Forums > Kitesurfing   Newbies / Tips & Tricks

Lessons or not

Reply
Created by swerves > 9 months ago, 26 Jan 2018
swerves
QLD, 2 posts
26 Jan 2018 2:48PM
Thumbs Up

im thinking about learning to kitesurfing. But am unsure whether to get lessons or try and learn myself as my local place wants $275 for a 2.5hr intro and $550 for a 2X3hr get up an go lessons. Money is a bit of an object at the moment so do I buy a trainer kite and go YouTube or professional lessons.

NickT
WA, 1094 posts
26 Jan 2018 2:50PM
Thumbs Up

Get the lessons. Trainer kite you'll have mastered in no time but you won't have the skills to save your gear or yourself if the sh!t hits the fan.

swerves
QLD, 2 posts
26 Jan 2018 5:42PM
Thumbs Up

Yep ok . Good advice. Thanks. Do you suggest both lessons. Or could I just go for the 6hr.

FormulaNova
WA, 14042 posts
26 Jan 2018 5:32PM
Thumbs Up

As another option, if there is a cable wake park near you, it might be a good place to learn about board control. Its not that cheap either, so maybe that won't be a great option for you.

When I first started learning how to kitesurf the board control freaked me out. When I got going I didn't know what to do with the board. Now that I have spent far too long enjoying myself at the wake park, board control seems to be a simple thing.

I spent ages learning to control the kite, and ages body dragging around, to get that skill.

I am genuinely unsure if some people are naturals at this and get up and going in these short courses, or if its just the bare minimum to get you interested enough to start practicing.

So, if I were to do it all again, and was doing it by myself, I would probably try to get hold of a trainer kite, and play with this for a while. I would also try wakeboarding a few times to get comfortable with the board. Then I would go for the lessons, whether it was the 2.5 hour one of the 2x3 hour ones.

Greenarrowz
NSW, 301 posts
26 Jan 2018 8:35PM
Thumbs Up

Go buy a trainer kite

Learn as much as you can about the wind window from youtube and become familiar with flying the kite to the point of being very good at it.

Then get the lessons.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
26 Jan 2018 7:01PM
Thumbs Up

Nah don't bother, get a go pro, post videos on you tube

Richoa
NSW, 478 posts
26 Jan 2018 10:22PM
Thumbs Up

Depends pn your back ground, sailing and surfing knowledge with a lot youtube study and you could do it. But i think no matter how how good you get on a trainer kite the leap of strapping 9-12 meter kite onto yrself in 15-20 knots you might find you would like someone who knows what they are doing standing beside you.

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
26 Jan 2018 8:24PM
Thumbs Up

Mate,
Do the 6 hours of lessons, its a lot cheaper than ending up in hospital with a lot of time off work.

psychojoe
WA, 1799 posts
26 Jan 2018 9:06PM
Thumbs Up

Solid advice from Jhana
6hrs is standard. The price is also standard.
Be ready to spend a bit on some nice equipment when you finish your lessons, the old stuff is dangerous.
If money is so much of an issue that you would skip lessons then perhaps wait until next year to take up kiting.

Plummet
4862 posts
27 Jan 2018 1:19AM
Thumbs Up

Lessons is the best advise. But it is possible to learn without lessons. Just takes longer, is more dangerous and you will damage more gear. So might be more costly in the long run.

Smithy
VIC, 858 posts
27 Jan 2018 8:11AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
cauncy said..
Nah don't bother, get a go pro, post videos on you tube

I wish the GoPro was around when we where teaching ourselves in the early days on two line kites with no you tube and instructors around ??

KiteBud
WA, 1515 posts
27 Jan 2018 7:59AM
Thumbs Up

If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to kite.

Shop around for quality instruction. Skip the 2-line trainer kite completely.

Go for private instruction as well and look for schools using radio helmets.

If you want to know more about what's involved into learning to kitesurf and what makes a good lesson, just Google '' How good were your lessons'' and you will find my blog post.

Stay safe,

Christian

Plummet
4862 posts
27 Jan 2018 9:47AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
cbulota said..
If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to kite.
Christian

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.

Its not rocket surgery. If your not stupid about it you can learn without lessons. It will take a lot longer to become proficient. But who cares. its not a race.

SibboV1
368 posts
27 Jan 2018 11:40AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..

Its not rocket surgery.


But so is not typing all in bold and he failed at that.

Rails
QLD, 1370 posts
27 Jan 2018 8:15PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
SibboV1 said..

Plummet said..

Its not rocket surgery.



But so is not typing all in bold and he failed at that.


Yeh, if you need to ask a forum if you need lessons then you probably need lessons

i just went and did it, cracked a few ribs, broke a few kites, but it's still a free world. If you are going to go it alone, find a big wide open spot with no one else around and remember the most important thing is to let go of the bar

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
27 Jan 2018 9:04PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Smithy said..

cauncy said..
Nah don't bother, get a go pro, post videos on you tube


I wish the GoPro was around when we where teaching ourselves in the early days on two line kites with no you tube and instructors around ??


Mate brought a wipika quiver over from the uk
, told me I'll be fine, hooked me in and laughed all the way down the beach, I was kinda in control

Dave Whettingsteel
WA, 1396 posts
27 Jan 2018 9:27PM
Thumbs Up

Deffo get lessons. 3 hours is a long lesson though. If u can i would get 3 x 2 hour or even 1x 2 hour and 4 x 1 hour if possible. You can get pretty tired when learning and can only absorb so much in one hit.

good luck!

