Get the lessons. Trainer kite you'll have mastered in no time but you won't have the skills to save your gear or yourself if the sh!t hits the fan.

As another option, if there is a cable wake park near you, it might be a good place to learn about board control. Its not that cheap either, so maybe that won't be a great option for you.

When I first started learning how to kitesurf the board control freaked me out. When I got going I didn't know what to do with the board. Now that I have spent far too long enjoying myself at the wake park, board control seems to be a simple thing.

I spent ages learning to control the kite, and ages body dragging around, to get that skill.

I am genuinely unsure if some people are naturals at this and get up and going in these short courses, or if its just the bare minimum to get you interested enough to start practicing.

So, if I were to do it all again, and was doing it by myself, I would probably try to get hold of a trainer kite, and play with this for a while. I would also try wakeboarding a few times to get comfortable with the board. Then I would go for the lessons, whether it was the 2.5 hour one of the 2x3 hour ones.

Nah don't bother, get a go pro, post videos on you tube

Mate,
Do the 6 hours of lessons, its a lot cheaper than ending up in hospital with a lot of time off work.

Lessons is the best advise. But it is possible to learn without lessons. Just takes longer, is more dangerous and you will damage more gear. So might be more costly in the long run.

If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to kite.

Shop around for quality instruction. Skip the 2-line trainer kite completely.

Go for private instruction as well and look for schools using radio helmets.

If you want to know more about what's involved into learning to kitesurf and what makes a good lesson, just Google '' How good were your lessons'' and you will find my blog post.

Stay safe,

Christian

Plummet said..

Its not rocket surgery.

But so is not typing all in bold and he failed at that.

Smithy said..

cauncy said..
Nah don't bother, get a go pro, post videos on you tube

I wish the GoPro was around when we where teaching ourselves in the early days on two line kites with no you tube and instructors around ??

Mate brought a wipika quiver over from the uk
, told me I'll be fine, hooked me in and laughed all the way down the beach, I was kinda in control

Your straight up crazy if u dont get lessons think of it as an investment in your own safety. But food for thought our shop in newcastle Kite and Sup will throw in lessons when purchasing beginner kite package

Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.

The others are dead.

Make sure you get an instructor that can do a backroll.

Go to a crowded beach so theres plenty of people to help out if you get in strife

Plummet said..

psychojoe said..

Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.

The others are dead.

Survival of the fittest mate! If you are stupid enough to remove yourself from the gene pool then so be it!.

Survival of the fittest...? We are talking about recreation, Plummet.... and what about those who got injured by one of your "fittest" idiots not taking lessons...?

Also, perhaps a bit of a respect, please, to those who are not with us anymore to read these lines. For example, one of the best female kiters of the time, Rilke (?), who died when another kite got hooked onto hers and dragged her head on to a wind-brake.

Plummet said..

cbulota said..
If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to kite.
Christian

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.

Its not rocket surgery. If your not stupid about it you can learn without lessons. It will take a lot longer to become proficient. But who cares. its not a race.

WOW hold on, how many people were on the beach when you were learning 15 years ago, I wouldn't like to be down wind of that coming down on me with todays overcrowded kite LEARNING spots.
Saying that Melville is normally quiet?.

Go for the lessons.