Learning to Kiteboard...

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey, I was really wanting to learn how to kiteboard..but there's no one I know or nowhere in my area to give lessons. Would it be a good idea to spend the money on a kite and board package and teach myself, or is it too difficult? I've never really done any kind of boarding besides wakeboarding, and was wondering if I could teach myself. Thanks.

[jason_ssr]

Yes you can but a setup and teach yourself. However, it will take a long time and there is risk involved. It isnt any "harder" to fly, in fact, flying a kite is rather simple, but it take much longer to learn. Plus you have to be really picky about when and where you teach yourself.

It is worth the money to spend a weekend on the coast to be taught the basics. Take a cheap trip to Corpus, Padre, or even Hatteras if it is closer for you. Learn the basics and then come back home and ride. It really is worh the money. Its not so much the safety thing as it is learning basic skills that take months learning in deep water and learning them in a couple of hours.

Flying is easy. Get to the coast and learn to fly, learn to relaunch a downed kite, and learn how all the safety releases work. Learn the simple things like how to rig a kite properly and tune your bar. Fly a kite that someone has rigged correctly and flies well. Then you will know if something is wrong later.

I stated by teaching myself in a local lake. Some days it was too windy, or the wrong direction, or not enough wind, and the few days that were good for me to learn on, I would get out and crash the kite and spend countless hours swimming because I didnt have strong relaunch skills. I hooked up with some local riders eventually, and they helped me get my gear tuned right and that was a good start. The we went on a cheap trip to padre and it was so easy to ride there. i picked it up all in one 3 day weekend. I leanred stuff in a couple of hours on the first day that I had been trying to learn for 6 months!

So, yes you can teach yourself but you must be very careful as it is very powerful. It will take you months to become confident enough to get yourself in and out of the water safely. Remember, one wrong pull on the bar and your 30ft in the air! A good solid weekend on the coast and you will be just as far along as 6 months trying to teach yourself.

[Wallrat]

I couldn't agree with Jason more! My first lesson was really crappy on Maui (that company is now out of biz) so even though I'd had a lesson, it took me 2 months of thrashing around on my own gear before I started to get the hang of it. Meanwhile I'm watching people who took lessons locally 2 weeks before passing by me. What you can do in the meantime that will really boost your learning curve for the lessons (assuming you've never flown a multi-line kite) is pick up a simple 2 line trainer kite. Lots of companies make em and they're all over ebay. Even a delta wing stunt kite will teach you the basics of steering, however they tend to get hurt when you crash em hard. I'd recommend at least a 2 meter trainer, but 3 is alot more fun as it has enough power to actually drag you around a bit but still won't pick you up. I still use my 3 meter trainer on a dirtboard at low tide/on dry lakes. Make sure you get a trainer that has a control bar for steering rather than handles. Take it out every chance you get and try to get to where you can fly it without looking. Also pick up a video - I like this one: http://realkiteboarding.com/index.cfm?page=detail&catID=513&productID=5894
That vid will take you all they way up from learning a trainer to intermediate tricks and is laid out better than most.

Here's another: http://www.kitesurfari.com/store/kisipl.html
This one is a bit less mainstream but John's system actually makes alot of sense. He's kind of a geek but his system of using short lines and working your way up to full length ones makes for alot less abuse on both the kite and the kiter (takes longer though). He's also got a book out that covers everything in the dvd.

[8824]

[Mr. Mo-Fat]

man i want to try kiteboarding it looks so fun

[jason_ssr]

Where do you live?

[Mr. Mo-Fat]

ontario, ricmond hill

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey...just to follow up on my progress. Right now we're in vacation in Michigan, and I found a couple places that give kiteboarding lessons. I plan on attending the free "ground school" training tonight that involves flying 2 line trainer kites, and then after that, a 4 hour lesson that will hopefully be enough for me to get out and board on my own.

The only problem is I really don't have any money to get any kiteboarding gear...this place in michigan has a Naish V4 16M complete used kite on sale for 400, and I was thinking about getting that, as I am close to 200 pounds, and the winds on lake michigan are typically pretty low. Let me know if you think this is a good idea, and a decent first kite. And there's no way I can buy an actual kiteboard, so I will have to use my wakeboard...at least until next year. But I hope this can work out.

If I enjoy it, and at least can get the hang of the basics, I might try to attend a camp at cape hatteras next year. And since I have great balance and control on a wakeboard, I would think that most of what I need to learn is kite control...I appreciate any feedback you guys can give me on starting out this new sport! thanks

[jason_ssr]

Mo, Im not familiar with Canadian riding locations, so I dont know where to point you. Holler over at www.kiteforum.com if you want to find a place to learn that is close.

