This may seem like a dumb question. But when does a beginner become an intermediate rider? And when does an intermediate rider become experienced? I was talking to a fellow kiter the other day and he asked me 'what stage rider are u?' And I didnt know what to tell him. Honestly feel like a complete novice 
dont feel like ive crossed any boundaries yet.
Going from beginner to intermediate I think would be when you have mastered upwind, water starts, solo launch/land, easily land a basic jump. When you can do all those things without consciously thinking how to do them.
From intermediate to advanced gets a bit tricky. There are so many different disciplines that you could be a master of one and be a novice at the other.
Well I have crossed a few boundaries then. But I suppose its who u ask. Thanks for the early morning reply plummet. Hopefully the wind picks up in SEQ soon and we can all be back out there. Mrs has even got me riding a horse. Hurts more when u fall of one of those buggers. Waters just a bit softer 
Beginner - sits on the beach pumped up from 10am waiting for 2pm forecast wind with his mate anxious to 'hava go'. Posts useless intricate details on SB after sesh.
Intermediate - rocks up the local 130pm, pumps up and runs lines out within 15min. Is on the water at 2pm as per forecast. Has a great time and posts stoke thread on SB
Experienced - hits the local point an hour before the tide change and 3hrs before that front comes in from inland. Sets up their gear in 5min, doesnt let people make their ears bleed on setup. Hook in and the wind comes on like clock work at 2pm, so stash the spono bag in the scrub one handed with kite at 4, stoke it up for the next 3 hours and comes in downwind of the point on that 15kt frontal push before is swings. Get back back to sed spono bag after front passes at 5pm, pumps up and shreds again till dark in hollow tubes.Drinks beer with other experienced mates 'til late and share stoke. Experienced kiters never talk about fight club
Hi mate,
It's not a dumb question at all and hopefully this should make it fairly clear for you.
Tom is a beginner
I am intermediate
Billy is advanced
Just think about those guys and that should help.
Select to expand quotegcdave said...
Beginner - sits on the beach pumped up from 10am waiting for 2pm forecast wind with his mate anxious to 'hava go'. Posts useless intricate details on SB after sesh.
Intermediate - rocks up the local 130pm, pumps up and runs lines out within 15min. Is on the water at 2pm as per forecast. Has a great time and posts stoke thread on SB
Experienced - hits the local point an hour before the tide change and 3hrs before that front comes in from inland. Sets up their gear in 5min, doesnt let people make their ears bleed on setup. Hook in and the wind comes on like clock work at 2pm, so stash the spono bag in the scrub one handed with kite at 4, stoke it up for the next 3 hours and comes in downwind of the point on that 15kt frontal push before is swings. Get back back to sed spono bag after front passes at 5pm, pumps up and shreds again till dark in hollow tubes.Drinks beer with other expert mates 'til late and share stoke. Experienced kiters never talk about fight club
Nice
definately do the last part of the post well haha
There is no definitive guide on this.....opinions will differ
I would generally classify as follows:
Beginner: One still mastering the basics. Still needs guidance and advice on most aspects of kiting. Learning curve still steep - Kite spends lots of time on the water.
Intermediate: Has mastered the basics, is comfortable in most circumstances and can be out there mixing with the best, but has plenty of general kiting aspects they are still pushing boundaries on. Is over the steep learning curve, but still on that steady climb to mastering the finer aspects of general kiting. Kite still spends time on water, but much less than a beginner and is relaunched relatively quickly.
Advanced: Is very comfortable in any reasonable kiting conditions, has mastered general kiting and one or more aspects of style and regularly gets comments from peers on some aspect of their kiting. Still crashes when pushing boundaries but kite rarely hits water. Recovery is rapid and effortless.
I am "experienced" 6-7 years but far from "advanced" imo, cant do hardly any flicky tricky things, but hell i can mow the lawn like a demon !
Select to expand quotegcdave said..
Experienced kiters never talk about fight club
Fight club called.. you broke the code, you're out.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
Going from beginner to intermediate I think would be when you have mastered upwind, water starts, solo launch/land, easily land a basic jump. When you can do all those things without consciously thinking how to do them.
From intermediate to advanced gets a bit tricky. There are so many different disciplines that you could be a master of one and be a novice at the other.
Reakon plummets on the money here,
my 2 cents worth,
I would say the discipline could be segregated further,
Weather forecasts knowledge, do you know where and when to go for the best conditions for your area, Every notice that the same dudes are out when you find a spot thats cranking....... they know
Set up efficiency and gear knowledge as some people rip on the water but take forever to set up and spend as much time on the land as they do in the water, have seen a few dudes fumble their way through setting up lines launching then landing awkwardly being a jerk in launch areas and then when their out on the water they tear the bag, getting the most out of your kite line set up trimming ect.
