which is easier to learn

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TTone
TTone
WA
22 posts
WA, 22 posts
6 Dec 2007 1:33pm
I have a friend who is a good windsurfer coming to Perth and wants to try kiting...he wants to know whether kiting is harder to learn than sailing. As a newb my impression is that kiting is just more frightening to learn and that the consequences of errors are magnified by about 25m. That aside i think i'm actually riding much sooner with a kite that i remember on my windsurfer....

any thoughts....
kitecrazzzy
kitecrazzzy
WA
2184 posts
WA, 2184 posts
6 Dec 2007 1:35pm
sailing?? windsurfing maybe, learning is quick and easy as long as you go through a school or instructor... becomes dangerous when self teaching or a mate is teaching you as they generally miss some important bits along the way.
superlizard
superlizard
VIC
702 posts
VIC, 702 posts
6 Dec 2007 4:17pm
agree.

Also, personally trying to master windsurfing in the past, i remember endless hours trying to master the water start routines, turning, and a very slow learning curve comparing to kitesurfing. The gear is much heavier and harder to position if the waves or wind throw you out of place (unlike kitesurfing). Also, if you fall, most of the time (99%) your kite will stay up in the air, and no physical strenght is required to get going again (unlike windsurfing where you have to swim and position the rig and do the water start using last bits of energy. Once you learn to fly the kite, you'll be up on the board on your second session, and couple of session later you'll be already attempting jumps... learning kitesurfing was 100 times mroe rewarding experience...
bigmark100
bigmark100
NSW
584 posts
NSW, 584 posts
6 Dec 2007 4:34pm
It takes years and years to be a good windsurfer.... and some will probably never reach that level.

It doesnt take very long to be quite good at kitesurfing.....

Kitesurfing is easier to learn, and IMHO much more rewarding.
But I have a lot of respect for windsurfers.....
Im sure it must have its rewards too.

kitecrazzzy
kitecrazzzy
WA
2184 posts
WA, 2184 posts
6 Dec 2007 5:01pm
also you get a lot more on water time to learn
Kitehard
Kitehard
WA
2782 posts
WA, 2782 posts
6 Dec 2007 11:40pm
Hey TTone,

Windsurfing is heaps harder to learn than kiteboarding and to get to a level where you are considered reasonably good, takes many years of dedication.

The biggest problem with windsurfing, and consequently the reason why so many windsurfers are coming over to kiting, is the amount of days you can kitesurf compared to windsurfing. At the moment it must be about 5 to 1 in favour of kiting.

Most of the windsurfers we teach are sick of waiting for wind strong enugh to have fun and be powered up on a 5m sail.

With a 14m and 10m kite you can kite almost every windy day of the year between 12knots and 30knots.

With kiting being only about 60% of the cost of windsurfing gear, ten times easier to learn, twice as easy to carry and transport, quicker to rig and pack away and about a 5 to 1 more time on the water ratio, it's pretty easy to understand why people are coming over to kiting.

Windsurfing will always have it's place and it's a cool sport, but there will be more and more people who do both.

Good winds,

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