IB, The style and size is really a preference you have to determine. How do you like the kite to pull and how hard do you like it to pull? You should be able to find used kites on www.iwindsurf.com for cheaper. I know BEST occasionally sells their batch test kites for like $250 (this is where they fly one kite out of each batch for quality control. Also the kites the team members use...like new).

The ground school with be encouragin because the kite is easy to fly and easy to learn. You will suddenly understand how the kite works. its a blast! then the water school will get you going for sure. It is ALL kite control.

The lesson will definitely get you headed in the right direction. Focus on relaunching a downed kite and self rescue techniques (thats a technical term for swimming your butt back in if you cant relaunch it.) There is a simple technique so that you dont get hurt if the kite is picked up while you are rolling up you lines.

The dangers are in the simple things. There is really no easy way to learn them, you just have to gain experience. When in the class, the instructor knows the area, knows what size to rig, will pick a good launching spot, and will rig everything right. When you leave your 4 hour class, you will be able to ride like a champ. However, when you get home, you wont know the area, wont know if a spot is good or bad, wont know what kite to put up, etc etc. Messing up one of these is where most injuries originate, and arent normally discussed in detail. That is why you will want to hook up with some locals when learning. Ask them "where are you guys going to be riding". Once there say, "what size are you guys rigging?" You will catch on after a few sessions, and after going to a few locations will begin to understand what makes a good spot and in some cases, what makes a bad spot.

Good luck, and have fun!

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey, I was just checking out best kiteboards, and the prices look pretty good. Is there a specific kite they sell that you think would be good for a beginner while allowing me to progress on it? Thanks

[jason_ssr]

all the kites are good for all levels, its more about what you want to do on the kite. Its like having someone come up to you and say they want to race vehicles and asking you weather a Ferrari is better or a Hummer. It depends on what kind of race!

The difference is aspect ratio, mainly. Very similar to grears in a manual transmission car.

Low aspect, is like driving in first gear. it has alot of power out of the hole. Lots of power, but not much speed. these are great in the waves as they turn really fast and gain and drop power quickly. Good at low surfing speeds. Because the pull so hard they dont go upwind at a very strong angle. Bad in gusty conditions because doesnt move fast to the edge of the window.

Mid aspect kites are like driving in second. Weaker than first gear out of the whole but once you get a little speed, they come alive. They are good for doing wakestyle tricks because you can load them up without pulling them out of the powerzone. They are good at a medium wakeboard speed and jump well.

High aspect is like starting in third gear. Hard to get going out of the hole, but once you have built up alot of speed it comes alive. You have to ride really fast, but they are nimble and responsive like a sports car. Because they ride so fast, they boost really huge. And since they have no grunt they ride at the edge of the window and go upwind at a great angle. They are great for aggresive big air riding, but arent as good for wakeboard trick as if you load the line too much it quickly leave the powerzone before you have a chance to do your trick..

They are all sweet kites, and will all do waves, wakestyle, and fast/big air stuff. just one does them better than the others.

You wont know what direction you want to take your riding til you get some experience. Generally starting on a good mid aspect kite is the way to go, like a Yarga. It kinda the middle of the road and will do everything good. If later you fall in love with waves, you may decide to get some lows, or if you become a speed demon get some highs.

Hope this helps.

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey, thanks for all the info man, it's very helpful!

[Wallrat]

Also lower aspect kites relaunch easier than high aspect kites. If you find a 2 line kite don't get it. Those things are antiques and aren't very useful for 99% of people. Kites with a 5th line are great (or the option to add a 5th) since the 5th line helps keep the kite stable in gusty wind and makes relaunching about 300x easier. I agree on the Yarga as being a good first kite. I also saw you mentioned a Naish V4, also an excellent mid-aspect kite. I've got a 16 V4 and can hold it in 16-26mph (I'm 210lbs). Granted I'm fairly experienced so I can work the kite at 16mph and I can edge like a mofo when I'm lit at 26mph. You won't want to take a 16 out in more than 20-22mph when you're starting out. Another you might look for is the naish boxer, great first kites that grow with you. Just a c-hair lower aspect ratio than the V4.

[IlliniBoarder]

Yea, I think I will probably go with the V4 after hearing good things from you about it...the price just seems really good, and I can pick it up at a shop on our way back home. The only thing I'm still worried about is kiteboarding using an actual wakeboard, which I've heard can slow down the learning process. Thanks for the help!

