Discussion
Firstly you need lessons - it can be dangerous but any school will teach you:
1 - how to asses conditions
2 - how to fly the kite
3 - how to water start and ride
4 - how to be safe on the water
5 - how to self rescue if it all goes wrong
It usually takes 2 - 3 full day lessons to be up and riding, initially it is 90% kite skills and quite easy to learn. The closest sport is wake boarding.
Always have lessons before buying kit. Second hand kites are good value providing you buy the right ones, some kites are unsuitable for beginners and any kite over 5 years old is a definite no go.
Any decent shop / kite school will advise on the suitability of second hand kites even if you are buying elsewhere.
Where are you based?
1 - how to asses conditions
2 - how to fly the kite
3 - how to water start and ride
4 - how to be safe on the water
5 - how to self rescue if it all goes wrong
It usually takes 2 - 3 full day lessons to be up and riding, initially it is 90% kite skills and quite easy to learn. The closest sport is wake boarding.
Always have lessons before buying kit. Second hand kites are good value providing you buy the right ones, some kites are unsuitable for beginners and any kite over 5 years old is a definite no go.
Any decent shop / kite school will advise on the suitability of second hand kites even if you are buying elsewhere.
Where are you based?
What Jesus said.
It's not a sport you can teach yourself. Having been doing it for 2 and a bit years, not even now would i even begin to try and show someone the basics.
It's honestly the hardest sport i've learnt (even from a snowboarding / wakeboarding background). The basics are tough, but once you've got them, progression can be very quick (and is generally only limited by the size of your gonads!).
In terms of kit, best first buy will be something end of season or secondhand, as you'll move on quite quickly and get more of an idea of which route you want to go (freeride / freestlye / wave etc) which will infom your choices a bit.
a 3 day course will be enough to give you the basics, you just need to practice then.
Also, you won't be swept out to see, you only* kite where there are onshore / cross-on shore winds for precisely that reason.
It's not a sport you can teach yourself. Having been doing it for 2 and a bit years, not even now would i even begin to try and show someone the basics.
It's honestly the hardest sport i've learnt (even from a snowboarding / wakeboarding background). The basics are tough, but once you've got them, progression can be very quick (and is generally only limited by the size of your gonads!).
In terms of kit, best first buy will be something end of season or secondhand, as you'll move on quite quickly and get more of an idea of which route you want to go (freeride / freestlye / wave etc) which will infom your choices a bit.
a 3 day course will be enough to give you the basics, you just need to practice then.
Also, you won't be swept out to see, you only* kite where there are onshore / cross-on shore winds for precisely that reason.
- (you can kite in some places when it's offshore, but only if there's an escape route)
http://www.kiteboardinguk.com/acatalog/Kiteboardin...
Shows the basics of what you need to be learning.
Nothing to stop you looking at youtube, there are plenty of guides available.
Also, get a small/trainer kite first, that will at least stop you wasting time learning how to fly when you have a lesson, so you're not starting completely from scratch and can make the most of the time you're paying for.
Shows the basics of what you need to be learning.
Nothing to stop you looking at youtube, there are plenty of guides available.
Also, get a small/trainer kite first, that will at least stop you wasting time learning how to fly when you have a lesson, so you're not starting completely from scratch and can make the most of the time you're paying for.
honest_delboy said:
If i wanted to learn somewhere sunny and combine it with a holiday whereabouts would you guys suggest ?
I can wakeboard and snowboard and have done one lesson with a kite on the beach (in poole) we got soaked through though as it was p1ssing it down.
I would recommend Red sea dive safari, you can combine diving in the red sea with learning to kite surf.I can wakeboard and snowboard and have done one lesson with a kite on the beach (in poole) we got soaked through though as it was p1ssing it down.
http://www.redsea-divingsafari.org/joomla/index.ph...
In Egypt, you've got Sharm, El Gouna, Hurghada and Dahab amongst others where you can learn to kite or go diving or go to the pyramids etc from the more northern resorts.
However you want to check when the windy season is.
I've just spent a week in Gokova in Turkey, where the wind works like clockwork, on at 11am, off at 5.30, but there's less to do if you don't kite. (almost nothing in fact!) Think of it as an overgrown fishing village. Very pretty with a few bars and restaurants mind.