Lukeyy
NSW, 107 posts
29 Jan 2018 7:17PM
Thumbs Up

Your straight up crazy if u dont get lessons think of it as an investment in your own safety. But food for thought our shop in newcastle Kite and Sup will throw in lessons when purchasing beginner kite package

johndg
WA, 206 posts
29 Jan 2018 6:05PM
Thumbs Up

It is hard to believe that people consider learning to kite without lessons. You have a fair bit to learn at first and you need to know some basics not only for your own safety but for the safety of others. People can get hurt by your mistakes and this will have consequences for them, for you and for the sport in general.
I agree with Christian that if you cant afford lessons you cant afford to kite.
If money is tight you should do another sport until you have the money for lessons and reasonable equipment for the conditions where you are.

psychojoe
WA, 1799 posts
30 Jan 2018 8:38PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.


The others are dead.

NickT
WA, 1094 posts
31 Jan 2018 3:38PM
Thumbs Up

I did 2 lessons (4hrs) Came from wake and surf background. Had to do 2 full packdowns from LE deflations in the first 3 months.

Without lessons my gear would be lost or trashed. Get at least one or two lessons so at least you'll understand self rescue, kite safety and the wind window.

Board skills and kite control can be learnt on your own.

Nutdip
WA, 64 posts
2 Feb 2018 9:41AM
Thumbs Up

Make sure you get an instructor that can do a backroll.

raggedflyer
WA, 64 posts
2 Feb 2018 10:44PM
Thumbs Up

Lessons.

Dave Whettingsteel's advice is sound, if you manage to concentrate for 3 hours solid you'll be lucky. 3x 2hr is about right if you've got some kite control skills, knowledge of wind and experienced mates to go kiting with the first half dozen sessions.

2, 3 or 4 line trainer kite will help build kite control skills and they're cheap compared with lessons.

Good luck with it

HENDO 77
WA, 285 posts
4 Feb 2018 9:25AM
Thumbs Up

Go to a crowded beach so theres plenty of people to help out if you get in strife

Plummet
4862 posts
4 Feb 2018 11:08AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
psychojoe said..

Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.



The others are dead.


Survival of the fittest mate! If you are stupid enough to remove yourself from the gene pool then so be it!.

Andrash
WA, 637 posts
13 Feb 2018 3:03PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..

psychojoe said..


Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.




The others are dead.



Survival of the fittest mate! If you are stupid enough to remove yourself from the gene pool then so be it!.


Survival of the fittest...? We are talking about recreation, Plummet.... and what about those who got injured by one of your "fittest" idiots not taking lessons...?

Also, perhaps a bit of a respect, please, to those who are not with us anymore to read these lines. For example, one of the best female kiters of the time, Rilke (?), who died when another kite got hooked onto hers and dragged her head on to a wind-brake.


KiteAddicted
59 posts
15 Feb 2018 3:03AM
Thumbs Up

Only do lessons if you want to live. A trainer kite is really helpful.i found kite control the most challenging part as had snowboarded and windsurfer before. You may be able to get lessons thrown in if you buy kit from a store. Good luck!

diginoz
WA, 317 posts
15 Feb 2018 11:21AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Plummet said..

cbulota said..
If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to kite.
Christian


Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.

Its not rocket surgery. If your not stupid about it you can learn without lessons. It will take a lot longer to become proficient. But who cares. its not a race.


WOW hold on, how many people were on the beach when you were learning 15 years ago, I wouldn't like to be down wind of that coming down on me with todays overcrowded kite LEARNING spots.
Saying that Melville is normally quiet?.

Go for the lessons.

jackforbes
WA, 530 posts
15 Feb 2018 6:41PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Andrash said..


Plummet said..



psychojoe said..




Plummet said..

Bull****!

Lessons are recommended but they are not mandatory. Most of us on this forum that started over 10 years ago didn't take lessons and we learnt on really dangerous kit. Yet we survived and managed to learn without dying.






The others are dead.





Survival of the fittest mate! If you are stupid enough to remove yourself from the gene pool then so be it!.




Survival of the fittest...? We are talking about recreation, Plummet.... and what about those who got injured by one of your "fittest" idiots not taking lessons...?

Also, perhaps a bit of a respect, please, to those who are not with us anymore to read these lines. For example, one of the best female kiters of the time, Rilke (?), who died when another kite got hooked onto hers and dragged her head on to a wind-brake.




Silke Gordt I think it was.

yes, lots of us learnt on 2 lines with no lessons, but from my experience, lots more people tried, failed, and gave up, often injuring themselves along the way. Yes, gear is much safer now, but it is still a skilled sport that has the potential to hurt others - that will be on your conscience...

more the point though, what's your time worth? 6 hours with an instructor will have you riding on a board and fully stoked. It will take you many, many more hours to get to that point without that feedback. Plus if you get up for the first time and no one sees you, it didn't happen!

Personally, if there were lessons ~20 years ago and I got the chance to go back in time, I would tell a young jack to get them. And bitcoin.



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Kitesurfing   Newbies / Tips & Tricks


"Lessons or not" started by swerves