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Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

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ChadAP
Rare Poster
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:13 am
Local Beach: Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, Ormond Beach
Favorite Beaches: Daytona Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater
Style: Still finding it, fascinated by big air
Gear: Wainman Boss, Dakine Harness, still building up the rest
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 7 times
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Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby ChadAP » Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:51 pm

What's up, kiteforum
I'm getting ready to begin my journey into kiteboarding over this summer. Currently living in Missouri, I'm moving to Daytona Beach FL in a few weeks for college. I can't live so close to the water and not enjoy it, so I signed up for some kiteboarding lessons. If I enjoy it as much as I think I will, this will be my new hobby.

A little about me: finishing my Army enlistment soon.
Going to school to become a commercial pilot.
Also love photography.
Married.
Age 32.
Enjoy soccer and mountain biking when not close to the water.

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JakeFarley
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 919
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016 11:54 pm
Kiting since: 2001
Weight: 92kg
Local Beach: Florida Left Coast, USA
Favorite Beaches: Any that are not crowded.
Style: Dinosaur style (Velociraptor)
Gear: Kites: Flysurfer Speed5 21m, Soul 12m, Cabrinha 16m Xbow, 11m Xbow, Best 14m HP Nemesis, 9m Yarga C Hybrid
Boards: Crazyfly 135 x 46 Pro, Cabrinha Spoiler 140, 6' custom surfboard, 122 x 46 custom twintip
Wing foil: Naish Hover 110l, Slingwing 6.4m, F-One CWC Strike 8m, Slingshot Hover Glide Fwing (Infinity 99), Slingshot Phantasm 926 and E 990
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Location: Pearl City
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Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby JakeFarley » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:25 am

Welcome! Get your wife to take lessons too. Otherwise she will be a kite widow like mine unless she likes lounging on the beach soaking up some rays :D .

ChadAP
Rare Poster
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:13 am
Local Beach: Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, Ormond Beach
Favorite Beaches: Daytona Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater
Style: Still finding it, fascinated by big air
Gear: Wainman Boss, Dakine Harness, still building up the rest
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 0

Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby ChadAP » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:57 am

JakeFarley wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:25 am
Welcome! Get your wife to take lessons too. Otherwise she will be a kite widow like mine unless she likes lounging on the beach soaking up some rays :D .
Thanks, Jake!

My wife isn't the adrenaline junkie like I am, but she does in fact love lounging on the beach soaking up the sun. I think we'll be able to work out something we can agree to :thumb:

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FLandOBX
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Posts: 1765
Joined: Sun May 04, 2014 1:58 am
Kiting since: 2007
Weight: 81 kg
Local Beach: Hatteras Island, North Carolina, USA
Central Florida, USA
Style: Freeride, Airstyle, Hydrofoil
Gear: Cab. Apollos, Cab. Contra One-Struts, FS Speed 4, FS Souls, Axis Ltd 132, RRD Poison 135, SS Ankle Biter, Moses 633, 679 & 590, SS Dwarfcraft 100cm, LF Galaxy 4'2"
Brand Affiliation: None
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Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby FLandOBX » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:15 am

Hey, ChadAP. Does your wife like photography, too? After you start ripping up the Atlantic shoreline around Daytona, you'll need someone to capture those action shots for you. :thumb: Welcome to the forum, and to the sport.

ChadAP
Rare Poster
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:13 am
Local Beach: Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, Ormond Beach
Favorite Beaches: Daytona Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater
Style: Still finding it, fascinated by big air
Gear: Wainman Boss, Dakine Harness, still building up the rest
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 0

Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby ChadAP » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:19 am

FLandOBX wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:15 am
Hey, ChadAP. Does your wife like photography, too? After you start ripping up the Atlantic shoreline around Daytona, you'll need someone to capture those action shots for you. :thumb: Welcome to the forum, and to the sport.
Thanks FLand OBX.

She's not as passionate on stills photography as I am, but she does like video. We'll make a good team.

Do you kite near Daytona? From what I can tell, Ponce Inlet is the preferred kite spot in the area. Trying to get a feel for wind conditions so I can start sizing my first kite.

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Laughingman
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Posts: 2979
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:35 pm
Local Beach: Kettle Point, Mitchell's Bay, Rondeau Bay
Favorite Beaches: Kettle Point, Mitchell's Bay, Rondeau Bay, Long Bay, Cayo Guillermo, La Ventana
Gear: Ocean Rodeo Gen6 Flites 10m, 12m Gen2 Roams 6m and 8m, Cloud D 4.8, 6.2, 8.0, 10.4
Xeon Laluz, Mako Wide 150, Jellyfish Custom surf board quad fin 6', LF Impulse Foil and Kanaha Shapes 37" board
Engine Harness with slider
Location: Southwestern Ontario
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Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby Laughingman » Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:01 am

ChadAP wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:57 am
JakeFarley wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:25 am
Welcome! Get your wife to take lessons too. Otherwise she will be a kite widow like mine unless she likes lounging on the beach soaking up some rays :D .
Thanks, Jake!

