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Any self taught out there?!

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ChickenD!ken
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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby ChickenD!ken » Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:35 am

Self taught here, but I have spent most of my life sailing so that gave me a big leg up compared to the land crabs just getting their feet wet. Depending on what you want to do (freeride, freestyle, wakestyle, wave etc.) you will crash and you will get hurt even if just a few bruises here and there. I have plenty of experience and I still come back with bloody nose and all sorts of scrapes and bumps. But! You will also progress massively through deliberate practice of your weaknesses and the proper gear. So feel out what you’re uncomfortable with, it won’t take long, and just be relentless with improving your weaknesses. That could be riding goofy stance if youre right-leg dominant, for example. I cannot stress the selection of gear enough. In the kite world you get what you pay for, so do your homework before you really start building your quiver. Having gear that ensures you don’t have to worry out on the water is paramount. If you want the best safety and bar systems, a great all-round board, kite with massive wind range, lots of customization options etc., all of this in one package can cost quite a bit. Take it from one who knows, it’s worth the trouble. So if you find you want to cruise in freeride mode most of the time, get that light wind kite asap so you can start working on your technique. LW kites are great for improving your technique, just to give another example of the decisions you will need to make in future. Slingshot is a good brand and the RPM is a tried and tested kite so you’re off on the right path. The RPM may not be the ideal beginner kite but it is a great kite that you will just have to expect a fast learning curve. Since you have snowboarding experience you will adapt quickly to the new board. Kitesurfing is about 3/4 kite control and 1/4 board if you ask me. But once you get to a decent level with your kite flying skills, things like edge control/maintenance will be crucial to your further progression. You have an advantage here with your snowboarding background. Think of kitesurfing like dance or juggling class. You have a number of simple moves that have to be carefully synchronised for the act to work and ultimately, feel effortless. Stick with it especially when it feels like shit. It will be in that moment when you drag yourself out there that it suddenly comes together. The used kite market is full of jaded ex-beginners who had one bad experience that was likely compounded by the conditions in the sea, and they just give up precisely when they should be regrouping and planning their return to action. There are plenty of good resources to go to for the self-taught. Websites like this obviously, but YouTube has dedicated kite surfing tutorials (I’ve heard of podcasts too!) that do a great job. No match for lessons but you can absolutely do it. Lastly, please use the community as your resource. All of us need help and all of us want to help others down on the beach and the one person everyone wants to avoid (because he’s dangerous, and yes it’s always a dude) is the one who’s “I got it! I got it!” telling everyone to get out of his way on the sand or in the surf. More experienced riders will be a great resource for you as well and can ‘unlock’ that next step up in skill. Kitesurfing is everything to me. My workout, meditation, social club, what I hope to do with my young son one day. It can be a new lifestyle for you or it can be your getaway for the afternoon. That’s the beauty of it. You decide. Have fun out there.

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby longwhitecloud » Mon Oct 30, 2017 8:44 am

Better time than ever before to teach yourself with so many free resources online, met someone yesterday that used YouTube.. was doing fine..all us first generation kiters taught ourselves on far more dangerous kit than want is used today.

I just moved back to Australia, holy heck... Kiting almost died around here.. 25-30 knots 22 degree water , waves. One windsurfer out... No kiters! Uhhh!? Need some new kiters to ride with!

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby mike dubs » Mon Oct 30, 2017 2:24 pm

Yep self taught, started September 1999. 2 line Wipika, 7’6” surfboard I glassed straps to. I read half page article in a windsurf mag (was a windsurfer before) about something to do with sine-ing the kite. Took me a year to learn to get up, ride and return to same place. Used same kite no matter the wind strength! Loads of kitemares but taught me to respect the power and learn how to control it. It was a great time to learn and a frontier spirit. Was me 2/3 other guys on a 7 mile beach. Now in summer there are hundreds, most without a real clue :-? Mike

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby jakemoore » Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:08 am

Learned in 2003. Wish lessons were an option for me but nobody anywhere near at the time. I would master the trainer (Sounds like you are there) Use the trainer to kite skate a long board. Consider a mountainboard with a bigger kite. Then just one lesson before you hit the water. It will be worth it. Walking back upwind gets old fast.

