Lambie said.. ?????????.I use it for precision flying practice so its a keeper!!

Kitepower Australia said..



There are several comments here that are just blatantly incorrect, I just picked yours to start with because your opening line is to be blunt, ridiculous, sorry.
I'm going to use the Ozone Ignition trainer kites as my reference kite, because it is in my 20+ years experience in kite retail and teaching, the best on the market (and yes I sell them and am the brand manager for Ozone in Australia).
The Ozone Ignition is a real kite, it has been designed from the ground up as a trainer kite, so it flies slower and turns slower. It has a 3rd line safety (and relaunch) system, and most importantly teaches the user how wind affects a kite, the shape of the wind window, that the wind window has a left and right side, and that in an emergency you let go of the bar!!!
You don't need to fly a trainer kite "aggressively", if you are doing this you are doing it wrong, or the wind is too light or maybe you wasted 20 buck on an evilbay kite.

Watch this video in order to learn all about a 3 line trainer kite - www.kitepower.com.au/collections/kitesurfing/Trainer-Kites

The purpose of a trainer kite is not to learn how to rig and operate the safety system of an inflatable kite surfing kite, it is to learn about the wind, and about the wind window and how a kite flies in the wind window. Flying one will teach the user about the power zone, upturns, downturns, consequences of each type of turn, and how the kite accelerates from the edge of the window to the centre of the wind window/centre of the power zone, and then decelerates to the opposite edge of the wind window. Understanding the edges of the window and learning to anticipate when to turn, will avoid a lot of unplanned landings in the water and a lot more time learning to get up on the board.

@Salt - Thats like saying a board is a board, just get anyone, or a surfboard is a surfboard just get anyone, or even a car is a car, even if you need one to go 4WDing, just get the cheapest cherry 2WD it'll do mate, after all its a car! NOT!

@VWPete, a piece of dowel could be called a bar, but it won't have a 3rd line safety, safety cuff, line winders, and your average evilbay kite will come with elastic nylon lines and make it even harder to fly, if it flies in anything other than a gale.

We try to make it as easy as possible for someone to learn to fly a kite and then learn to kitesurf, customers can rent, or purchase with a guaranteed buy back value, but we have bought back less than 20 in the last 13 years!! There is a clear difference in the time needed to teach someone to kitesurf, if they have previous kite flying experience, those that ignore the kite flying skill as a pre-requisite end up paying for more lessons, learn slower, have more relaunching issues with their big kitesurfing kite, and often just give up the sport before they ever got to really enjoy it.

But what would I know!

Plummet said..

Fire your trainer kite up with a longboard skateboard. its the best way to use one!

kitebt said..
I think everything kite power mentioned in their post is of immense value to anyone wanting to get into kiting and develop their skills for more advanced moves that involve better kite control.

Plummet said..

Fire your trainer kite up with a longboard skateboard. its the best way to use one!

kiteboy dave said..
BTW RALINN not sure about your logic, I mean the first thing an instructor is going to do with a total noob is give them a trainer for an hour, right? So why pay for that as a lesson when the same money would buy the trainer?

kiteboy dave said..
BTW RALINN not sure about your logic, I mean the first thing an instructor is going to do with a total noob is give them a trainer for an hour, right? So why pay for that as a lesson when the same money would buy the trainer?

RAL INN said..

13+ years since doing the IKO thing and taught hundreds to kitesurf.

RAL INN said..you are far better off spending the money on a lesson than a trainer kite.
if you feel it compelling then just get a 2 line stunt kite.

after these 13 years of teaching i can pick like clockwork certain points of time when all students are at the same point at the same time irregardless of previous experience outside of actual power kite flying experience.

that time always starts from when student starts using a "real" kite to when they body drag upwind. it is always within 5-10min.

RAL INN said..
So spend the money on lessons from an instructor that makes you feel comfortable and doesn't waste your money flying toy kites.

kiteboy dave said..



Nice one Plummet. I have all the required ingredients, except perhaps an open outdoor windy path like that. I'll have to find one.

LostDog said..



C'mon, fess up and show us some of the roasties?

kiteboy dave said..



Nice one Plummet. I have all the required ingredients, except perhaps an open outdoor windy path like that. I'll have to find one.

For the record, I have a 3.5 imp trainer that has been claimed by my wife, it's perfect for her to beach fly and she loves the drop-to-depower security. Plus it's fast & easy to rig/launch/pack up/etc. I snapped up a 2nd hand one for her, and for teaching mates, etc. Sorry about that noobs, another one off the market.

BTW RALINN not sure about your logic, I mean the first thing an instructor is going to do with a total noob is give them a trainer for an hour, right? So why pay for that as a lesson when the same money would buy the trainer?

Myself and Darren Marshall did the course in Feb 2003, thats just under 11 years ago. Was not called IKO then, but our instructor numbers remain mine is 233, what number is yours?


Sorry Tony thats BS, someone that already knows how to fly a kite, knows the wind window, is comfortable with one handed steering, etc always learns faster and saves money on lessons


That sounds a lot like, listen to me, I know everything, relax, be comfortable, while I empty your wallet as much as possible while you take as many lessons as I can sell you.

