Australia Bound

This is something i really fancy trying. Is it as hard as it looks?

ROBnCAZ

That all depends on your previous experience.......

I got into Kite Surfing about a year ago after windsurfing from the age of 15.

The hardest part is mastering the kite in order to go where you want to go.......knowledge of how the wind works is crucial!!

Secondly, board control............this is where prior experience in surfing etc....helps!

Generally, though.....anyone can do it with a little tuition! and BY GOD......it's a ****** blast!!!

The buzz you get from the sheer power of the wind in the kite, is out of this world!! Go do it...you'll LOVE IT!!

Take a butchers at:

British Kitesurfing Association

Australia Bound

Cheers, i saw a lot of peeps doing it at Scarborough beach recently, some of the speeds the guys were getting up was awsome.

ROBnCAZ

Yeah.......the reason it has caught on so quickly is that it is relatively cheap and easy to get started and the buzz is totally unsurpassable!!

I have tried and became accomplished at many watersports (used to instruct in the British Army) but nothing comes close to Kiting!!

hevs

A friend of ours is sponsered and does it up in Gero, its awsome to watch. We were chatting to this girl who kites competitively but she'd had a scare the previous week so she was practising on the sand.

She had flipped and got tangled in her own kite and was a long way from shore. Her boyfriend was reading the paper on the bonnet of his car and thought she was waving!! :scared: Luckily after about 1/2 hour someone windsurfed past her and then stopped to help her in Scary stuff, but you can't beat the rush apparently

ROBnCAZ

And there endeth the *first* lesson in kitesurfing:

NEVER go out further than you are prepared to swim back in!!!

Oakie

Check out the avatar.

Its hard to really crack it, it looks effortless, but its not!! Ive been kitesurfing for about 3 years and it totally rocks. Its not cheap, but worth it. If your thinking about starting, you REALLY must get some lessons.

Kitesurfing kites are very powerful - if you have not had much kite flying experience then the kite has the potential to kill you. Its sounds over dramatic, but its happened in the past. Even if you get it slightly wrong, its not pleasant. There are plenty of schools about and you should be up and running in a couple of days.

Do it!!!!1

Australia Bound

Kill you?
Expensive?


Please elaborate

KBREMBO

[QUOTE=Australia Bound]Kill you?
Expensive?

You can get a new set up(board,kite,harness etc) for around $2200+if you shop around and bargain. It is easy to pick up good 2nd hand gear if you want.

Kill You-so will lots of things- Take some lessons and you will be fine.

Good site for gear and info.....

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/f...sp?FORUM_ID=19

KB

Oakie

Sorry, I didnt mean to make it sound scary. You see alot of leaners who dont have enough knowledge or appreciation on how powerful the kites are. Basically, your talking about putting a kite of up to around 16/18 square meters up into the air, that has the potential to drag you downwind extremely quickly (this also give you the ability to fire yourself SO high when you want).

If there's something in the way (groins, sea walls etc), then its going to hurt, which is why you need to be aware of the dangers before you start out.

But if your sensible and are aware of the risks, it really is the biggest buzz going. Ive done plenty of full on sports (used to race mtb downhill bikes for quite a long time) but nothing comes close.

The cost is actually not too bad nowadays as there is quite a bit of second hand kit around. But new kit? Jeepers. Your talking £700 up for a kite (up to a grand for larger sizes), long term you'll probably need three, then there's the board, £400, plus wetsuits, harnesses, safety kit etc. But as I said before - its worth it!!

Australia Bound

Why would you need more than one kite?

KBREMBO

Light Winds=big kites
Strong winds=small kite
Plus weight/skills of rider etc
Lots of people have only one kite.When you buy A Kite the dealer will advise you on right size kite for your weight and local "average" conditions.

Where are you planning on moving to?

WA is best for Kite-surfing

KB

hedgehog-girl

Hi, we had lessons at Flag Beach in Fuerteventura which was cool, and there are a few places that do it here to. Its a lot cheaper to buy all the gear here than in the UK...$2000 will get you a basic package but about $2700 will get you a good deal (and thats great when you think of the exchange rate). They do the same brands Naish which is great and there are plenty of places and guys to give you lessons, so when you arrive here you can stuck into it to your hearts content....(dependent on weather of course...)

Oakie

I second that. W Awesome

Australia Bound

WA