Check out websites like Planet Kitesurf, they'll give you loads of ideas on locations which you can then go and research independently!
However you want to check when the windy season is.
I've just spent a week in Gokova in Turkey, where the wind works like clockwork, on at 11am, off at 5.30, but there's less to do if you don't kite. (almost nothing in fact!) Think of it as an overgrown fishing village. Very pretty with a few bars and restaurants mind.
Check out websites like Planet Kitesurf, they'll give you loads of ideas on locations which you can then go and research independently!
I saw them talking about this sport on BBC (discussing the loss of windsurfing for it at the next Olympics). The guy they talked to strongly advised not attempting to do it yourself as it is too dangerous and to go to a club if you were a beginner. He also said equipment can be expensive but a lot can be provided initially or some savings on second hand items.
Looks like fun though! (well probably is once you're good at it
)
Looks like fun though! (well probably is once you're good at it
)If you want to learn abroad there are numerous options, depending on time of year. have a look at
http://www.planetkitesurfholidays.com/
http://www.waveriders.co.uk/
http://www.planetkitesurfholidays.com/
http://www.waveriders.co.uk/
OP,
I learnt like yourself in Oct last year, i was taught by Edge watersports in Exmouth, by a lady called Steph, i gather she's fairly big in the race kitesuring world?
I learnt as my brother is pretty good & i thought it looked cool.
Fortunately i did'nt go spending £1000's on kit, i managed to get a second hand 10M kite for around £200 after a lot of haggling & searching. (i'm around 15st) i got a Liquid Force Havoc, my brother had an old board, i bought myself a Mystic harness & got myself a decent wetsuit.
The sport is very much a 'bad weather' sport (kind of obvious) as it's not often in this country you get the right winds & nice sunny warm days, so i'd recommend a good wetsuit, wetsuit socks (boots will be too big for the straps more than likely) some gloves (thin ones) for the winter & probably a hood.
For the love of god don't try and teach yourself as you will have accidents.
I learnt pretty much from scratch with Edge (i did 2 days) (my brother taught me an understanding), the second day i was learning with a couple of guys who'd bought their own kit & decided to try and teach themselves.
One of them was alright, but the guy i learnt with i was kind of keeping an eye on as it was his first time & the instructor was off giving the other guy some 1 on 1 tips, he tried to be clever, kite-looped the kite 3 times & had shot about 100m away from me in the space of about 3 seconds.
This was the guy who'd recent been out & spent over £1500 on kit & tried to teach himself on the beach, in high winds with one of the biggest kites you can buy, in his words, he got dragged about 300m before he figured out how to pull the safety!
Decent tuition & kit is what i would recommend, although don't buy new as it's frankly a rip off!
Forums are best for 2nd hand buying!
I learnt like yourself in Oct last year, i was taught by Edge watersports in Exmouth, by a lady called Steph, i gather she's fairly big in the race kitesuring world?
I learnt as my brother is pretty good & i thought it looked cool.
Fortunately i did'nt go spending £1000's on kit, i managed to get a second hand 10M kite for around £200 after a lot of haggling & searching. (i'm around 15st) i got a Liquid Force Havoc, my brother had an old board, i bought myself a Mystic harness & got myself a decent wetsuit.
The sport is very much a 'bad weather' sport (kind of obvious) as it's not often in this country you get the right winds & nice sunny warm days, so i'd recommend a good wetsuit, wetsuit socks (boots will be too big for the straps more than likely) some gloves (thin ones) for the winter & probably a hood.
For the love of god don't try and teach yourself as you will have accidents.
I learnt pretty much from scratch with Edge (i did 2 days) (my brother taught me an understanding), the second day i was learning with a couple of guys who'd bought their own kit & decided to try and teach themselves.
One of them was alright, but the guy i learnt with i was kind of keeping an eye on as it was his first time & the instructor was off giving the other guy some 1 on 1 tips, he tried to be clever, kite-looped the kite 3 times & had shot about 100m away from me in the space of about 3 seconds.
This was the guy who'd recent been out & spent over £1500 on kit & tried to teach himself on the beach, in high winds with one of the biggest kites you can buy, in his words, he got dragged about 300m before he figured out how to pull the safety!
Decent tuition & kit is what i would recommend, although don't buy new as it's frankly a rip off!
Forums are best for 2nd hand buying!
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