Professional schools, that run full time in the season and rely on repeat business and a good reputation, must deliver excellent value for money and produce the safest possible, confident learners. These schools and instructors will always give the advice that it is best to learn to fly a kite before coming for lessons.
Like VWPete says, it can be an evilbay kite and a piece of dowel, but in my experience leaning is faster easier and more enjoyable with a quality kite. We've offered to buy back all trainer kites we sell for years, but hardly anyone has ever taken up the offer, the reason is obvious, they got so much out of it or they sold or gave it to their friends or kids, etc.

RAL INN said.....the difference between previous trainer kite experience and nil is sorted in about 10-15mins of instruction.

sebol said..

pull right and the kite turns to the right, pull left and it goes to the left.

waveslave said..



The term 'trainer' kite is a total misnomer.

It's a goddamn toy kite.

It's a pretend kite that teaches you zero respect for the power of a real kitesurfing kite.

It's a tool of the school who like to hand it out to a clueless newbie as a diversionary tactic,

when there's not enough wind for a proper lession.

waveslave said..



The term 'trainer' kite is a total misnomer.

It's a goddamn toy kite.

It's a pretend kite that teaches you zero respect for the power of a real kitesurfing kite.

It's a tool of the school who like to hand it out to a clueless newbie as a diversionary tactic,

when there's not enough wind for a proper lession.

tungsten said..

RAL, I appreciate your experience, and I would agree that you can teach, with a modern LEI, the basic handling and safety relevant stuff within the time frame you mention, without any kite skill in the student. Modern LEIs are that stable. Your students learn to park and ride a modern rag in decent conditions.

Unfortunately, the result of this method is poor kite flying skills. The lads know fark all about kite handling, trimming, let alone most basic concepts in aerodynamics like stall or luff, and how to fly a kite. Put them on a twitchy, wrongly trimmed or otherwise distorted kite and they don't know what to do. Give them a decent fixed bridle power kite on handles and a bit of gusty wind and they're in for a ride they will never forget.

Kiting is not only about mowing the lawn on a LEI.

Putting the kids on a trainer for some time is about teaching them basic kite skills.

I see the result of your method every day on the beach. Not funny.

RAL INN said..



it was still called Wipika School network then but changing.
the difference between previous trainer kite experience and nil is sorted in about 10-15mins of instruction.
your reply sounds like just an excuse to get in another post peddling your product.

RAL INN said..those extra skills you refer to, are usually part of what I teach but mainly in the stage after body dragging.

tungsten said..



Maybe we should clear out what "trainer kite experience" means. If you're talking about somebody being able to hold a 2 liner or 3 liner at zenith, I agree. That's 5 minutes and completely useless.

But you certainly don't learn radical kite maneuvers in 15 minutes - neither on a trainer nor on a full fledged kite - , flying the kite close to the ground across the window, powered up for heel dragging, diving it like for water start using the whole of the wind window and not just half of it, flying the box, down loop and loop, the 8, one handed, and so on.

I have tested this many times. I give a 2m or 3m quality fixed bridle kite to the newb depending on weight, show him the moves, and have him come back after a week or a month when he's able to fly the maneuvers accurately and at full speed. The big kite is then a real relief, so much slower, easier to control, and the newb can concentrate on the other stuff. It's the difference between crashing the kite and flying the kite. IMHO.

Skid said..

I agree that cheap fleabay kites are a waste of $.

But why has nobody mentioned one of the most valuable uses of a trainer kite?

You know, the days when some young lady is on the beach and mentions that kiting looks like fun etc.... Perfect opportunity to offer them a go on your trainer kite.

I've met a few girls that way, some of them I am still friends with...

puppetonastring said..

I haven't been around since the turn if the century but I know for a fact that Steve is 100% correct on the value of trainer kite time before lessons.
That's why at The Kite Surf SUP school we offer every student use of free trainer and a manual for as long as they like before starting on their costly instructor time. We recommend a minimum of 10 to 20 hrs of self learning - with the manual as your guide.
Apart from getting students who are capable kite handlers the boost in confidence and lack of anxiety doubles the value of instruction time.
If you want value for money from your kite lessons learn to fly a kite in your own time first.
It's a no-brainer.

Kitepower Australia said..



So you didn't actually do your IKO 13+ years ago did you? Whats your instructor number?

Anyway, you just fail to understand that no matter how many times you state that you teach this or that, you clearly have a significant inability to understand that all people learn at different rates. You don't seem to understand that teaching kitesurfing is not a "I did this or do what I say" exercise. Teaching is about understanding how your student is learning, so a good teacher always learns twice, because every student is different.

The skills they need to learn however are the same, and a kite designed specifically for the purpose of learning basic kite control will do that best.

When people lack basic kite flying skills, they inevitably fail and crash the kite without understanding why, something which your ego driven teaching method prevents you from seeing. Not only are they embarrassed, they begin to feel fear of the kite and fear of making more errors. People always benefit from previous kite flying experience, to deny it, really just exposes your failings as a good teacher.