Statsy - maaate... Hang in there. If you're up and riding on the board after 3 hours you have nuthin to worry about. FFS - don't give another thought to how you look? You're gonna look funny for a while yet; but nobody else cares!!! Use the kites the instructor recommends and then look for yourself. The Cabs (despite their tree eating fetish) are great kites, but they are high performance. Try a more stable Lower aspect ratio kite (Griffin Argo, FOne Bandit 3 etc etc). You'll develop the addiction in no time... Mate - it's all about hours on the water and good assistance. Did you get your drivers licence in one sesh? Regards Dunk

I like the title of this thread.

There are plenty of days I feel exactly the same.

it's a Journey, not a destination.

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement - i thought my progression was a lot slower than normal and after the first 2 hours i wasn't sure whether i 'enjoyed' it or endured it with the mindset that i want to conquer! After the 3rd hour i was more like "whoo! - doh, whoo!- doh"

and when i say i'm not sure how i look - i more meant i dont know how far out of the water i am because i'm just looking at the kite almost the whole time... although one time i got air and landed it when i shot the kite a bit high and that was kind of cool...

I think maybe another lesson should cement it either way for me - does anyone know anywhere i can get lessons that ISN'T at St Kilda? I spent literally 50% of my lessons avoiding other kiters and the other 50% feeling a bit nervous so close... my kite bumped another guys kite in the air at one stage - so i dare say the 50m rule or whatever is a bit relaxed down there... it's annoying and makes me wonder whether a 'real' 3 hours would have produced a better result.

RAL INN said...

I like the title of this thread.
There are plenty of days I feel exactly the same.
it's a Journey, not a destination.

Agreed!

Ask anyone (especially if you started kiting before the age of "lessons" and "depower" how long we had to be crap for before things started to get better.

I now refuse to kite at brighton (Sydney) on principal from the number of times I did one tack laps on the whole beach long before the groynes went in: 4 minute tack out (downwind), 4 minute tack back (downwind), 22 minute walk of shame to get back upwind.

Stick with it and you will be rewarded.

You should know whether or not your into it after 4 lessons.

I was crap after my first 4 sessions, but I was hooked.

Your level of crapness should not dictate whether or not to persevere.

ice said...

You should know whether or not your into it after 4 lessons.

I was crap after my first 4 sessions, but I was hooked.

Your level of crapness should not dictate whether or not to persevere.

4 lessons, i agree - but i've only had 3 so far, with the first being an introductory course with my gf (who was not so keen and so i gave her most of the lesson in the hope she'd get into it more) so including only 20 mins of body dragging on a real kite for me... the next 2 lessons (3 hours worth) at St Kilda ain't 3 hours worth of 'lessons' if you've ever tried to learn there on a sunny Sunday afternoon...

After the first lessons i was so pumped i went and bought a trainer kite - after the second 2 hour lesson i was ready to give up after swallowing half the bay (should probably mention i had raced a 70km bike race that morning) so was a bit tired... the last 1 hour lessons i enjoyed more and made me want to keep trying - but you'd forgive anyone for having second thoughts after attempting to learn at St Kilda that day...

Stats said...



I was learning on a Cabrinha Crossbow and don't really like it - feels a bit on/off in terms of power ......

Was the wind gusty? The crossbows feel bloody powerful if you ask me. The best fun is learning with a mate and one set of gear - you have a go and he's on rescue standby, and then swap. You will entertain each other with the dumb things you do, and will be able to look back and laugh at it in a few months. Also having a friend there makes for quicker untangling when you pull the safety and make a spaghetti mess.

Hi,

Stats, you story is basically identical to mine. I also had the 5 hour lessons broken down into 1 then 2 x 2 hours. In the end I also stood up, but had enough of the tasty St. Kilda water in places I did not know I had places to supply the thirsty people in the Sahara desert. I got up using the Canbrinha Swithcblade IDS 12m. It was some of the most fun I have ever had, but what worries me is that I am going to be the guy in the water making all the regulars quite angry, as the kite plays with me like a dinky toy. I therefore know I am dangerous...

