Hey Richi
Youre post is a bit harsh. I doubt any Kite shop in Perth would sell a traction kite to any beginner with out suggesting lessons and where to get them. In the last ten years i have brought alot of windsurfing equipment from the shop you mentioned and have found the guys that run that shop nothing but professional. They as well as the other kite shops in Perth do alot for winsurfing and kiting in WA and it is not in there interest to have any bans put on our sport beacause of accidents.
I think the beginner you helped today was proberly aware of his options and was just being a cheapskate.
I have seen lots of stupid and dangerous kiters at the local spots, end of the day once a kite is sold the purchaser has to make responsible decisions and if he dosen't then it is nobodies fault but his own.

hmm i missed the original post, but working at sos we always encourage one or more lessons to beginners. Wording it like "you should definitely get a lesson" handing them a brochure and telling them how much easier and safer it will be that way.

Generally you can tell if someone is a beginner or not by how they act and what they know about the kites. But I can't normally judge how lax someone is going to be about safety.

We're not required to make sure every kite buyer has a lesson (YET!) but it's in the sport's best interests to keep it as safe as possible. And I think all shops offer a subsidised lesson (if not free) if a new kite is purchased by a beginner. The only problem is (as mentioned above) beginners who get second hand gear and can't be bothered paying for a lesson.

i dont know who hacked into my username, but my topic was suggesting that when people who walk into shops wanting to buy kitesurfing equipment, the shop should suggest lessons. ok, i realise that its not the shops responsibilty to make sure that they have had lessons or know wat they are doing. but at the same time, they should be suggesting to the client that lessons are important, not only for the safety of them, the saefty of the public, the future of the sport and the enjoyment as learning is going to be alot quicker if they were to have lessons. this is something that this kite shop didnt do.
afterall, if you walk into a shop wanting to buy something and your only just getting into the sport, how are you to know if lessons are important or not. the shop should be suggesting ways in order to make the sport safer, becuase it is the ones that dont have lessons and dont know the ways of safety that are going to be the ones that are risking it for themselves, and others.

silverback, if a beginner kiter was to get overpowered and fly into your kite, equipment etc and it was obvious that he hadnt had lessons. there is a high chance that you are gonna be really annoyed because no one suggested lessons. someone has to mention that this is an extreme sport and if you dont get lessons, then the risks muliply over and over,and because the kite shops are the first place the beginners go, they should be advised correctly and safely. do you agree with that!?

but if you were to go to MELVILLE MOTORS, and by a v8, there gonna ask what you drive now. if you say ive neva driven before and that its your first car, there gonna warn you about afew things. and give advise to yeah?

personally silverback, i think that you have the wrong idea. windsurfing is alrite, it is seen as a safe sport, and you dont get writeups in the paper pulling your sport down. im just aware that if 'accidents' keep happening, then its going to get restricted. but if accidents can be prevented, we have a brighter future as a sport. thats all i am saying, if accidents can be prevented, even if its suggesting that lessons are important, then thats betta than nothing.

and you tell me how people are supposed to find out infomration if the shop doesnt tell them. they may be able to read a book or the net, but there isnt any local information on there, on kites lessons, safe places to learn kiting etc. all this knowledge is known locally, and the best people to asked would be the shops.

I am windsurfing & kitesurfing and there is a big difference between the two
when it comes to safety stuff. SO far I haven't seen a windsurf beginner flying over the
trees a Pelican point. For safety issues Kitesurfing in some way is a lot closer to paraglidding,
you DO need to be aware of lots of parameters as you can't just jump of your board when there is a gust.

Shop's fault, kitesurfer's fault ...we would need a Jury for that....
a bit of everybody 's lack of comon sense!!!

that remind of the time snowboarding was starting...might put on a new post for that

>You haven't "SO far I haven't seen a windsurf beginner flying over the
>trees a Pelican point" - you obviously don't drink enough then...

Well I 've seen quite a few but I thought I was the only one to see them so it didn't count.....


thanks I feel better now!