Hey Anne.
I am also a beginner. Probably an advanced beginner at this stage as I can stay upwind and am learning to jump.
For me, I got my lessons from soulkite at Applecross in Melville.
soulkiteaustralia.com/Absolutley amazing people, really good teachers and good location.
Heres a few advantages of Soulkite at Applecross.
Location: - Huge open river lake with predictable winds.
- No wind shadows, so you wont get thrown around by gusts
- Really really shallow. You have to walk about 70m out until you cant stand
- Water is really warm in comparison to the beach.
- Although the beach is small, it is very long, allowing you to practise a fair amount before having to walk upwind
- Alot of kiters come here to enjoy the water. Majority of which are beginners like myself who arnt experienced for sea.
The teachers are really cool. They are all fairly young between 20 - 30. If you dont have a wetsuit they will supply.
It's also the cheapest place in Perth Metro for learning.
I did the 5hr package for 380$. Really good value. You have the option to slip the sessions into 3 parts so you can do two 2hr sessions and one 1hr session.
A few tips if you are on your own.
- If you go out at around 11am. At this time, the wind gradually increases. So if you go out at 11am in 18knt winds and end up downwind at the end of the beach at 2pm. The wind will increase quite dramatically. the wind can go from 18 to 25 kts in a few hours in Perth. As a result you really need to have someone keeping an eye on you because if you end up downwind in 25kt winds with a 9m kite you will really struggle to walk upwind. I know for a fact that if there is nobody at the end of the beach to grab my kite, I will have to walk upwind while flying the kite. This is really really hard to do in strong winds. It could take you an hour to walk 600m depending on kite size and wind. And you will be so tired, your legs will feel like falling off. So better to make sure you are with someone who can grab your kite when you go too far downwind.
Unless you are familiar with board control. I.e have surfed before, don't expect to be up and riding straight away.
I only managed to ride along for a few seconds in my last session. You need to practise on your own in order to get a grasp for the sport.
I'm still riding at melville. I really want to get a good grip on my ability before I go to leighton beach.
also beware of sharp shells in the sand. Might be best to wear booties if you have sensitive feet. I got so many slashes on my feet when I started
Have fun!
