NJPornstar said...

5 line kites are very good. Actually they are better kites for a number of reasons I could not be bothered rattling off.
I dont bother making bridle kites cause they arent as versatile as a 5 line control system

Hey kitehard you are a changed man, I remember 2 or 3 years ago you were anti 5 lines like the rest of the gumbies around.

Saffer said...

As for the trainer, I do consider them a waste of time. The money for a trainer would be better spent on two extra lessons. The only purpose of a trainer is to help some people (who are slow or nervous learners) or for people to put their mates on a kite for the first time. Thats my opinion but I doubt I'm responsible for the phone call you get every day unless its me calling every day and I have a sleep phoning problem that hasn't been diagnosed.

hoskoau said...



I'd like to re-buff that with my own experience. I had a group lesson with two other guys. I had used a trainer kite for a fair amount of time, 1 of the guys had powerkited before and the third had never touched a kite before. Needless to say the person who had never touched a kite before struggled to even maintain the kite at 12 when he was asked to and wasted a large amounts of time simply because he had no kitemanship.

You can pick up a trainer kite for less then it costs to have a lesson and you can also hire them from places. To me it means you get the most out of your lessons because lets face it if you are struggling to just control the kite you can't focus on all the other aspects your being taught. That would mean you would need more lessons and that means your going to spend more money then if you had of just used a trainer kite.

WA Surf said...

I used to be anti 5-line kites, until I actually started trying them. I am now pro-5 line, I definately prefer it.

The word on the street is "From an engineering point of view, having a line straight to the centre of the kite creates a much better and consistent curve in the leading edge that cannot be achieved quite as well with a bridle system. This allows the designers to therefore focus more design on the actualy shape and dynamics of the kite, without worrying about the leading edge"

or something like that

Lovely said...

From observation better riders use 5 line kites.

cwamit said...

...

trainer kites are great fun to learn with , but yeah they don't really have any *relevance to actual kitesurfing kites* but they do help in basic steering control but its the power / steering ratio thats more important which can only be learnt on a modern depower kite.

*unless trainer kite is a 3 to 4 meter inflatable*

I dont know what sort of a trainer you have in mind, if 2 line crap with handles 1- 1.5 meters in size you are dead right as some others responding to this topic.
They dont have any relevance to actual kites and do very little to get you ready to start on a board and limit professional lessons ,as lets face it most people are reluctant to spend hundreds of $ just to learn the basics or they simply dont have the cash.
I belive some schools put you on that sort of trainer during first lesson,I was put on such kite for half of my 1st lessons and didnt like it at all.
It seemed to me just idiotic to have an instuctor (for $ 130 1.5 hrs.)standing by me and telling me how to fly the stupid insect
2nd half was spend on unpacking and setting up 9m kite, at the end I said to myself there must be a better way or it will take forever and I run out of money or the patience( no previous board or sail experience)
I did ask a few guys on the beach who would be the best to get something done, most said Alex was.
On his advice I got 2 m 4 line Ozone Samurai and 25 m lines on the 50 cm bar and such akite IMO IS NOT MUCH DIFFRENT than proper kite why would you need 3-4 meters and on top of that inflatable, the power from that little kite in 20 knts is awsome speed on the landboard is simply scary and I DO ASURRE you learn power /steering control very quickly unless you like your knees busted( had one- 8 weeks no sport ).Its perfect for body dragging and learning to go upwind why on earth you have to pay someone to do this with you its much more fun to do this on yourown on bit smaller kite without time constraints( read $$$). The schools have very important role to play but IMO its diffrent from teaching kite control,body dragging, going upwind etc.But I guess perhaps its only alex sanc way to teach you kiteboarding.
Or atleast it was about 2 years ago when I met him unfotunately it was brief encounter and only 2 month ago I was able to start proper kiteboarding due to something that starts with the letter R.
.