There have been lot's of times I wanted to give up and some guys told me that due to me missing my right hand, this is simply not the sport for me. But I am hanging in there and I will kitesurf one day, no matter what they say, and mate if I can do it, anybody can. I am just waiting for my gear (bought it on lay-buy), and will then head out (perhaps go for one more lesson again, the guys at Go-Kite was really supportive, so the boost to the self-esteem helped quite a bit).

ApatheticEnd said...

JTheron said...


There have been lot's of times I wanted to give up and some guys told me that due to me missing my right hand, this is simply not the sport for me. But I am hanging in there and I will kitesurf one day, no matter what they say, and mate if I can do it, anybody can.

That is badass man. You're a legend.

+1

Huh! You guys get it easy. When I learnt kites had no depower. There were no instructors. The groynes were 20m apart and the crabs, stingrays and sharks were waiting in the shallows because they'd eaten all the windsurfers last year. It was perpetually winter and the wind blow at a consistant 5-40 knots offshore! The water was saltyer and if it wasn't for the ice on our lines we'd have nothing to drink all day. If you only had a cramp in one leg it was considered good luck.

Then there were the bad days, which I won't go into.

AWesome how much do we all love this topic..
I'm an instructor and run a school in newcastle, have been to st kilda many times through the years.
I have to say when I first started there were no lessons, no real safties compared with todays and relaunching meant one hell of alot of swimming..
When I first started teaching it was generally a given that you'd have to spend a minimum of 5hrs just flying the kite, practising relaunching and body dragging before you even attempted a board.
These days it's so much easier with the instant depower by just letting go, the super easy relaunch of kites and the stability of the kites as well.
You have to remember it al comes down still to flying the kite still. The more you practise flying the kite and more feeling you have for it the easier it will be to progress on the board.. Don't ever be scared to just pratise on your trainer or kite without the board. We used to spend hrs just pratising on the beach.
The other thing is you'll only be able to kite to your conditions, on a good day sometimes you'll get heaps and next day you may feel you went backwards to steps.
Stick with the it so much fun and rewarding not just riding but seeing new students going and smiling..
Last week after over 10 years riding I went out kite slipped out hook, slipped out of hand, saftied right out, it got smashed by a wave and my student grabbed the kite out of the shore break while I was still swimming in. He had a big smile and said so good to see the the pros looking like a beginner sometimes.
Keep with it boys and have a great time enjoying all the learning experiences they never stop :)

any help needed contact me via email

Stats what a great topic because just about everyone who is learning feels the same at one point or another. It took me 2 lessons to learn the basics and then about 3 weeks of getting out there almost every day before it clicked. Once you reach the "up on the board stage" you will be stoked but then you quickly become disheartened with the "walk of shame" stage where you feel like chucking it all in again. One day you will put it all together and be staying up wind all day long and it will be the best feeling in the world (or close). Its a difficult sport, if it wasnt eveyone would be doing it, but stick with it mate and the rewards will come.

Great to hear similar experiences. A mate of mine has been teaching me and sold me 2 Cabrinhas (12m + 9m, the 9 which I tomahawk-ed, tore up and is now with Horizon sailmakers ).
I have probably spent about 8-10hours learning with him, and just starting to stand up, though our last day was kinda gusty and I was on the 12 which seemed slow and a bit unpredictable compared to my 9. I wanted to get comfortable with handling the kite first, and I am now feeling good with it and know the power zones, etc. I agree with sorse in that learning to control the kite should be a high priority. Spent a little while bodydragging then ploughing and now trying to power up, point the board and then dig in. The feeling once I stand up and get moving is awesome. I love snowboarding (only an amateur) but have found kiting to be twice as hard to learn as snowboarding.

I have been learning at Brighton and that damn reef keeps cutting up my feet! I was thinking of getting some slippers but I won't need them once I can stand up, which hopefully is soon! But damn it's getting cold.

No, you are crap, give it up.
Take up something safe and easy like knitting, habadashery shops can provide corks to place on the end of the needles for safety.

But seriously the first time you got in a car I bet you couldn't drive straight off. Like driving kitingboarding/surfing takes 3 things:-

Time
Practice
Perserverance

Everybody you see at your local spot, was at one point in the same place you are.

Remember public sucess is the result of hours and hours of private practise.