Some excellent points made by rickwindt....a trainer kite is also a great starting point.
Here a some things NOT to do from a few weeks ago when I (even as a first season newb) had to intervene at my local beach.
Guy setting up to launch a brand new 9m kite dead downwind through the power zone at high tide with an onshore wind
. I went over and asked if he had any lessons, he hadn't. I noticed his arm and head was bandaged, when I asked he replied he had got dragged down a beach the previous weekend at low tide where the sand was hard
...hence he moved to our local beach at high tide where the sand was softer closer to the trees
When I suggested a trainer kite, he had apparently been given a trainer kite by a work colleague but it was too hard to fly so he binned it and brought a "real" kite. After discussing wind windows, launch angles and quick release (which he knew nothing about
) he launched a few times with little basic control and crashed near some people. After some more discussion from me re dangers of kiting, I helped him land his kite and he packed up to get proper lessons.
In summary.....get proper lessons, get proper lessons, get proper lessons....then it is absolutely brilliant addictive sport
