Hi folks,

First let me say its great to find an ACTIVE online kitboarding community after looking for weeks.

I'm looking to get into some kit based activities for Fun and fitness and was wondering where I should start?

I'm currently looking @ buying this DVD on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=290309453561

I was also told by a friend of a friend that kites that I should get a training kite and practice for 6 months over the winter before I think about getting into the water next summer. Would that be a good move along with the DVD?

I'm hoping to buy a kite from ebay or a shop in sydney with my Rudd money in a next couple of weeks. And then a board after winter. I'm also looking @ buying a mountain board aswell so I can do both? Its pretty similar skills and work with the kite, yes?

I'd also like to add that I'm 32, 175cm and a bit overweight (105kg), but I skateboard a bit and have pretty good endurance.

Any and all tips, help and recommendations would be MUCH appreciated as I would really like to start ASAP.

Thanks

Grant

search for beginner topic as all the info you need has already been covered but in a nut shell . .
-play with learner kite in a SAFE area on beach only
-DO HAVE at least 3 lessons by a registered IKO instructor regardless of what anyone says
-THEN go and buy gear NOT on ebay-check it out in person as it may have holes or dodgy repairs etc which will severly impact performance
LISTEN to other kiters in your area for where to kite etc
Lastly enjoy and be safe

oh yeah in your lessons they will guide you to buy the correct gear for your weight, height etc

Thanks I looked in the beginner section and saw some relevant stuff, but was hoping to get some advice on the DVD, etc.

I'd really like to go in and get some first hand advice, can anyone recommend a good store in Sydney (not central coast or the shire preferably), maybe one that does lessons too, the sort of place that likes beginners and is friendly and helpful :)

Not sure of your area mate, but you will find that pretty much all kiting shops are good and most do lessons too. They are all pretty friendly in my experiences, not like some oldschool surfing shops can be at times.

Couldn't agree more about the lessons though.

The dvd can be used as a good tool as it will help you remember a lot of what your instrucor will cover in your lessons and keep it fresh in your mind. This is what I did when I first learned.

Your instructor will also recommend a size and type of kite that will suit you and your local area. As well as board size and shape.

You will love it though mate.

D

I'm in Sydney, Merryland currently to be precise, but I'm off OS in May for a month and then moving back to the Inner west (prolly around Enmore) so I'm probably looking for a shop, south of Sydney harbour but north of The Shire.

Sorry, mate, I don't know sydney well at all, if nobody else offers any advice it may be just a case of get a few addresses and going down and sussing them out. One shop that I bought a kite from has a shop in San Souci (not that I know where that is) their name is Kitepower if that's close to where you'll be. They guy I delt with from there (albeit by email) was really good and I'm sure you would have absolutely no problems with them helping you out and giving you good info.

Hope this helps,

D

Welcome to Seabreeze..(& kiting!)

Here's some handy articles if you've not read them already:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Summary.aspx

This one summarises them all, and has a listing of kiting shops:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/How-to-start-Kiteboarding_2274949.aspx

Enjoy

Hi,

Welcome to Kiting. - Steve from Kitepower, is located in San Souci, - Grand Pde on Botany Bay. - Best place to go for lessons, advice, etc. - Best place to kite in sydney is Botany Bay usually From northerly winds to southerly winds. - Can't tell you much about the DVD, but the progressions series is worth looking at.

And no i don't work for Kitepower. If you are looking for well priced kites. Please be aware of any kite older than 2006. - Safety systems are not as good as later models. Try the seabreeze web site, in the buy section, and you should be able to find plenty of gear.

Send me a PM if you need more help, i am at blacktown.

Thanks folks I'll read the links and look into things... will probably also check out the store in San Souci. Cheers, will let you know my progress :)

Hi mate,

In regards to the DVD's, from memory the My Sessions dvd was a bit short, the one to look for is the Progression:Beginner DVD from Fat Sands which I believe is a lot more in-depth,

Matt
BTW Trainer kite will be very handy over winter

Your idea to get a trainer and a mountain board is very good one over the winter you will be ready to ride on water with minimum profess. lessons, perhaps 2 or 3 at the most. the idea to get lessons first is STUPID, STUPID and one more time STUPID, not to mention costly.
Have fun on your moutainboard it really is especially in winter, after you master basic landboarding, kiteboarding will be piece of cake, make sure you get at least 2 or 2.5m trainer 4 lines with the bar so its no diffrent than proper kite.

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cezary said...

the idea to get lessons first is STUPID, STUPID and one more time STUPID, not to mention costly.

I am assuming cezary is recommending you spend at least 10 hours with a trainer kite before forking out for lessons.

To reiterate, going kitesurfing without lessons would be STUPID.

Didnt say 10 hrs, but thats right that would be minimum before you even think about lessons that way you make most of them, keeping in mind that you take 3 prof. lessons as most people do.
The more time you spend on the trainer (ideally on a mountainboard)the less time you spend in the water playing a kook its as simple as that.
That doesnt of course apply to someone with unlimited cash who would like an instuctor in tow for much longer than few hrs.
It is also obvious that very gifted or experienced in similar sports would approach the whole thing in diffrent way.

Although flying a trainer kite as much as possible before taking lessons is definitley a good idea. I don`t think it is a 100% must. Alot of the kite schools will let you fly a trainer kite on your first, introduction to kiteboarding lesson, (taster day). I know you can`t put a price on safety, but they don`t come cheap. And if you are suggesting a mountain board as well, $$$.
Yes if you can afford it.
Main thing, take lessons, take your lessons seriously, be carefull and don`t go out alone especially when you are starting out. An instructional DVD or book will be very usefull after lessons so you can be reminded of things you were taught.