[jason_ssr]

I learned on my wakeboard. When learning the hard thing isnt riding the board, it is flying the kite smoothly. A kiteboard makes riding non-smooth kite flying easier. Behind a boat you have consistent power and consistnet speed. On the kite, there are times of great power/speed, and times of less. As you learn to fly the kite smoothly, you can kind of blend these times to where they arent as noticable from one another.

A wakeboard is slower, so it need more power to keep planing. This means more kite. Stronger kite means greater consquences for poor flying. Accelerate to fast and it yanks you into the air, landing on plane at 35mph!! Let off the gas too much and you sink, so you stomp on the gas and get yanked into the air landing on plane at 35mph! It is still fun, just beats you to death in a short time.

A kiteboard, is flatter and faster board. So you dont need as much power as a wakeboard. That way you can use less kite and arent overwhelmed by it so easily. Since you arent dealing with as much power, you arent taking the beating and drinking all that water so often. You can stay out longer and learn to ride rather than having to come in to put your shorts back on right.

I had a great time learning on my wakeboard, but when i got my first kiteboard it was like Barry Bonds taking his first steroids....it just makes the sport a whole lot easier.

[Wallrat]

The other problem with a wakeboard is because you need more kite, you generally need more wind. So while other guys are out riding on their 20's, your sitting on the beach waiting for more wind. So basically you'll spend less time on the water which means more time to learn. You can usually find an older kiteboard for fairly cheap. Actually now that I think about it...I've got an old ass liquid force pickle fork 171 with sandal bindings that I'll let go for $100+shipping. Board is in good shape and is HUGE for a pretty good wind range. I'll send some pics if you're interested.

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey, I'd consider buying it...you can send the pics to bman8622@aol.com I still have to take the lesson though, and buy a kite, and also think about how much time I would even have left to go out and practice during this season. Hopefull next year though, I could get some better gear. Thanks!

[Wallrat]

No worries...I'll send off a pic soon as I get home from work. Don't worry if you don't have the money right now...that board is sitting on the top shelf in my garage and was basically forgotten about until today. It'll still be there in a few months if that's when you're in the market for a beginner board.

[IlliniBoarder]

The shop happened to be closed yesterday, so I couldn't do the ground school...but I just signed up for a private lesson with broneah on monday from 11-6, so I'm looking forward to learning a lot! Thanks wallrat, I will just have to decide if I should stick it out with the wakeboard for now or spend the 100 dollars, or else just put it towards a new board next summer...will let you guys all know how the lessons go! peace

[IlliniBoarder]

Sup guys...yesterday I had about 5 solid hours of kiteboarding instruction one-on-one with the broneah instructor, and I learned a lot...it was really a blast. My kite flying skills progressed pretty quickly, and seemed to come naturally, and by the end of the lesson I got in a few board starts on the water but didn't stay up more than a few seconds--I still have to work on putting the start together with the kite flying and keeping it goin out of the start. I really learned a lot about everything like setting up all the gear, safely launching the kite and board starting, body drags, all about the wind and how to find out if the conditions are good.

Today I went back to the broneah shop and I was really excited and wanted to get into some gear to practice on my own, because I really do feel confident enough to go out on my own now. I decided to get a package with a used Best Nemesis 12M and used bar and lines, liquid force truth 160 board with strap bindings, and liquid force harness...pretty much all the same gear I used in the lesson yesterday except for the kite. I know the nemesis is probably a bit higher aspect than an ideal beginner's kite, but I decided to go with that one, as it was a really good deal on a used kite, and the actual kite is in excellent condition and looks brand new. As long as I'm out there practicing in good steady wind, I should be okay.

Now that I've got all my stuff, the season is kind of winding down, so I'm hoping to head up to lake michigan for some practice on the weekends, as our vacation time in michigan just ended. I'm excited to keep progressing though, and determined to keep working on it...and it looks like it might very well become my new favorite thing to do on or off the water. The guys at broneah were also really helpful with everything, and I definitely feel well educated after the non-stop private lesson...thanks for all the help guys, peace.

[jason_ssr]

Sweet!!! glad you got out there. The Nemesis is an awesome kite! You are fortunate to find a used one! Most people hold on to them forever.

The board starts just take some practice, and the more powered you are, the easier it is because you dont have to dive the kite so hard. Im sure that for safety reasons, they didnt have you out on a really powered setup. What size kite were you on? I assume you were on the 160 board. What was the wind speed? How much do you weigh?

if you have to dive the kite super hard to board start then you dont have enough power and its hard for anyone to do (but its safe). When you get out with a little more power you will find it exponentially easier to start, but once going can be painful learning to manage all that power.

glad you got out, and have fun!!

