Discussion
Anyone on here in to Kiteboarding? How hard is it to learn?
I'm working quite close to a beach where they do it at the moment, and it looks like fun, if I'm back out here again in the spring I'm tempted to give it a go.
A local school offers a 3 day course including kit hire for about 300 Euros, or 5 days for 450 euros, does that seem reasonable?. How expensive is the gear to buy and realistically how many lessons is a middle aged bloke who's never surfed/skated/snowboarded going to need before being able to go out on my own?
I'm working quite close to a beach where they do it at the moment, and it looks like fun, if I'm back out here again in the spring I'm tempted to give it a go.
A local school offers a 3 day course including kit hire for about 300 Euros, or 5 days for 450 euros, does that seem reasonable?. How expensive is the gear to buy and realistically how many lessons is a middle aged bloke who's never surfed/skated/snowboarded going to need before being able to go out on my own?
No experience of kite flying either and that seems to be a theme from both of you, thanks.
Something like a Flexfoil Sting as a starter? https://www.powerkiteshop.com/kites/flexifoilsting...
Trouble at the moment is I've got the longest beach I've ever seen right on my doorstep but I'm usually only here during the week and it's dark when I get home from work, otherwise learning to fly a kite over the winter sounds like a great way to start, but might have to wait until the clocks change back now
Something like a Flexfoil Sting as a starter? https://www.powerkiteshop.com/kites/flexifoilsting...
Trouble at the moment is I've got the longest beach I've ever seen right on my doorstep but I'm usually only here during the week and it's dark when I get home from work, otherwise learning to fly a kite over the winter sounds like a great way to start, but might have to wait until the clocks change back now
Blimey, I was thinking start with something small so I don't end up somewhere in the middle of the North Sea 
A mate of mine used to be in kites so I asked his opinion as well and he offered to lend me one to have a go with. I've got a month off over Christmas so will have to find somewhere near home to have a play.
A mate of mine used to be in kites so I asked his opinion as well and he offered to lend me one to have a go with. I've got a month off over Christmas so will have to find somewhere near home to have a play.
Unusual to get everyone advising the same thing on PH Great stuff, thanks.
Turns out my mate who used to be quite in to kites has a collection ranging from 2 m^2 to 5.4m^2, which sounds a bit too big for a beginner
Going to meet up with him to show me the ropes (strings) and he's happy to lend me one a bit. So hopefully I can learn the basics with something relatively small and then if I'm back out here in the spring I'll look at getting something bigger I can fly on the beach with a view to having a go at boarding later in the year.
Great stuff, thanks.Turns out my mate who used to be quite in to kites has a collection ranging from 2 m^2 to 5.4m^2, which sounds a bit too big for a beginner
Going to meet up with him to show me the ropes (strings) and he's happy to lend me one a bit. So hopefully I can learn the basics with something relatively small and then if I'm back out here in the spring I'll look at getting something bigger I can fly on the beach with a view to having a go at boarding later in the year.
Well I've had a go with a couple of a mates 4 string kites today, a 2m Flexfoil Blade, and a Revolution. The Revolution is probably the better one to learn on but not as much fun to fly initially, and I'd be worried about breaking the poles, so he's lent me the Flexfoil for a wile to have a play with and see how I get on. I can see why people suggested learning to fly a kite first, they're fun but it takes some skill.
My wife bought me a 1.8m Flexfoil Rage for my birthday, impressed how much power it has for it's size. I'm back in the Netherlands for a bit so hopefully the evenings will be light enough soon to take it down the beach for some consistent wind, up to now I've been flying it in fields that are surrounded by trees so the wind tends to swirl a bit.
Good suggestion from those above to learn to fly a kite first, it's fun.
Good suggestion from those above to learn to fly a kite first, it's fun.
Back in NL again had a 3 hours taster session with a local school at the weekend.
They started us on a 2m 2 string with a bar control, then a 4m 3 string, to make sure we had an idea how to control the kites, and then we got to have a got on a 13m with a harness. Holy crap that's got some pull. My little 1.8 will drag me a bit but I was bare foot skiing down the sand 5+ meters at a time We covered holding it stationary at 45 degrees so you could walk around the beach but didn't get on to full on body dragging which is the next step.
I definitely need to do more of this, but not sure if I've got much time before the season ends in 6-8 weeks time. Learning in the spring makes sense as I'll have a lot more time to practice, even if the sea is a lot colder.
They started us on a 2m 2 string with a bar control, then a 4m 3 string, to make sure we had an idea how to control the kites, and then we got to have a got on a 13m with a harness. Holy crap that's got some pull. My little 1.8 will drag me a bit but I was bare foot skiing down the sand 5+ meters at a time
We covered holding it stationary at 45 degrees so you could walk around the beach but didn't get on to full on body dragging which is the next step.I definitely need to do more of this, but not sure if I've got much time before the season ends in 6-8 weeks time. Learning in the spring makes sense as I'll have a lot more time to practice, even if the sea is a lot colder.
Yeah, I can see the consequences of getting it wrong being a lot more painful in a buggy, they look like fun on youtube but I've not seen ay around here.
The wind's pretty consistent here on the Dutch coast, and the school I went out with the other week do lessons in 3 hour blocks which seems like a good plan, so I could take a few half days to learn.
Only just started a new job so not got much leave available this year for Mediterranean holidays, but the job is only about a 10 minute cycle from the beach which is convenient.
I think I need to learn to sail as well...
The wind's pretty consistent here on the Dutch coast, and the school I went out with the other week do lessons in 3 hour blocks which seems like a good plan, so I could take a few half days to learn.
Only just started a new job so not got much leave available this year for Mediterranean holidays, but the job is only about a 10 minute cycle from the beach which is convenient.
I think I need to learn to sail as well...
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