Forum for kitesurfers
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Mr_Weetabix
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Postby Mr_Weetabix » Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:51 am
Whatever you do, don't go out alone. Even if there are other kiters on the beach, there is no guarantee that you'll get help if you get into trouble... if you're getting dragged downwind by an out-of-control kite, the majority of your fellow kiters will be telling themselves "meh, he's OK" or "meh, someone else will get him" (and a few will be thinking "Yay! There goes that kook!"). If you're having trouble getting back to that $150/day board when you come unstuck (because you're not going to use a leash, right?), who's going to help you recover it?
The only way to guarantee that you get help is to either hire a decent instructor, or go out with a more experienced kiter who knows your skill level, will keep eyes on you, and will stop whatever he or she is doing to come after you if it looks like you might be having difficulties.
If you don't have a kite buddy, get lessons.
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redman333
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Postby redman333 » Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:03 am
Mr_Weetabix wrote:Whatever you do, don't go out alone. Even if there are other kiters on the beach, there is no guarantee that you'll get help if you get into trouble... if you're getting dragged downwind by an out-of-control kite, the majority of your fellow kiters will be telling themselves "meh, he's OK" or "meh, someone else will get him" (and a few will be thinking "Yay! There goes that kook!"). If you're having trouble getting back to that $150/day board when you come unstuck (because you're not going to use a leash, right?), who's going to help you recover it?
The only way to guarantee that you get help is to either hire a decent instructor, or go out with a more experienced kiter who knows your skill level, will keep eyes on you, and will stop whatever he or she is doing to come after you if it looks like you might be having difficulties.
If you don't have a kite buddy, get lessons.
Yeah, no kite buddy. At least not one that knows how to ride already. Munless someone here wants to make a new friend in the OBX lol.
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bmencer
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Postby bmencer » Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:59 pm
Many people have said it before me and many will say it after me take a lesson.
I am completely green. As in just started a month ago have 5 lessons under me and I can tell you I couldn't imagine doing it with out a lesson. The instruction is worth it in medical bills and equipment damage let alone frustration!
I too have self taught myself to race motorcross and rock climb/ice climb however would never dream of learning to kite without a lesson....
I was told NC is not friendly to kiters who put there kites on power lines.... I heard you are in charge of paying the cost to fix it!
If you can take a step back and rethink the lesson thing.
Bill
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Thor SFBay
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Postby Thor SFBay » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:46 pm
Something else I noticed... Everything I have read online about learning to kiteboard said to get a trainer kite first and learn basic kite skills before the first lesson. Yet the original post seemed to imply getting a full size kite and then trying to learn to fly it with no previous experience. Obviously, there are very important things that can be missed when doing this kind of research.
So just to be an annoying repetitive person, here's how you do it:
1. Practice on a trainer kite until you can fly it blind, one-handed, etc.
2. Take one full day lesson that includes body dragging. launching, landing, and self-rescue.
3. Go to your local kite beach, observe where people launch and land and how they go about it.
4. Talk to the locals, ask about hazards etc.
5. Pump up your kite, hook up the lines and ask for a launch. Tell the person who is launching you that you are a beginner. Get another volunteer to stand next to you to make sure you get it right and who can grab the back of your harness if you launch the kite a little too hot.
6. Go out there and crash in the water over and over again, get dragged way down the beach, hit the release, drop the kite in the water, wind up the lines, and walk back up the beach to the launch area and try again. And again.
Things that helped me a lot when learning: longer kiteboard, Go-Joe, seat harness. And wind. Learning in too light of wind can be very frustrating.
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SupaEZ
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Postby SupaEZ » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:48 pm
redman333 wrote:
All they would have to do is let go.
That is how much you don't know
It is counter intuitive to let go (the bar)
Instinct tells you to get a death grip on that bar.....holding on "feels safer" than letting go
We have all seen movies of people hanging from their fingertips at the edge of a high rise builing
Holding on is what goes on into your brain......unless your brain has been trained not to
The wind is the most underestimated invisible force ...and i hope you can Wreckognize that now
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markchatwin
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Postby markchatwin » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:58 pm
REDMAN I'm glad you came back as a REAL person! That means a new kiter is going to join the community! It sounds like with your fortitude that you could really pull this off. Keep in mind that perseverance is the number 2 necessity behind quality guidance. As a beginner you will be so tested. Your physical ability, your patience, your ability to handle fall after fall after fall after Supermaning, after wrestling with a large pulling Bull of a kite, after Buttersliding and Buttcleaning, will all be tested.
The reason I was amazed at your Balls is because even after 4 years averaging 50 sessions a year, many different kiting trips in different bodies of water, wind strengths from 8mph to 40mph, many different kites and boards I still Screw Up. I had one BigTime screw up as of late that had me questioning my own brains. In Hatteras in light winds I came in too close to shore (Sound) and my fin hit a rock or oyster bed and I fell onto my side and looped the kite. I should have let the bar go and released the safety but I tried to twist the bar back and in doing so looped the kite again. At this point I could have died but got lucky and wind didn't surge and I released the safety and kite went flying over the low trees and into someone's yard. Dumb ass me. A pro was nearby when it happened and he went and got my kite and came back and said, "Next time let go of the bar right away and then release if you know you can't figure things out instantaneously". He also reminded me that I had large fins and was foolish for coming in so close. I was too confident. I knew what he was telling me but I thought I was experienced enough to know the water depth. That Will never happen again.
