ok so i am getting lessons tomoz, am i wasting my time and money doing this because from what i read the kiting season is over, its too late for me now lol i paid yesterday if the season is over shouldnt the school in say melb have a cut off time for lessons or they just after my cash knowing the season is over and i will need more lessons when the season is back on

Cheers

James.

junglejim1971 said..
ok so i am getting lessons tomoz, am i wasting my time and money doing this because from what i read the kiting season is over, its too late for me now lol i paid yesterday if the season is over shouldnt the school in say melb have a cut off time for lessons or they just after my cash knowing the season is over and i will need more lessons when the season is back on

Cheers

James.

hey Jim,

I kite year round, winter can be great because there are less people about and then you can be miles ahead when summer comes around.

Every region has their "off season" options.
Last year we had the right gear and got out average 3 times a week.
We kited a lot of gusty offshores in rivers & LW days but we got out and
cut sick.

I'm sure u can find the spots in your area if you use google maps and ask
the right people. We tried heaps of bum spots before coming across the
most consistent areas for crazy wind directions.

I'm going for a 14.5m Ocean Rodeo Flite as my LW Kite this year and
All the prodigy's for the rest of the kit. I have done 8kts on the 12m with a 159 TT & favourable water.
Not too many tricks though so the 14.5 will change all that.

Stick with it you'll find the right crew\gear\spots eventually if you stick at it ;)

Loftywinds said...
The dodgy van operators along side the Esplanade on StKilda will 'teach' you in any condition, even in dangerous ones.

You are a w#nk#r...

Loftywinds said..
The dodgy van operators along side the Esplanade on StKilda will 'teach' you in any condition, even in dangerous ones.

Beat it Fernando. I heard tropokiterepairs will use knitted wool for canopy and leading edge repairs.

junglejim1971,

As with most students, it may take some time to learn this sport and therefore at this time of year there may not be enough safe and reliable windy days to ensure you progress far enough i.e. until you get comfortable riding on the board. When winter comes, as others have mentioned, you should stay away from kiting as a beginner as frontal winds can be very dangerous.

That being said, your first and second lessons are the most important and should teach you the fundamentals of safety and independence, which you can remember for next season.

There are so many schools to choose from these days and it can get hard to dissociate them from one other, especially when words like ''qualified'' ''certified'' ''IKO standards'' ''safe'' ''professional'' are being thrown around and written down on every websites...

As a general guideline, if a school is pushing you to do group lessons they are probably more interested in making money than teaching you to be a safe and independent kiter. You may save a little bit of money per hour with group lessons, but you will learn half as much and this is really only profiting the school, NOT you.

Also, If a school tries to convince you you'd be up and riding and a completely independent kiter in just 4-5 hours of lessons regardless of your background and skill level, you should be worrying about the quality of lesson and your ability to go kiting safely by yourself after your lessons are over.

Look for a school who's priority is NOT only about teaching you how to kite but also teaching you how to become a kitesurfer, one that is capable of practicing the sport safely and independently once the lessons are over.

Things that are often overlooked from poor quality lessons are:

-Risk and location assessment (kiting regulations, location analysis, wind direction and strength, kite size selection, etc.)
-Independence in setting up a kite (I have often seen students finish multiple lessons without even setting up a kite alone once as cheap schools often pass the kites around from one student to another to ''save time'').
-Understanding and practical use of safety systems
-Recovering your own kite in emergencies (Emergency self-landing)
-Practical self-rescue in deep water (no assistance)
-Independence in deep water kite launching from various kite positions/scnearios
-Competence in board recovery using upwind body drag

So when you finish your lessons, ask yourself if you're able to do all those, or at least the majority of those?

Good luck,

Christian

I learnt through winter- its fine. Great having lots of space.

Have a small kite, pick your days, plan on shorter sessions, take advice on the beach, and get a good wetsuit and booties.

I have a 3m parafoil trainer that can pick me off the ground on a windy day, do you think that could do the job. I do know once it has been in the water its over lol

I''ve found a really cheap alternative to trainer kite is to just go to toy world and grab a 2 line stunt kite for $20.
They work exactly the same but are a bit more fragile but by the time you break it your ready for a big kite.

I had one of these $20 stunt kites. They only fly in decent wind and hell they are extremely reactive, not comparable to a kiteboarding kite. Always needed a third hand to launch. Why not getting a proper 3-4m trainer kite (e.g. HQ Rush, Zebra, etc., Ozone Ignition)?