GTC
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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby GTC » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:56 pm

ChickenD!ken wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:35 am
Self taught here, but I have spent most of my life sailing so that gave me a big leg up compared to the land crabs just getting their feet wet. Depending on what you want to do (freeride, freestyle, wakestyle, wave etc.) you will crash and you will get hurt even if just a few bruises here and there. I have plenty of experience and I still come back with bloody nose and all sorts of scrapes and bumps. But! You will also progress massively through deliberate practice of your weaknesses and the proper gear. So feel out what you’re uncomfortable with, it won’t take long, and just be relentless with improving your weaknesses. That could be riding goofy stance if youre right-leg dominant, for example. I cannot stress the selection of gear enough. In the kite world you get what you pay for, so do your homework before you really start building your quiver. Having gear that ensures you don’t have to worry out on the water is paramount. If you want the best safety and bar systems, a great all-round board, kite with massive wind range, lots of customization options etc., all of this in one package can cost quite a bit. Take it from one who knows, it’s worth the trouble. So if you find you want to cruise in freeride mode most of the time, get that light wind kite asap so you can start working on your technique. LW kites are great for improving your technique, just to give another example of the decisions you will need to make in future. Slingshot is a good brand and the RPM is a tried and tested kite so you’re off on the right path. The RPM may not be the ideal beginner kite but it is a great kite that you will just have to expect a fast learning curve. Since you have snowboarding experience you will adapt quickly to the new board. Kitesurfing is about 3/4 kite control and 1/4 board if you ask me. But once you get to a decent level with your kite flying skills, things like edge control/maintenance will be crucial to your further progression. You have an advantage here with your snowboarding background. Think of kitesurfing like dance or juggling class. You have a number of simple moves that have to be carefully synchronised for the act to work and ultimately, feel effortless. Stick with it especially when it feels like shit. It will be in that moment when you drag yourself out there that it suddenly comes together. The used kite market is full of jaded ex-beginners who had one bad experience that was likely compounded by the conditions in the sea, and they just give up precisely when they should be regrouping and planning their return to action. There are plenty of good resources to go to for the self-taught. Websites like this obviously, but YouTube has dedicated kite surfing tutorials (I’ve heard of podcasts too!) that do a great job. No match for lessons but you can absolutely do it. Lastly, please use the community as your resource. All of us need help and all of us want to help others down on the beach and the one person everyone wants to avoid (because he’s dangerous, and yes it’s always a dude) is the one who’s “I got it! I got it!” telling everyone to get out of his way on the sand or in the surf. More experienced riders will be a great resource for you as well and can ‘unlock’ that next step up in skill. Kitesurfing is everything to me. My workout, meditation, social club, what I hope to do with my young son one day. It can be a new lifestyle for you or it can be your getaway for the afternoon. That’s the beauty of it. You decide. Have fun out there.
Next time use some paragraphs dude

ChickenD!ken
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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby ChickenD!ken » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:59 pm

