Hi everyone , happy new year.

Ive been reading all i can about this sport and was wondering about all the lost boards that get posted about.
Is that because riders lose them on the water or just losing them because they have forgot them.

cheers

Hi Peter,

As the previous post says, it's a bit of both.

One of the main things that happens is most beginners are pushed onto a board too quickly - by their own demands, peer pressure or possibly an instructor promising 'third lesson riding on board'

Student goes off smiling because they got up on a board for 10 seconds, (hey, who wouldn't?) But when they go out on own, they inevitably 'stack it' and the reality slowly dawns that they cannot get back upwind to their board... That is, if they had lessons. If they had no lessons, which seems to be the growing brainless trend - run before you can even crawl, then it's just a disaster waiting to happen, in too many ways - with too many personally witnessed examples to even go into here..

One of the best (and rare to see) things you can practise is lots of upwind body dragging. It'll save your board pretty much every time and improve your kite flying skills a lot too.

I guess it doesn't 'look cool' or they get nasty salty water in their faces though...

A well executed and structured plan always yields better results, I'm sure you'll appreciate. The domain of the thinker.

Good luck.

Laughed at your first sentence RPM - It's exactly that! And there I was trying to be polite with my reply

Also totally agree with what you wrote. People try to rush too much, it shi#s me! As you said, go away and practise the skills you paid good money to learn. Consolidate - before try to go further.

I can remember doing so many 'waterstarts' on dry land with a trainer kite at the beginning even! If you can't fly a trainer, one handed, with your eyes shut, I'd say you're gonna struggle with everything that goes on in the water.

Peterdj said...

Thanks for that .
Ill be getting lessons once the finance minister has aquired other items first.

In a way what youre saying is almost a chicken or egg question.

Do you get a kite then lessons (not use it till you have had a lesson) so that you can practice the things like body dragging once you know the basics.

Do you get a kite once you have had a lesson (and been advised on size etc) and have been taught the safety aspects plus dragging and then practice the water stuff (body dragging) before the final up on board lesson? ( probably the preferred one)

Or do you wait till you have done the lessons then buy the gear. Then go out and ride and probably not bother to practice more basic stuff better cos you consider that you did the lessons and you dont have to.

I wouldnt fancy losing a board early on because of not being able to do something properly.
Im not fussed either way if i get up as fast as possible or not, as long as i can do what needs to be done when i need to do it, like get to the board thats scooting away with the current.

...Having just done it, I can say this order worked perfectly for me.

Trainer Kite - few weekends
Lessons - few days
Buy gear
Practice upwind dragging more - few weekends. (Leave board at home)
Ride - weeks.

I've done more board recovery than I can count, esp while learning. A mate of mine lost two boards when he couldn't body drag to em. $$$

Hey Peter I have also started kiting and currently getting up and trying to stay up. When starting get as much time on a trainer as you can because you will find everything else (body dragging, board recovery, riding the board ect) relys on your kite flying skill. You will also get alot more out of your paid lessons if you have the basic kite flying skills sorted, remember a big kite works off the same principals as a trainer kite. Talk to your local kite shops as they will be able to help you and some may give free lessons with purchase of gear, I didn't do this and bought crap gear wasting $500.
Thats all the advice i got good luck and enjoy