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Author: Subject: Thinking of learning to kitesurf? Read on...
ajdesq
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posted on 23-2-2003 at 12:49 Reply With Quote
Thinking of learning to kitesurf? Read on...

Kitesurfing. No one can deny it's the fastest growing sport at the moment, but if it's so wonderful why do people still windsurf? There are thousands of people who would argue it's the best thing since sliced bread. But is it really for everyone?

Just to introduce you to the kinda guy I am... balding 30-something who's only been windsurfing for 2 years, isn't a 'natural' but not completely clueless either, willing to have-a-go but knows when to throw the towel in. Likes to have fun but not be in danger.

Still at the stage where I'm just happy to be on the water, even if it is only blowing 8 knots and I can do some light wind stuff on a big board. In other words, a bit of a boring fart! :-)

First off, learning to fly the kite. A 2.5m 2-line kite in 30-35 knots of wind. That's a
lot of wind, and very painful to have your legs and arms sandblasted to hell & back. It's impressed onto novices like me that the better you can fly a kite, the faster you'll learn kitesurfing. Like most kids in the 70s I had a Peter Pan stunt kite, and this thing now just didn't cut the mustard with me, having no long tail following it around ;-) I have to say right now, after about 10 minutes experimenting with the wind window I was more than ready to move on. I just couldn't see what else there was to learn at this stage. And yes, I did
get propelled off my feet, and ended up head-first in the sand like a beach dart.

Cut now to 3 weeks later, a combination of not enough wind, too much wind, instructors being booked out. I didn't get frustrated, much.

Next stage is Body Dragging. Stepping up to a big (7.5 - 9m) kite which you allow to pull you through the water. It's fun the first few times, after which it gets really tedious. There is a huge shortage of kitesurf instructors and far too many clients, leading to some very disinterested and unqualified instructors. I was shown what to do and left to it. I
thought the idea was just to get dragged through the water, dodging the other 25 or so out-of-control rookies using the same strip of beach. I could do that within about 10 minutes too, but the walking back upwind was REALLY tiring and dull without a partner in crime to carry the kite.

A few days later and the board was introduced - a big floaty twin-tip. Perfect. No gybing! I was told how to waterstart, generating the power by swooshing the kite down to the sea, then pulling it up just before it crashed. An hour or 2 later (and much dunking) I could get the hang of it, going along then falling in. Why? Well, at this late stage I still had NO CLUE
about flying the kite in an 'S-wave' to keep the power on. It was only when I asked the instructor HOW do I keep going he deigned to explain. Suddenly, like a brick it hit me. Had I known all this on day 1 I could have been practising this instead of getting bored. Hmmm.

Very quickly I could surf along on a port tack, but could I find reverse? Could I buffalo! No matter what I did with my legs, heels, and kite, the starboard tack evaded me and I'd end up body dragging to shore. After that would be that long, hard, walk upwind against the power of the kite.

At least, after a week or so, I was up on the board and going along. But sorry guys, it just didn't 'Do It' for me.

I think back to learning to windsurf at an RYA centre. After about one hour I was up on the board on the water, gliding gently along and excitedly looking at the wake behind me. It was the first time I'd ever managed anything like it in my life and was stoked beyond belief. While I fell in a-plenty like most beginners I still spent the majority of the session on the board. At no time was I ever intimidated by the kit I was using, and it was easy to rig up and get going on my own. The only downside was the size of all the kit.

Fast forward to kitesurfing. You spend the first week underwater, getting dragged left right and centre by this scary out-of-control bucking bronco. You're petrified you're going to hurt/maim/kill yourself or someone else either with the crashing kite, or the cheesewire lines. Freezing cold water flushes through every orifice and your neck aches with looking up. If you're lucky enough for the sun to be shining, who knows what damage you're doing to your retinas. Then you have all that walking upwind trying to keep the kite a metre or so off the ground, pulling you off course with monotonous regularity. After a few days you may actually be rewarded with a reach on the board, but you can't relax as you have to keep that kite moving and in the right place - no time to actually enjoy what you're doing.

There is no doubting that if you stick at it, you can get air and do all the fancy stuff much quicker in kitesurfing than windsurfing, but just be aware that the learning curve, while it is very steep, is also very cruel, cold, wet, and undignified. My main advice to anyone thinking of learning is DO IT WITH A MATE. That way you can take turns at getting
dragged downwind, and you don't waste 75% of your energy getting back upwind - your mate carries the kite for you.