GTC wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:56 pm
ChickenD!ken wrote:
Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:35 am
Self taught here, but I have spent most of my life sailing so that gave me a big leg up compared to the land crabs just getting their feet wet. Depending on what you want to do (freeride, freestyle, wakestyle, wave etc.) you will crash and you will get hurt even if just a few bruises here and there. I have plenty of experience and I still come back with bloody nose and all sorts of scrapes and bumps. But! You will also progress massively through deliberate practice of your weaknesses and the proper gear. So feel out what you’re uncomfortable with, it won’t take long, and just be relentless with improving your weaknesses. That could be riding goofy stance if youre right-leg dominant, for example. I cannot stress the selection of gear enough. In the kite world you get what you pay for, so do your homework before you really start building your quiver. Having gear that ensures you don’t have to worry out on the water is paramount. If you want the best safety and bar systems, a great all-round board, kite with massive wind range, lots of customization options etc., all of this in one package can cost quite a bit. Take it from one who knows, it’s worth the trouble. So if you find you want to cruise in freeride mode most of the time, get that light wind kite asap so you can start working on your technique. LW kites are great for improving your technique, just to give another example of the decisions you will need to make in future. Slingshot is a good brand and the RPM is a tried and tested kite so you’re off on the right path. The RPM may not be the ideal beginner kite but it is a great kite that you will just have to expect a fast learning curve. Since you have snowboarding experience you will adapt quickly to the new board. Kitesurfing is about 3/4 kite control and 1/4 board if you ask me. But once you get to a decent level with your kite flying skills, things like edge control/maintenance will be crucial to your further progression. You have an advantage here with your snowboarding background. Think of kitesurfing like dance or juggling class. You have a number of simple moves that have to be carefully synchronised for the act to work and ultimately, feel effortless. Stick with it especially when it feels like shit. It will be in that moment when you drag yourself out there that it suddenly comes together. The used kite market is full of jaded ex-beginners who had one bad experience that was likely compounded by the conditions in the sea, and they just give up precisely when they should be regrouping and planning their return to action. There are plenty of good resources to go to for the self-taught. Websites like this obviously, but YouTube has dedicated kite surfing tutorials (I’ve heard of podcasts too!) that do a great job. No match for lessons but you can absolutely do it. Lastly, please use the community as your resource. All of us need help and all of us want to help others down on the beach and the one person everyone wants to avoid (because he’s dangerous, and yes it’s always a dude) is the one who’s “I got it! I got it!” telling everyone to get out of his way on the sand or in the surf. More experienced riders will be a great resource for you as well and can ‘unlock’ that next step up in skill. Kitesurfing is everything to me. My workout, meditation, social club, what I hope to do with my young son one day. It can be a new lifestyle for you or it can be your getaway for the afternoon. That’s the beauty of it. You decide. Have fun out there.
Next time use some paragraphs dude
Message board grammar is so fucking boring..

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby FLandOBX » Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:22 pm

Two days ago, I watched a strong, fit 20-something man get dragged face-first across the beach by a 9 m kite. He first tomahawked the kite into another person on the beach, and then looped it again while he was being dragged towards some power lines. Luckily, someone grabbed his kite before he hit the powerlines. Five minutes before the incident, his father had told me that he had learned to control the kite well, and was now working on waterstarts.

There are those who have successfully learned to kiteboard without lessons and without getting hurt. There are others who get hurt badly or develop a fear for the sport that causes them to give up before learning it. When deciding whether to take lessons or go it alone, I think it's good to look at the law of averages and evaluate relative risks. You may succeed on your own, but a lot of kiters would tell you that the risk of failure and possible injury is too great. Just my opinion, of course.

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby fluidity » Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:10 pm

Personally I think it depends a lot on your preferred learning styles.
Visual:watching others.
Reading, listening.
Kinesthetic: Doing. Suits technical people.

I'm a poor learner in the first two styles, good at feeling things out for myself though.
Safety is about not going out overkited, not risking others (kite is usually about 22 meters away from you), being prepared to commit to quick release, safely building your muscle memory with the bar and harness combo. Learning takeoff, landing safely, checking lines before taking off, even roping your harness to something solid while you learn to fly the kite.

I learned through watching youtube, others, from tying my harness off to a tree but mostly through just doing it myself, no lessons. I'm sure I would have learned faster with a trainer but I think others with better skills at listening and watching would take more in from a trainer. I'm sure even the trainers vary, if someone tells me what to do but refuses to say why then I'll have no respect for them, my mind works with WHY.

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby JakeFarley » Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:50 pm

Lessons - $300-$400
New kite trashed in a Palm tree - $1200
Your life or the life of a bystander - Priceless!

TAKE THE LESSONS!!

If you opt to go it alone, stay downwind of everyone.

I would have taken lessons if they were available when I started in 2001. Learned from kitesurfingschool.org (the late great Hung Vu). Took me 3 months with a 2-line 11.5m Wipika.

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Re: Any self taught out there?!

Postby plummet » Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:52 pm

Yep, Learned to landboard in 2004 on a 2 line foil. Plenty off step offs! Then stepped into the water 2009, a buddy who was an instructor taught me 30 mins of self rescue on lei's as prior to that I flew foils and the rest is history.

Theres been some silly times over the years. But it is possble to self teach.


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