[Wallrat]

I'm about 210lbs and I use my 12 Nemesis when its over 25mph. Not sure what the upper limit is since I've only gotten to use it once so far. Man I need to move to Hatteras!

[IlliniBoarder]

I was learning with a 9 meter grunt and I weigh about 190 and was using the 160 board. When we first got out, the winds were pretty tame, and the more experienced guys were pretty lit flying their 15 and 17 meters, but then towards the end of the lesson it was blowing probably 20-25 and maybe gusting even more, so most of the guys put up 10M or 12M kites at that time. So, towards the end it was kinda rough flying, but I was able to handle it fine with the 9M.

When I was first starting with the 9M I had to dive it hard to get the start, but towards the end it was strong enough wind to where I didn't really need to. My instructor flew the 9M back to our launch when we were done, and was even boosting some air and he weighs 215 or so.

I've read good things about the nemesis, and was really glad to get mine at a good deal...I think I payed 299 for the actual kite, but by looking at it you would never even think it's used, it looks brand new. They took me out and inflated it with me at a field next to the shop and went through the set-up once more to make sure I had it. I'm stoked to get out there some more and put some time in!

[jason_ssr]

Great deal! Once you get to where you are riding on the board and able to cruise around, you will be really stoked and have a really good time. You will be addicted like a heroin addict when you start jumping. Once you can ride the board upwind and never have to walk again, you will be saving all your pennies to afford trips to windy spots and new kite adventures. Im sitting in TX, where we have had little wind for the past month. I just piddle at home and save money. the only thing that keeps me sane is the dreaming about the upcoming adventures in the fall.

[Wallrat]

I hear ya Jason...I'm counting the days until Oct 1st, that's when I leave for Hatteras (again).

[jason_ssr]

Sweet, we are looking at Playa Del Carmen for the last week of Oct.

[IlliniBoarder]

Hey guys...was just up in michigan another few days with the hopes of getting some practice kiteboarding and practicing the starts...didn't quite work out, as the wind was pretty much dead while we were there. I did actually get the kite launched a couple times, only to have it hindenberg after 10 minutes or so because of dying wind. Was a bit disappointed, but at least I got good practice rigging everything up, assessing the wind (i knew it probably wasn't strong enough, but still wanted to try heh), launching, etc. ..and the beaches and the area up there are really nice, so we just spent the whole day on the beach. Here are a few pictures.

[Wallrat]

Sorry to hear that man, but get used to it. Getting skunked is just a part of any wind sport. Like you did, just make sure you have a backup plan. For your rig, I wouldn't imagine you could go in less than 12mph, probably more like 15mph. Occasional whitecaps start to show up around 12mph unless the water is really shallow. If you've got pretty good whitecap coverage then you should have enough wind to ride. You'll save yourself some time as well as wear and tear on your gear by not trying to fly until you see whitecaps.

[jason_ssr]

I did the same thing when i was starting, try to fly it anytime there is a chance. not very productive, but fun nonetheless. Looks like a sweet setup and cool site!

Jason

[8824]

IlliniBoarder,

Bro,

The fall is a great season to ride in Chicago. The water is still pretty warm relatively speaking. But the wind gets kickin.

Are you in school at UofI or parkland.

Give me shout next time your around Chicago or heading to MI.

have you checked out
Chicagokitesurfing.com

[IlliniBoarder]

hey muckmeister...

I'm going to the U of I next semester, and I have checked out chicagokitesurfing, my account is "bboyle"...I'm eager to get some more practice in. I've been watching the wind forecast around zion beach and waukegan area, as it looks like those would be my best options closest to home. I'm also going to try to get a good wetsuit so I can hopefully get out there later in the season when the good winds pick up. I'm pissed because saturday is looking to be a good day but it's move in day! Oh well....I just hope I have enough time on the weekends during school to where I could head up there for a day, or maybe try snowkiting around here on all the farmer's fields. Where do you kite? Thanks for the help! Peace

[8824]

IlliniBoarder,


Zion,Waukegan, etc. hit me sometime. I am also learning to kite, so when get dragged around the lake together.

I dont really use a name on CK, I just post as a guest.

Go luck with the move.

[IlliniBoarder]

[8824]

Wakeboarding tomorrow morning, Sunday I have a fun filled day of family obligations cant wait for that.