I am a novice, and while I enjoy a ride/test/stack session on my own, as soon as another kite is within 50m of me I lose my mind. I am so afraid of crashing into someone, or hurting someone I just come bloody unglued!

I've read through the kite right of way handbooks, and forums of stupid things noobs do, both to avoid doing it and to have some idea of how to get out of it if it happens to me. Seriously, I sometimes run ROW situations in my head before I sleep.

I want to kite, but I find myself in a catch22 of thinking I'd be more confident if I was more tuned in my skill(kite more), and then freaking out because every good kite day will draw the kites to the beach.

The idea that y'all will look out for the fledgling kiter, and keep away is all good, but what if there's a heap of us noobs dangling around thinking the same thing?

Move to tasmania, you're gonna have the whole beach for yourself (-:

I hear that.
It was a real issue for me too when I first got started... Going awesome (in my head). Another kiter comes close and I lose kite/board/head crazy stuff. And while its hypocritical it was newbies like me that caused me the most dramas.

I have found that with perserverance I'm getting a lot better and am starting to be better at observing right-of-way too.

I've read a suggestion on a forum before that newbies need some kind of indicator (eg yellow rashy) to help competent kiters know to keep their distance. It sounds good.

In way of advice, try to stay down wind from the crowds and be prepared to appologise for f*** ups.

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elhucko said..

Move to tasmania, you're gonna have the whole beach for yourself (-:

central qld the same
confidence usually comes from competency which is a product of practice over time.
take a few weekday afternoons off (will be less crowded)
learn upwind and get out of the crowd (may require practice)
find a new spot (take a holiday)

Competent Kiters can spot a noob a mile away and ( if smart ) will allow you a large area to play.
You be smart too and work out the best place to be,even if you have to walk a bit.
Ask a good kiter where he recommends you to be.
Personally I love watching noobs, makes me laugh ( memories ) as I am sure people that are better than me laugh at me.

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fingerbone said..

Competent Kiters can spot a noob a mile away and ( if smart ) will allow you a large area to play.
You be smart too and work out the best place to be,even if you have to walk a bit.
Ask a good kiter where he recommends you to be.
Personally I love watching noobs, makes me laugh ( memories ) as I am sure people that are better than me laugh at me.

Yeah I agree with the above.

This is a re-occurring theme (not to say the post isn't welcome). I think there is a real niche in the market for kite schools to help people bridge the gap and offer constructive advice as to how to be considerate to others on the water. That said it has to come from the individuals to show willing and approach the schools.

Perhaps a P plate session when you can register as a newly 'trained' kiter and you can go out in 2s or 3s and be supervised and advise given by the school.

NB, I've only seen one school offer this service and they were, frankly, terrible. Did little more than launch the learner's kites and showed little interest at the unfolding cataclysm.

If you're well mannered and hang around the beach, you may be able to spot a 'resting' kiter who will happily keep an eye on you... but there really is no replacement for giving it a go, at a suitably kite friendly beach in light-moderate conditions.

Good luck

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your help and suggestions. :)

Crowds at the local teaching location (St Kilda) were a big issue for me when learning. You have to look out for learners, out of control kites and some show ponies close to shore.

The solution for me was to go to a quieter location so I could concentrate on the kiting. Its a bit of leap out of the comfort zone though. Its best to go to a location where there are a few kiters so you get assistance if you really need it.

Not sure where you kite but what I do if I want some room is go upwind 100mtrs or so ,it works for me where I generally kite , I suppose in saying that on a good day there's only a max of 10 kite"s where I live .

Unfortunately its catch 22, you need space to get better and not freak out when people are close but when the winds are good there is always a lot of people out, i learnt in ****ty conditions that most people wouldnt go out it (12-15 knots) it was harder to get up which made me focus on technique and i had km of beach to myself, i figure any time under the kite is good even if the winds are crap then when i was finally dealing with people in good conditions i could sort of go (i still cut people off and had to apologize but at least i was going) and from there you just get better and better :)

If you don't have any other option but to kite in a crowded location, keep an eye out & try to avoid other newbs & also tossers that kite dangerously with little regard for others.
The worst thing you can do is not go out as it will slow your progress.

You could just buy a large kite n kite in sub 10 knots? Easy fix

If you have a bit of money / time, consider taking a kiting holiday somewhere with regular friendly breezes, and generally less people. You concentrate and learn so much in such a short time when you're doing it throughout the day for consecutive days.

I went to FNQ for that exact reason, and learnt so much.

^^^^^^ Same....Kite surfari...Due to work and family commitments I kited total 6 hrs in my first year, went to Ants Surfari and kited 20 hrs in 3.5 days.

BeautyRudy
Heres a place to take a kite holiday, we did 14 sessions in 7 days :)



http://kitemorocco.com/dakhla-spirit



But other than that just get to your local and get out there, smile and ask for help.

Don't worry about the experienced people they can spot you and kite around you. Try to eyeball other newbies and give them space. Also try to figure out if there is some form of rotation going on with the good guys. dudes kitessurfing waves, or wakestylers doing tricks in the same spot. If you stay away from them there is less changes of pissing off other riders.

^^^ This. Short-tacking or simply lawn mowing in the primo flats section is a sure way to lose any "noobie" allowances from me. It's not localism, just a fair way of sharing limited resources. Observe the pattern and take your turn.

Simple. Keep ur kite at 12 when u get stressed and sink into water. When they are gone start kiting again and try not to kite in busy spots. Go deeper or further away.

I found that when I started a session off with a nice long body-drag out to the deeper/less crowded water, I was making it glaringly obvious to everyone watching that I was a beginner and to give me some distance

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salt said..

Simple. Keep ur kite at 12 when u get stressed and sink into water. When they are gone start kiting again and try not to kite in busy spots. Go deeper or further away.

Do not keep your kite at 12 on the land or the water. If you need to sit still for a bit lower your kite to the edge of the window. This does two things: lets other riders pass you easily, and means that if your kite falls a bit in a lull/shift then you don't lose line tension and control of your kite.

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djdojo said..

salt said..

Simple. Keep ur kite at 12 when u get stressed and sink into water. When they are gone start kiting again and try not to kite in busy spots. Go deeper or further away.

Do not keep your kite at 12 on the land or the water. If you need to sit still for a bit lower your kite to the edge of the window. This does two things: lets other riders pass you easily, and means that if your kite falls a bit in a lull/shift then you don't lose line tension and control of your kite.

Yes, a kite at 12 is not only makes the you vulnerable to lofting and the kite falling in a lull, it gets in everyone's way.

Bring it slowly down to the water at the edge of the wind window, even touching/resting the lower edge on the water.

Bear in mind that will be slowly pulled/dragged in the direction that you look at the kite.


This photo from St Kilda Friday 21/02/14. Kites at lunch are all learners. Its the most popular learning location in Victoria.

It will get easier, at the moment you are dividing your attention between flying the kite and navigating your way through the minefield. Soon enough the kite flying will become second nature and you won't be thinking about it, freeing up more of your attention to where you are and who is around you.

All you can do is keep at it, as mentioned above just take the time to learn your local, where the circuits are and where you can go without upsetting the rhythm of the place. If in doubt plonk your arse in the water, hold your kite out to the side, take a breath, let the traffic pass and then go again. And look over your shoulder before you turn. Easy.