did you know that kites are THE NEXT BIG THING...

This is all true for beginners. Unlike windsurfing, where most people start out on longboards and slowly progress to shortboards, most beginning kiteboarders just jump in the water bodydragging, flying kites on the beach and so on. Try putting it all together and it's like learning to waterstart a sinker. You end up goin downwind.

Proper instruction will make this easier as with shortboarding. I have heard mention that some schools in Australia train people on buggies first as you can get away with small kites and being underpowered (the equivalent of learning to longboard before using sinkers). Overall though I think kiteboarding is easier to pick up than windsurfing. And it will get still easier as kites improve in leaps and bounds.

As far as light wind appeal, I can go out and kiteboard in as little as 10 knots with my 6.3 cquad. Once the novelty of this wears off, I'm not sure if I'll still do that but I certainly won't be getting into sailing 9.0 sails with 150 liter boards. More likely I'll be able to get a large kite at some point and start jumping in 10 knots (no 30 ft leaps but even 2ft bunny hops make sailing to me a whole lot more fun). (Btw the 11.5 is equivalent in power to the 6.3 cquad at the low end)

As far as help is concerned, I have yet to ask anybody to help me launch or land my kites. I'm not sure I could deal with the monster Naish kites by myself though. The guys around here always have somebody help them out. I'm sure somebody will be able to tell you the proper technique for launching and landing solo though.

Getting blown downwind? How long did it take you before you could hold your ground on a sinker? I bet you'll stay upwind and go where ever you like much faster than that. (You're lucky you have beaches where it's no big deal to end up downwind. The closest beach around here is about 400m long and if you miss the end you're doing some swimming. Ok, there are better places around but I'm unwilling to drive any further than I have to. I'd rather swim 8-)

The first reason is that the 11.5 is too small. Don't be mislead by the kite number, 11.5 does not mean anything, look for the projected surface of the kite (only 6.4 m2 for the 11.5). The second reason could be the board - to be able to go out in light wind, you need a 'big' board around 7' and up. The third reason is the lines, in light wind, use longer lines 40 - 45 m.

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That's the stage I'm at right now. Bodydragging downwind. Even that is kind of fun, but very tiring.

I have tried in vain to find instruction here in Florida. Several people have been very helpful with advice and encouragement, but so far I haven't been able to find a real instructor. I'm hoping that what you and others have said about the quick learning curve is true. I'm itching to really get going. Maybe this weekend I'll have a breakthrough.

What is a cquad? I assume that's a foil kite of some kind. Can it be waterstarted? I would like to try a kite like that at some point. I bought the Naish kite because it is supposed to be easier to fly and waterstart. It is a big kite and it pulls pretty darn hard. It pulled me completely out of the water during last week's body dragging session in only about 8 knots. I hope that's enough power to have fun in light air (say 8-12 knots).

Some people have told me they land their kites solo by ditching them into bushes and other things on land. That sounds like an advanced technique to me. My Naish video says you can launch solo by piling sand on the kite to keep it down, then yanking the lines sharply to shake it off when you're ready to go. That also sounds like an advanced technique and possibly difficult with a kite as big as mine. Given some practice I may figure it out.

You're right about the sinker learning curve. It took me a year of diligent practice before I could waterstart, jibe and stay upwind with a sinker. As far as the beaches go, I guess I'm lucky in that sense. Florida is blessed with miles of unbroken beaches that make perfect launch sites for windsurfers and I hope kiteboards also.

Dave O

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