I can't add anything that hasn't been said about how to get started but I can tell you it's not like any sport you could possibly imagine. With kiting you're doing so many muscle activities at once. First there's the critical skill of flying the kite which if you get a trainer you'll be on top of that. I have a 3.5m Flexifoil Rage 2-line kite that did me well and is now used as my high wind snow kite.
Then there's the critical board skills where wake boarding was a big part of my history. Have you wakeboarded or snowboarded? These sports will help a great deal.
Please keep us in the Loop about your progress. I for one will be on the edge of my seat as to how you finally get it going. No matter how smart and "in shape" you are shit will happen. It's how you're trained that keeps you alive!
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redman333
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Postby redman333 » Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:44 pm
markchatwin wrote:REDMAN I'm glad you came back as a REAL person! That means a new kiter is going to join the community! It sounds like with your fortitude that you could really pull this off. Keep in mind that perseverance is the number 2 necessity behind quality guidance. As a beginner you will be so tested. Your physical ability, your patience, your ability to handle fall after fall after fall after Supermaning, after wrestling with a large pulling Bull of a kite, after Buttersliding and Buttcleaning, will all be tested.
The reason I was amazed at your Balls is because even after 4 years averaging 50 sessions a year, many different kiting trips in different bodies of water, wind strengths from 8mph to 40mph, many different kites and boards I still Screw Up. I had one BigTime screw up as of late that had me questioning my own brains. In Hatteras in light winds I came in too close to shore (Sound) and my fin hit a rock or oyster bed and I fell onto my side and looped the kite. I should have let the bar go and released the safety but I tried to twist the bar back and in doing so looped the kite again. At this point I could have died but got lucky and wind didn't surge and I released the safety and kite went flying over the low trees and into someone's yard. Dumb ass me. A pro was nearby when it happened and he went and got my kite and came back and said, "Next time let go of the bar right away and then release if you know you can't figure things out instantaneously". He also reminded me that I had large fins and was foolish for coming in so close. I was too confident. I knew what he was telling me but I thought I was experienced enough to know the water depth. That Will never happen again.
I can't add anything that hasn't been said about how to get started but I can tell you it's not like any sport you could possibly imagine. With kiting you're doing so many muscle activities at once. First there's the critical skill of flying the kite which if you get a trainer you'll be on top of that. I have a 3.5m Flexifoil Rage 2-line kite that did me well and is now used as my high wind snow kite.
Then there's the critical board skills where wake boarding was a big part of my history. Have you wakeboarded or snowboarded? These sports will help a great deal.
Please keep us in the Loop about your progress. I for one will be on the edge of my seat as to how you finally get it going. No matter how smart and "in shape" you are shit will happen. It's how you're trained that keeps you alive!
I have snowboarded for most of my life. Mine done quite a bit of wake boarding also as well as skateboarding and long boarding when I was younger.. I thought my self how to surf a few years ago also, that one was interesting. Nth at one was one of those oh that
Oops cool, hey buddy can I try to learn on your short board while a hurricane is coming in. That was definetly one of the dumber moves in my life. It took a lot of falls and some very tiring paddling out(until someone told me to paddle out between the waves not right into them), but I finally learned how to surf after my 3 day.
I'll definetly keep you all informed as to my progress. I have a waterproof cam also so I'll try to get some good video as well as have my GF take some pics.
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Rando1994
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Postby Rando1994 » Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:29 pm
Boardsport experience helps, but it's not called board kiting...
It's called kiteboarding for a reason. There are many things you have yet to learn about flying a kite, that you simply can't learn solo without problems. You will choke out your kite in light wind, hold the bar in on relaunch, sheet in when you should sheet out,....and soooo much more. A two line trainer is no help in these rookie issues...your instructor will help you. Get one....
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waynepjh
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Postby waynepjh » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:44 pm
Kiteboarding is not hard neither Is flying an airplane. Would you teach yourself to fly an airplane. Buy a 3.5 meter ozone imp and get really good at it. Find a parking lot and your longboard and get good at riding the board while flying the kite practice riding regular and goofy back and forth. Then get a lesson and you may be up and riding your first day. And the trainer you bought can keep you and your friends entertained a long time. Jmo! Wayne
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NJOY
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Postby NJOY » Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:33 pm
SupaEZ wrote:redman333 wrote:
All they would have to do is let go.
That is how much you don't know
It is counter intuitive to let go (the bar)
Instinct tells you to get a death grip on that bar.....holding on "feels safer" than letting go
This is so true! .
I was just wondering how can a "smart" guy who reads a lot ignore all this advice about safety?? All those other sports you tried, Redman333, were non-wind related sports.
You have a lot of left-brain information in your file cabinet in your noggin, but doesn't seem that you are likely to follow sound wisdom, grasshopper...(I like kung-fu movies)
Can you please explain?? What wind-related sports have you done?
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