There are thousands of people who LOVE kitesurfing, and have all but given up windsurfing. That's great for them, and I'd encourage anyone who is tempted to have a go. If you never go windsurfing in less than a force 4, and think that planing is the be-all and end-all then you'll probably love it. It is NOT a light-wind alternative to windsurfing - kites have a
nasty habit of falling out of the sky in a light breeze leaving you stranded, whereas on a floaty windsurf board you can at least go out, get wet, and muck about with 360s, heli-tacks or whatever freestyle tickles your fancy. And that's why I shall stick to windsurfing. I prefer to be on the water rather than sitting on the beach waiting for the wind to kick in.

Call me old fashioned...

Andrew



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Burgy
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posted on 23-2-2003 at 14:46 Reply With Quote
Each to there own,

sounds like youve had a bad teaching exprence more than anything. Kite skills are everything in kitesurfing I was lucky, I'd been flying for 5 years before I went kite surfing.

With regards to light wind stuff, it does get easyer with practice. I can get out in about 8mph of wind with a decent sized board & air starts to happen in about 10mph but thats with a very big race kite & its a fair bit of work comfy sailing with a sheetable kite like the 12m Ozone Frenzy happens around 12mph of wind

It can be a very brutal sport, I wear a helmet & an float vest to absorb the impact & I still get he upside down submarine ride from time to time. but once youve nailed it the freedom of movement that being part of the rig gives you is awesom. As for toeside down the line riding!! well condtions have only come together for me once so far but the view & the sensations were mind blowing. Come summer & a clear credit card theres gona be a little red VW carrying me & a shiny new Mutant all over wales, see you there

Steve

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justal
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posted on 23-2-2003 at 15:13 Reply With Quote
Certainly sounds like you've had some bad experiences.

My kite-surfing skills aren't great at the moment, but I found it SO, SO much easier to learn than windsurfing. My first attempts at kiting were with a 2.8m Predator 4-line foil and after an hour or so, I was kite-jumping and sailing up and down the beach on a mountain-board. I then got bigger kites and soon got out on the water. After one or two attempts I was up on the board and planing out through the small surf. OK turning around on the directional board I had was another matter and yes I ended up downwind and had a long walk back up the beach (But I've had just as long 'walks of shame' whilst windsurfing in gnarly conditions!).

As far as windsurfng goes, it took me ages to get planing properly in the straps and harness, and as far as turning goes...well I'm still learning!!

Yeah, when things go wrong whilst kite-surfing it can be fairly unpleasant, but believe me they can be whilst windsurfing too (Ask Darren who fractured his ankle and tore several ligaments windsurfing here yesterday.)

As far as it being a light wind alternative to windsurfing, then you are probably right to a certain extent. You still do need wind to kite-surf.... And, modern Formula windsurfing kit can probably get going almost as early as a big kite and board (Almost). However, most windsurfers once they have learnt to sail small boards properly don't really want to be out on the water on a big board, and I'd say 99% of them don't want to be out on the water if they can't get planing. You are obviously the exception to the rule here, but most people wouldn't be happy just pootling around off the plane in 10 knots of wind. Whereas, you can get on the plane and do jumps etc with a kite in those wind strengths... So, it can be a lighter wind alternative for windsurfers who like to be properly planing.

Personally I still windsurf 99% of the time and only get my kitesurfing kit out on the very odd occasions when the weather is nice, and the wind is onshore to cross-onshore and a nice steady 11-12 knots. However, this is mainly due to the fact that I can't afford to get myself a more modern kite and a twin-tip board. With better kit I'm sure I'd go out on those all too common days when the wind is a tempting 10-15 knots...Enough for a decent kite-surf session, but not enough for an exciting windsurf session.

Of course...if you didn't enjoy kitesurfing, then no-ones making you do it!!

Al.









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ajdesq
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posted on 23-2-2003 at 19:21 Reply With Quote
Hee hee... I love opening cans of worms!

Anyone can see my learning experience was a bad one, and one always wonders what would have happened were I there with like-minded mates to laugh at the bad times and clap at the good times.

I actually think the TIME was wrong to learn kitesurfing. I still have a long, long way to go before I get tired of windsurfing (still can't carve gybe etc) so, like Al, I can't justify spending all that wonga on kitey stuff.

But in this world of 'impartial' magazines who can't afford to upset their advertisers and ever print a bad word, I like to add an honest viewpoint, even if it's not all happy and positive. It's just another perspective for viewers to chew on.

The main point is, as in anything in life, don't knock it till you've tried it. So get out there and try it!



Cheers, Andrew

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ajdesq
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posted on 23-2-2003 at 21:47 Reply With Quote
Typical, I stay quiet for months, then 3 postings in one day.

Have just checked a few net sites on Tarifa, my next port of call. Apparently it either blows its tits off or you get a tantalising force 3. Kiting may be good there.

I shall prepare to eat my words...

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ajdesq
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posted on 5-5-2003 at 10:59 Reply With Quote
Tarifa, 2 months on....

*sigh* I wish I had a mate down here to go kitesurfing with!


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