Hi there!
So good to see another chick coming to join the sport
!
As you have had lessons you probably already know, but check out the saksa website for all the info where you can and cant kite and to keep up to date with some other useful info about kiting in general.
http://www.saksa.com.au/?page_id=279 Things to keep in mind as a beginner:
It is nice to have some space for when things go wrong (smashing the kite on the beach/water/ having to release etc) so a broad sandy beach without obstacles is what you want.
Also, it helps to have the least amount of chop and waves in the water, as it will have you progress heaps quicker. plus, always go out with someone else or pick a spot where others are kiting.
Trust me, I started learning in winter, and it is tricky enough to learn with wind that is not as consistent as it can be in summer, but adding waves and high chop makes it harder than it has to be for sure.
Hence try spots such as largs on a S-SW. As ben said,it is one of the best places to learn as it is relatively shallow and there is usually someone out when it is windy to say hello to. Also, North haven (also called the 'wall') is a great place for kiting, as the water stays real flat during a NW (which is good as you can really focus on your board skills once you get to that stage)
There are so many places to kite, but there are a few forums on facebook on which you can check where people are heading (very useful in winter when there are not 100 people out down the coast on a daily basis), so check out the "saksa" page, and the "whos kiting where" page.
Generally the winds that will be good for Adelaide metro beach are S, SSW, SW, N, NW, NNW. West works as well, but as a beginner it is not the best wind to learn. It is very onshore meaning it will push you up the beach very quickly if you can't stay upwind just yet. When I learned I got told that it is good to stick with winds between sort of 18-22 knots.
Just be mindful, that in winter the winds are always frontal. Sometimes they are nice, but other times they can change direction and strength very quickly. If you are not sure about going out, always ask. Sometimes it is wise to leave it and live to kite another day.
Another thing very important in winter, is to make sure you keep an eye on the horizon for big changes. Things to look out for are dark clouds appearing on the horizon, especially when they move fast. If you see others go to the beach and land their kites, do the same. Sometimes the weather can change from a nice 15-20 knots to a 30 knot storm quite quickly. However, if you get caught and have no time to land (sometimes it creeps up on you) head out to sea (hard places such as beach/land are much riskier to get hurt, as landing your kite in a squall can be difficult and dangerous), keep your kite low at 2/3 o'clock, have the bar all the way out (just steer to keep it just above the water) and dig your board in as if you are water starting. If it is still too much flag out to your safety.
In general squalls dont last very long. 10, 15 mins. Just make sure there are no obstacles anywhere downwind of you.
In general though, Just ask some of the people on the beach if you are not quite sure about something such as what size kite to use. the SA crew is the best so dont hestitate to post here on fb etc :-)
Keen to see you on the water!! hope this helped a little :)
yeeeeeeeoooow
elise
