Forums > Kitesurfing Tasmania

Lessons anywhere in Tassie?

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Created by tasadam > 9 months ago, 10 Jan 2021
tasadam
TAS, 5 posts
10 Jan 2021 12:46PM
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G'day all!

So I have sparked an interest, done heaps of reading and watching videos & tutorials, and now I am stuck between 2 places.

1. Buy a trainer kite, apparently 4 string better than 2, that's as far as I have learnt there, yet the various for sale post descriptions suggest people don't keep training kites for long. The thinking is - Training kite to pick up some basics safely, before going for lessons.

2. Get lessons.
Great! Happy to. But where?
Is there anywhere in Tas where I can go, pay my money, use their kit and pick up some basics and see whether being strapped into a kite scares me too much to want to go spend the coin on my own kit?

I have read it's better to get lessons with beginner kit then buy kit that's compatible through to intermediate, because if you buy exclusive beginner kit first up, you will outgrow it fairly quick.
But, not having done it, I don't know.

Anyone?
Devonport based but happy to travel. Pretty fit, middle aged male, 70kg.

Thanks in advance.

Gclark1
TAS, 546 posts
10 Jan 2021 10:15PM
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Hi Tasadam - for what it's worth, if you can find someone with experience to 'buddy' you, you can probably skip the trainer kite bit too. We have a 'newbie' with us here in Launceston who did his first 'fly a kite' last weekend (in water), and tried for the second one today, but got skunked.

Again, if you can find someone local, who is happy to get you up to speed on principles, safety, etc, who has some spare, older gear that they can hitch you to, and spend a little time waist deep walking you through your early flights, crashes, relaunches, body drags, and tentative 'on board' runs - do it.
it's really only a couple of sessions like this, and then a few with a chaperone, before you have the basics covered (assuming some coordination and aptitude on your part...), and you'll be happy to 'plod around', perhaps with your own kit.

I went down the 'sick-it-and-see', self-taught path, not ideal perhaps, but I didn't have any trouble - my golden rule was "be underpowered, always". Needless to say, I was never 'brave' about wind or venue.

Have fun! I believe that's what it's all about...

tasadam
TAS, 5 posts
22 Jan 2021 8:41AM
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Cheers.
Further research suggests if I got a trainer kite I would be done with it in a week, and I would be better to het a harness, bar and lines, and a kite up to about 5 metres, using that as a safer way to train and not get myself into too much trouble.
Then it's just a board, bigger kite, wetsuit and maybe lifejacket and other bits & pieces which I still need to research.

I know that the bar & lines needs to be compatible with the kite, so I would really need to understand what kite type/s and brand/s work together.
I'll research that.

Back to lessons - anyone in NE Tassie want to sell me some of their time so I can chat about things, see up close what the kit is and learn about things like quick release, chicken loop, waist vs seat harness, depower and how it is achieved, what affect putting the lite into certain positions has, how to achieve whatever it is called where the kite is teetering on the edge of the wind window, ready for launch or just holding it there, and ultimately what it feels like to hang onto / strap yourself into a kite...

Alternately, anyone know anywhere in Tassie that does lessons?
thanks.

Gclark1
TAS, 546 posts
26 Jan 2021 3:53PM
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You sound committed Tasadam...

There are a few of us who end up somewhere on the north coast most windy days. If it is NW generally Greens Beach, which is the better of the few spots to learn. That said, I expect that any of us who are about will give you at least SOME guidance on the matters that you note, and you may just get lucky and have an opportunity to 'hook up' too.

I can't really suggest anything formal but if you see someone with gear - go and say Hi - you might just get lucky, and 'watching' is definitely a good thing to be doing.

tasadam
TAS, 5 posts
28 Jan 2021 9:06AM
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Thank you Gclark1.

tasadam
TAS, 5 posts
28 Jan 2021 9:07AM
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Thank you Gclark1.

L8Start
31 posts
9 Feb 2021 9:01PM
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I bought a trainer kite and kinda regret. Maybe spend the money to fly over to Melbourne and take a lesson there with their equipment. I do wish I had a smaller kite to play around with on water, but the trainer I got doesn't work with water - it's a small foil kite and can't relaunch on water. Unfortunately, the small kites that can relaunch on water are much more expensive.

Gclark1
TAS, 546 posts
1 Mar 2021 5:09PM
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If you are still umming and ahhhing about training and kites - I bought a 4m kite a month or so ago (and it was cheap), and have used it 3 times already to actually surf. Point being, if you get a kite like this 4m you will probably get use out of it later anyway, and it is VERY easy to muscle around, even in heavier wind. Possibly a good TRANER option.



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"Lessons anywhere in Tassie?" started by tasadam