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Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

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sphen3p
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Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby sphen3p » Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:07 pm

Hello kitesurfing community! I'm new to the forum and to kitesurfing in general so let me start off by giving a little background.

My name is Sphen (or Steve), I live in Clearwater, FL (Tampa Bay area) and have recently decided to take up kitesurfing as my new hobby. I have watched countless videos and have studied wind theory as much as I could and then this past Tuesday I look my first lessons. Went out with a certified instructor who had a wave runner and he took me to three rooker island off clearwater beach and we had the island to ourselves. After the first 2 hours of safety and trainer kite flying I got hooked up to a 2014 14m cabrinha switchblade and got riding a bit and was instantly hooked! This is definitely the action sport for me. I spent another two hours practicing, swallowed A LOT of salt water, was able to ride short runs in both directions and then time was up and we headed back in.

I plan on taking a few more hours of lessons as I still don't feel I'm 100% ready to get going without an instructor. I'd rather spend extra money on lessons rather than risk hurting myself, or others.

I was thinking it would be a good idea to get a smaller power kite that I could use to practice flying and continuing to develop muscle memory and kite skills while saving up for my bigger purchase (2014 cabrinha switchblade 12m). I want a kite that can not only be used as a trainer kite, but that will also be powerful enough for landboarding so that I don't just end up selling it after a short while.

I am 27 years old, 5'5", 120lbs.

From what I've looked at so far, I'm leaning towards a HQ Scout III 5m. Would any of you recommend this kite, or are there better options for cheaper? Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby jeromeL » Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:27 pm

I have learned kitesurfing recently. I also bought a trainer kite which I used for like 4 hours before my first lesson. Flying trainer kite helps but it is not the same as flying a bigger LEI kite.

Honestly, it sounds like you are doing well so you can probably take a few more lessons to get your board and kite skills in. Make sure you learn self rescue and can launch and land your kite, getting out and getting back in the water body dragging. Save your $500 for HQ 5m and buy a kitesurfing kite right away.

If you still want to get a trainer kite, go ahead there are a lot of fun and fairly safe, you can even do small jump with them. I have a Slingshot B3 which is $219 on Amazon. Note that the trainer kite are foil kite which have a lot more pull than LEI kite. So you can't compare a 5m trainer kite with a 5m switchblade. You will be surprised how much power the 5m trainer kite.
I am 175lb and my Slingshot B3 is definitely enough to get me going on a landboard on packed surface or skateboard on road. It lift me up from laying down on sand on power stroke and do 5 feet sand slide on powerstroke when it is like 15 knots.
So if you want trainer kite don't get a 5m, save some money and get a 3m that is plenty of power for your weight. I can't comment about other trainer kite brand but the Slingshot B3 has plenty of power.

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby Thor SFBay » Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:52 pm

Don't waste your time with a trainer kite. It just isn't the same thing. You'd be much better off taking another lesson and buying a real kite. Then go to your local area and when you ask for a launch, make sure you tell the person launching you that you are a beginner. It's also a good idea to ask a second person to stand by you to make sure you get it right. Then body drag away from the crowds and go for it. Watch out for other kiters and keep working on it until you are a ways down the beach. Hit the safety release near shore, self rescue to the beach, carry your kite back to the launch area, and do it again. Over and over until you can finally plane easily and go upwind. That's how you learn.

Some beginner tips I wish I'd known - get a GoJoe to make finding your board easier and kite in decent wind speeds. I spent too much time searching for my board and trying to kite in low wind conditions where the kite would fly but had no power for pulling.

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby ciscokitesurfer » Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:21 pm

take more lessons and kite on the water is the best choice. Also I had practice on a trainer kite and my skateboard going left and right on a park next to the ocean. It has helped me with my confident how to stop using the kite and mowing the pavement. Also you don't need much wind. When kite surfing in the water you need more than 10 knots . The more wind the better in the water.
cheers

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby Bille » Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:48 pm

If you can get a decent (used) DE-powerable land kite for cheap, along
with a used land-board with Big wheels ; then go for it. It will More than double
the amount of time you get to go kiting. Most ALL the people that will recommend
Ya don't do this ; they suck at land-boarding , so they can't see the point . Your
weight with a 5-M ; you can go in a 3-5 mph wind , at low-tide on the beach.

