson.

Good winds,

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