anyone on Cape kite surf??

[freetobeme]

Me and waking up before 10 am don't get along. Along with wave timing and travel, I average 5-8 SUS sessions annually. Thats less than 100 waves per year for my skill level. I'm thinking to get in the water more consistently kite surfing would be a great way to go. As we all know, we have plenty of wind in the afternoons!!

I have a trainer kite but looking for help with lessons and gear.  Anyone have local experience(s) to share??

[supthecreek]

Yeah.... get up earlier.

You live 1/2 hour from the surf.... 8 sessions a year is pathetic.... learn how the alarm works and come play with us! 

Besides.....I want to try you dinky little L41 ST.

Local experience shared.

[freetobeme]

10pm start times for my hockey games 3 or 4 night per week put a damper on early rising.

[freetobeme]

 also a firm believer in self regulated sleep.

[yugi]

The beginner days of kite surfing are very very dangerous if you make a dumbass beginner mistake. Not saying a buddy can't teach you well but take the learning part very seriously. These are mistakes you won't get a second chance to learn the hard way.

[freetobeme]

So I've heard. Thats been my one concern about taking it up really. Been thinking on this for over 5 years now. The learning curve and required preparation, focus and patience does seem a bit daunting never mind the danger aspect. But man it looks fun as hell!

[outcast]

Just see Phil at Inland Sea in West Dennis...
He'll hook you up.
Wind: go sail or kite
No wind" go surf
Flat and no wind bike, run, flat water.
Don't be a one trick pony

[freetobeme]

Just see Phil at Inland Sea in West Dennis...
He'll hook you up.
Wind: go sail or kite
No wind" go surf
Flat and no wind bike, run, flat water.
Don't be a one trick pony

Thanks. That's the plan. Hockey, Kite, SUS, MTNBIKE, snowboard.
Plus, I have a free place to stay in Bonaire. I am scuba certified but want to kite there too.

[SUPcheat]

My neighbor decided he wanted to take up kite surfing when he was 62.  He went splat right away and wound up having rotator cuff surgery. 

Looks fantastic watching, but no thanks, no kitee no splatee.

[spookini]

Free place to stay on Bonaire?  NOT learning a windsport would be a sin.

'Early to bed, early to rise..'
Hey, it made Creek healthy, at least.   

[PDLSFR]

Free, I'm also down to get Kite lessons, this springs been nothing but wind and like everyone says, time to expand our horizons and pick up another watersport (Hockey is a frozen watersport so it doesn't count) . I am going to give Phil a call as he was also recommended to me, I'll let you know what I find out about lessons, etc...

[yugi]

Free place to stay on Bonaire?  NOT learning a windsport would be a sin.
...

^^ yep. That's where you want to learn. Learning in cold water is not the smartest of plans. Your first week you spend a lot of time In water. Your thread title is all wrong.

I know Aruba for kite, not Bonaire but they sure got good wind and nice water there. A good kite school there should get you going no prob. Wear a helmut as a beginner - the rest grows back. Do not pick a gusty spot. You want steady sideshore wind on a sandy beach. Handling gusty wind takes years to learn.

BTW: if you intend to take up kiting here are 2 essential drills to do:
1) before your first kite lessons do enough of wake boarding to get good at it. Each time you get out of the water switch sides (once Regular, next time goofy). You won't like doing that as you will naturally be better at one side but DO it. You will need to do that kiting and as a beginner the real issue is controlling the kite. So you want to be on auto-pilot for the board handling. Just find a place and go do it.

2) After your first couple of kite lessons go spend some time yourself with just the kite in the water (no board). Find a beach with sideshore wind, start upwind and body drag out from the beach (an essential skill to have anyway). Then play powering up the kite and do body drag surges on both sides. You’ll end up way down the beach. Just come in and do the walk of shame back upwind. Spend a couple of 1/2 days getting this down.

After those two drills you just go in the water with both kite and board and bobs your uncle. Do not use a board leash - you do not want your board coming back at you in a crash. Not at all hard to learn the body drag skills to go retrieve your board.

I already essentially had pt 1) (though would have been better if I’d drilled my weak side). Someone told me pt 2) after my first hour or so of lessons which I when I was able to ride 50ft before crashing, but not more. Once I did drill 2) I was up and riding, totally autonomous and not falling much. All in all I don't have more than a couple hours intruction due to doing both those drills. I've seen people send 2 weeks with 4 hours private instruction and get nowhere. It's just too hard to put everything together at the same time when learning. Separate the two by doing the drills.

Eventually leave your sunglasses at home and learn to ride without staring at your kite. Then you will officially no longer be a beginner.

[freetobeme]

Thanks for the off topic help here guys. It's appreciated. Still stoked on SUS but not always waves around.

Of course I've been watching kiting videos on technique etc but these are very Entertaining

[yugi]

^^ yep
Remember: you want a nice sandy beach with sideshore steady wind to learn.

Go way out of your way to find that for your first week.

Und get a cool helmut you won't hesitate to wear. Kite school ones are dorky as hell and you'll be ultra motivated to drop it at first chance. Don't. Intermediates make the mistakes you see in the viddys.

[freetobeme]

Sandy beach may be tough. Cape is riddled with rock. I will ask around tho.

I'm down with wearing a helmet. Any suggestions?