You can make your own land-board for under $100 ; go to the Board Builders
section on this forum, and they will tell you how. Ya don't need fancy vacuum bag
stuff to accomplish it.

Board builders ----- viewforum.php?f=107

You should be thinking ("Used") or make it yourself here ! You can save money by
building your own water kiting board as well ; ((I did)) and so did a bunch of other
guys here , (lots of proven designs, in that department).

Bille

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby Living2Kite » Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:22 am

Hi,

I have an HQ Scout2 3m which I use in the buggy occasionally. I think this is basically a cheaper Beamer with a bar and a quite effective cross-over bridle with cheap pulleys which are actually still used on expensive inflatable kites. The lines that run through the pulleys wear VERY slowly, far less than any of my depower kites.

This scout 2 retailed for £189 and now it retails for £289.95 for the 3. That's a large increase in price for the same kite. What did they change to justify this?

I've tried it on my landboard many times and the upwind ability is poor and you cant jump with it. The power is very on and off and falls back into the middle of the wind window especially in an offshore wind. It's tricky to landboard with it.
That harness line is poor, it causes too much friction on the hook and requires alot of force to turn the kite and the plastic tube splits. The safety release on the harness line is poor, very old fashioned and you'll never release that in an emergency.

It's was a nice package though for what I paid for it which was what £155, just for the buggy though.

I've been to Florida before on holiday. I wouldn't bother messing on a landboard with that lovely weather you have.

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby Living2Kite » Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:24 am

Living2Kite wrote:Hi,

I have an HQ Scout2 3m which I use in the buggy occasionally. I think this is basically a cheaper Beamer with a bar and a quite effective cross-over bridle with cheap pulleys which are actually still used on expensive inflatable kites. The lines that run through the pulleys wear VERY slowly, far less than any of my depower kites.

This scout 2 retailed for £189 and now it retails for £289.95 for the 3. That's a large increase in price for the same kite. What did they change to justify this?

I've tried it on my landboard many times and the upwind ability is poor and you cant jump with it. The power is very on and off and falls back into the middle of the wind window especially in an offshore wind. It's tricky to landboard with it.
That harness line is poor, it causes too much friction on the hook and requires alot of force to turn the kite and the plastic tube splits. The safety release on the harness line is poor, very old fashioned and you'll never release that in an emergency.

It's was a nice package though for what I paid for it which was what £155, just for the buggy though.

I've been to Florida before on holiday. I wouldn't bother messing on a landboard with that lovely weather you have.
Edit: That pulley bridle can mean even more trouble for beginners. I'm an expert at bridle tangles and even that's had me stumped few times.

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby plummet » Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:27 am

My call as a landboarder, kitesurfer, buggier, longboard skate kiter.

5m fixed bridle is good on the landboard 10-15 knots. It's about as powerful as a 10m lei.

I agree with Bille. If you want to landboard aswell then do it. Don't listen to the kitesurfers who don't landboard.. they don't understand.

There is definitely transferable skills. But at the same time there's stance, foot position, weighting differences.

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby LTD WaterSports » Sun Dec 28, 2014 7:54 pm

In our school we don't use trainer kites (well at least not the two line kites) Why? because they're a waste of time and when you're paying for a lesson time is money. Instead we teach on smaller kites 8m but on short lines 10-15m. I think we have the highest success rate of any local shop. 90% of our students are board starting or riding after the first lesson. And if you happen to be the other 10% we keep going until you do. Instead of an hourly lesson program we set goals and based on a few back ground questions we have a good understanding of what that first goal should be.

I also have last years lesson kites @ very discounted prices. too cheap to advertise so just give us a call if you want to go that route.

Makes sense to us because there will be days you need a 8-9m kite!

LTD WaterSports - 850-240-4782

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Re: Trainer / Landboard Kite Options (Beginner)

Postby plummet » Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:10 pm

An 8m lie will work well on a land board too. But they are easier to damage.


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