Most people coming into this sport is well off they can afford quivers of 3 kites and replace them every one or two years for the people not that well off there is 2nd hand market and this is really cheap not to look far my example, I paid for my 2m 4 line OZONE trainer with 4 line Ozone bar , leash, belt harness and mountain board ( 80 kg load) about $800 its all like new cond. happy to sell it for $250, few month ago I "SOLD" another Ozone trainer 1.5m in brand new cond. since I used only 2m one with moutainboard( 1.5m was too small for the board), I SOLD it for $0 try to beat that, I think anyone can afford that amount of money, but even current $250 is cheap since someone can use it over winter and sell for the same $$$ or more later on .
The schools do supply trainers but its not the same and very often thats 2 line crap on handles- waste of time.
NOTE: if somebody is intrested in my gear it must be picked up in Melbourne.

agree with whats been said above about hours on a trainer kite before lessons. only thing i can add is do one on one lessons only, its the only way to be sure of getting your moneys worth and you progress at your pace and not the slowest persons pace.

another thing is that if you are starting off with lessons and no prior kite flying experience, the whole initial learning curve and the power of these huge kites could be overwhelming and scary... i know people who have given up after couple of lessons. I've ridden land kites for two years before taking lessons... well it was one lesson (on safety/launching/landing pretty much), and i learned to ride the board in two self learning sessions. This would have taken me longer if i haven't had land flying/riding skills.

My personal advice is you may get a bit frustrated looking/waiting for the right wind if you are starting off now when the wind season is over. The winds over winter are not as reliable (that may differ depending on where you live). Yet you can still land board during the winter and then be perfectly ready right at the start of the season in october. And the land setup is 5 minutes unlike with water kiting. And you don't need lessons if you are using trainers (you can use safety leashes connected to your wrists so if you can't control the kite, just let go and the brake lines make it gracefully fall out of the sky - talking about foil kites with handles)...

cezary is right... you can pick up the land gear cheap... you don't need brand new or 1000 bucks board to have fun...

Oh, and in terms of skills, land boarding and kite boarding are quiet different actually, but land boarding would give you invaluable appreciation and respect for this sport.

OK folks it looks like I have a plan, I have brought the My Sessions DVD and am sourcing the Progression DVD.

I'm going to get myself a trainer kite (ebay or if any of you have one for sale now your no longer learners ;).

Do I need a lesson on how to use it or will the DVDs show me enough to get it up in the air and learning how to control it?

After that I'm thinking I will buy a landboard like this one http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260391872911

Is there a landboarding DVD I could get to make the transition from stationary kiting to landboarding?

Would I be able to use that with a trainer kite to get me moving at all?

I'm thinking after I'm confident with the kite and the landboard together, I'll get some lessons and hit the water...

Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

From my viewpoint (been kitign only about a year) you certainly seem to be playing it safe, which is great. And your kite skills will be better than the normal beginner when you eventually hit the water.

Havign said that, I never used a trainer kite. I had my 3 standard IKO lessons on a full sized kite, bought my own gear, then hit the water. Alot of people do it. Providing you have a good instructor and adhere to the safety messages you've learnt, there's no reason why you can;t make it that simple. Then the money you save from not needing a trainer kite and landboard can go towards a better/newer kite.

Mightn't be suitable for everyone, but it does work for some. Just a thought!

I'm actually looking forward to landboarding aswell so, yeah its not just on the way to hitting the water.

You don't need lessons to fly trainer kite if you start off with a smaller size kite and know how to use the brakes. I bought a 3 m trainer as a first kite, and in light winds it was easy to fly and not dangerous at all. You should be able to find videos on youtube on how to do it. Just lay down the kite, unfold (make sure you put a bag with a bit of weight on the trailing edge of the kite. You unwind the lines, attach (thicker line to the leading edge of the kite - the one with the wind pockets). You walk to where the handles are. Grab them.You simply pull on the front lines (grab each handle so that the front line on each handle passes between your index and middle fingers), and that should launch the kite (warning - in strong winds, lay or sit down to avoid being dragged to your face). You always launch down wind (unlike with water kites - LEIs). If you have too much power and want to land the kite, you shift your hands to the back of the handles and pull the back lines all the way down. 3 meter foils are very fast kites, and will give you enough power to ride land boards in winds 18-20 knots and above. In lighter winds it's fun and helps you master flying skills, but it gets a bit slow on the land board. You can figure out how to ride the board by your self... if you need any info just PM me. I also used 5m foil kite, and that's when you start talking about slightly more serious power - i got couple of minor injuries with this bigger kite flying in 30 knots winds.

(Just one thing - once you experience kiteboarding on the water, your land gear may never get used again )

Hi,

Just wondering about a gear setup, I had my heart set on a 12m Liquid Force Havoc 2008, with a 151cm board. I've never been on the water before and was looking for some advice with my choice of gear, although I've actually been kiting for quite some time now. I've mostly been working with a 3.5m Ozone dragging myself around and whatnot. I'm 6ft, 80kgs or there abouts and am looking to surf on mostly flat water, maybe with a little bit of chop.

Am I overshooting myself here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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navarone said...
I had my heart set on a 12m Liquid Force Havoc 2008, with a 151cm board.

Hey there,
liquid force havocs are pretty good, especially if you can get it in good condition and for a good price: under 900 would be alright.

Thats a pretty long board tho mate, It will help for the first few sessions to get you up and going and also for those light wind kite sessions... But as you progress you probably would want a shorter more maneuverable board ( for your weight probably something in the 130-140s)

And remember to still have some lessons and never go out by yourself as a learner and never go out in overpowered conditions as a learner

Good luck, good winds!

Get yourself a Flexi trainer...they look schmik....then fly the kite and if you like it and get good at it, then you are almost there...one lesson I recon and you are off.......but learn respect.