My wife isn't the adrenaline junkie like I am, but she does in fact love lounging on the beach soaking up the sun. I think we'll be able to work out something we can agree to :thumb:
Neither was my wife but now shes arguably a better kiter then I am and there are a lot of benefits. Shared quiver shared boards, both interested in booking windy vacation destinations, always someone to kite with. She watched me, as she shivered on the beach for 4 years... unless your wife is a real trooper you will soon be on your own... no one wants to sit on the beach in 15-20 knots of wind... trust me
This is not just a hobby once you get into it, it changed my life and in turn it changed our life together. You don't want to do this alone or you might end up alone... :argue:

User avatar
FLandOBX
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1765
Joined: Sun May 04, 2014 1:58 am
Kiting since: 2007
Weight: 81 kg
Local Beach: Hatteras Island, North Carolina, USA
Central Florida, USA
Style: Freeride, Airstyle, Hydrofoil
Gear: Cab. Apollos, Cab. Contra One-Struts, FS Speed 4, FS Souls, Axis Ltd 132, RRD Poison 135, SS Ankle Biter, Moses 633, 679 & 590, SS Dwarfcraft 100cm, LF Galaxy 4'2"
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 183 times
Been thanked: 219 times

Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby FLandOBX » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:22 pm

ChadAP wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:19 am
Do you kite near Daytona? From what I can tell, Ponce Inlet is the preferred kite spot in the area. Trying to get a feel for wind conditions so I can start sizing my first kite.
Ponce if good. From Daytona, you can also go north to Matanzas Inlet or Huguenot Park. Also, a lot of people just kite from the beach at New Smyrna (south of Daytona). Because of proximity, I usually kite further south (Titusville, Cocoa Beach) or on the Gulf Coast (Ft. DeSoto). You'll find that the wind in Florida is generally light, so larger size kites are preferred. That said, depending on your weight, you'll probably want a first kite in the 12 meter range (14m if you're heavier). Take your lessons first, talk to your instructor about kites, then make a decision on your first kite, board, harness. :thumb:

TomW
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Posts: 3585
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:43 pm
Kiting since: 2001
Local Beach: Vejbystrand, Lomma
Gear: TW Surfboards hydrofoil board 110
Gong Veloce M, 100cm carbon mast
Ozone Hyperlink V1 7m
Hyperlink V2 9m, 13m
Concept Air Wave 4,5m
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Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby TomW » Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:35 pm

Welcome to kitesurfing and kiteforum.com
I've been windsurfing 1978-1988 and kitesurfing since 2002. My wife enjoys the outdoors and we share our passion for the outdoors cycling and walking our dog. ( she runs, but I can't anymore). My 12 year old is passionate about soccer and plays. We manage to combine our various interests and support each other in them. It's worked for us, we've been together 36 years. Trail running, soccer matches, kitesurfing. Diverse, but it keeps it fresh.

Sure, I would love it if my wife kitesurfed and my boy too ( He's learning). But you gotta respect their passions too.

Be safe.

ChadAP
Rare Poster
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:13 am
Local Beach: Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, Ormond Beach
Favorite Beaches: Daytona Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater
Style: Still finding it, fascinated by big air
Gear: Wainman Boss, Dakine Harness, still building up the rest
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 0

Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby ChadAP » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:38 am

So a quick question (and proof of my inexperience):

The company that offers lessons in Daytona Beach has some package deals on their website. The boards are house brand, the kites are Takoon Furia, and the harness is an Epic convertible style (can be used as waist or seat. The control bar is also Takoon. Using my weight and typical wind conditions for the area, most online calculators suggest I use a 12-13m kite and board fairly close to 140cm. The price is pretty good.

I have been looking around, reading magazines, checking YouTube and this forum, and have been intrigued by Airush because they seem to be built to last a long time. The Lithium seems like a good all around that people don't seem to outgrow. It cost almost as much as the full package deal by itself, but if it's built to last a long time it could be a better value in the long run.

Have any kiters here used one or both of these and have any perspective on which might be better?

pete32257
Rare Poster
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 4:04 pm
Local Beach: Matanzas inlet
Huguenot Park
Style: intermediate
Gear: mostly airush lithium
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Has thanked: 0
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Re: Go easy on a Noob! Just getting started in the sport.

Postby pete32257 » Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:47 am

See my pm


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