PS , I can spell what its the rest of my grammer i suffer with

go down to your local spot be nice make friends ask someone to launch you and off you go. just dont put yourself in dangerous conditions and you will be fine. ie 25knts+ until you are confident

double check your gear/safety release make sure lines connected properly
kite downwind of advanced riders
start off by not going too far out
and remember let go of the bar if overpowered or chicken loop unhooks from harness

might as well try the board straight away and you will get plenty of practice body dragging when retrieving your board.

to slow down edge hard upwind or drag your butt in the water. good luck mate you will be up and running in no time

Start of by telling the "pro" guys to get ****ed. But don't go out to get in their way, and make an effort not to. Unless they actually own the beach.
Get out as much as you can. How quickly you are up and running basically depends on the time you can get on the water.

diginoz, I was in your shoes a couple of months back, and I too noticed all the negativity on this forum to noobs. But then when I read between the lines, it seems to be more towards people who ignore quality advice and don't respect others. Therefore, in line with the advice already offered:

1. Ask locals about local etiquette. Eg the Safety Bay pond looks very inviting, but generally it is used by advanced riders. Learners should stick to the ocean side.
2. Ask locals about quirks - eg the left hand side of the Pt Walter spit can have wind shadow and cause dramas when launching. There's also a lot of rocks on the nth side
3. Ask advice as to kite size if its howling.
4. Let them know you're a noob and any advice they can offer is welcome.
5. Look where you're going at all times in order to avoid collisions.

I've used the above approach until I get the hang of a site, and everyone has been nothign but super friendly.

I've also tried to gently offer advice to people (launching downwind comes to mind) and been completely ignored. They're the sorts people on this forum complain about.

Good luck!

Welcome to crash and burn hell. Having just made my first actual ride I can well sympathize. Time, patience and the willingness to forcibly ingest vast quantities of seawater are in hand. Tip one, bribe an experienced rider to baby sit you and tell you not to choke the kite (repeat arms out, arms out, justin case you weren't sure arms out) I dont have much experience past this point but this was a major turning point for me. Im assured this is the hardest stage of kitesurfing (easy for them that make it look simple) but its a great feeling when you get it. I'm looking forward to duplicating my magnificent example of controlling several uncontrollable forces at once (for several seconds at least/someone taking a pic of me not face planting). 11 am to 3 pm, commit and point downwind. Dont choke your kite and keep your arms bent. CYA when we get to boosting bro!

Diginoz,

I think the kind of newbies people hate on this forum are the ones that come down to the beach and don't chat to anyone before deciding to head out, then get all aggro when someone suggests they would be safer at a spot 100m up the beach.

If you take the time to say hi to a few people, get some advice on wind and the best place you should go then its generally cool. If you go out of your way to launch a few guys kites then you can't go wrong.

Even though you have had lessons its still a steep learning curve from here, and you are going to need help from others. The community spirit is what sets kitesurfing apart.

Good luck mate, be prepared to push yourself and spend a lot of time on the beach after blowing your chicken loop! You will beat yourself around the head for a while, then one day the penny will drop and you will forget all the pain of learning! Master your upwind body dragging and you will be away!