Self rescue experience for those that have had to do it, experience outweighs knowledge hands down, how much real experience have you had?
theres heaps more but you get my train of thought
An advanced kitesurfer should be able to perform the following tricks:
1. SUP chest kick: Whilst completing a huge board off, kicking a SUP rider in the chest, followed by gracefully placing board back on feet and riding off
2. Frog throw: Advanced kitesurfer grabs a boogeyboarder by the leg while thoroughly overpowered, Boost while still holding the booger to at least 4 metres, and hurl the frog into a breaking wave.
Progression kite DVD
Beginner DVD do all the moves move on
Intermediate do all the moves move on
Advanced try to do all the moves, spend time at the physio, constant kite damage, slap the ocean 100s of times throwing a titty fit , give up and class yourself an intermediate
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said...
Hi mate,
It's not a dumb question at all and hopefully this should make it fairly clear for you.
Tom is a beginner
I am intermediate
Billy is advanced
Just think about those guys and that should help.
Didn't you post not long ago that you use a legrope/leash on a twin tip...?
Beginner. .. Anyone who posts advice to noobs on the newbie thread.
Intermediate... Only those who kite in large groups at overcrowded spots ie, botany Bay, the pond, red gate
Advanced. ... Alex Sanz
beginner - water starts mastered, turns getting better and stay up wind most of the time. start doing small jumps
intermediate - upwind sorted in variable winds, back rolls & front rolls mastered and boosting big airs and board grabs, starting to learn unhooked railey etc, backroll turns and jump turns
advanced - boostin massive kite loops, unhooked front roll twisty things with a hand pass and cool upside down board offs with some bald guy
thats from a wake frestlye persepective
Select to expand quotetheDoctor said...Daniel1973 said...
Hi mate,
It's not a dumb question at all and hopefully this should make it fairly clear for you.
Tom is a beginner
I am intermediate
Billy is advanced
Just think about those guys and that should help.
Didn't you post not long ago that you use a legrope/leash on a twin tip...?
Beginner. .. Anyone who posts advice to noobs on the newbie thread. Intermediate... Only those who kite in large groups at overcrowded spots ie, botany Bay, the pond, red gate Advanced. ... Alex Sanz
Great memory doctor! Did you get to the end of the thread? Or do you just pick the eyes out of what you like?
It is a serious question by the way.
Select to expand quoteglasstraxx said...
beginner - water starts mastered, turns getting better and stay up wind most of the time. start doing small jumps
intermediate - upwind sorted in variable winds, back rolls & front rolls mastered and boosting big airs and board grabs, starting to learn unhooked railey etc, backroll turns and jump turns
advanced - boostin massive kite loops, unhooked front roll twisty things with a hand pass and cool upside down board offs with some bald guy
thats from a wake frestlye persepective
This was kinda what I was thinking. Basically there is no sort fast rule. Everyone has got their own opinion. Thanks for the replys guys. Now play nice
Select to expand quote
This was kinda what I was thinking. Basically there is no sort fast rule. Everyone has got their own opinion. Thanks for the replys guys. Now play nice
You can't say play nice on seabreeze, face to face communication let's the cream rise to the top. On the line communication changes the laws of physics and allows s**t to float!
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
Progression kite DVD
Beginner DVD do all the moves move on
Intermediate do all the moves move on
Advanced try to do all the moves, spend time at the physio, constant kite damage, slap the ocean 100s of times throwing a titty fit , give up and class yourself an intermediate
Ha, friggin gold.
Unfortunately, I fit your definition of advanced.....try all the moves the cool kids do but really have no idea, never land anything, always getting hurt......
Select to expand quoteDl33ta said...gcdave said..
Experienced kiters never talk about fight club
Fight club called.. you broke the code, you're out.
Hehe yep. Snookered yourself.
You become advanced when...
1. You learn that kiting is not all about you...
2. You always keep an eye out and offer help or say your piece if something / someone has a problem..
3. You see someone gonna land their kite and help them..
4. You don't throw down a funked up trick in front of approaching riders and crash your kite nearly on them or beach goers..
5. You see someone unable to relaunch out on the water, take their board to shore then drag them to safety if need be..
6. You should have have developed some Common Sense, use it !
7. You understand that All the tricks in the book, dont make you anything - If your a tosser..
Righto.
So us beginners have to
Pump our kite in 15 min, change our name to Billy, hang out in botany bay (while moving to WA) sell the cabrinha gear and not talk about fight club.
Oh, and kick SUP riders.
Just doing up the checklist for myself.
Question: Do I have to kick the SUP fella while kiting? Or am I good to go whenever the mood takes me?
Select to expand quoteKiterBen said...
If you fly a cabrinha fair chance your a beginner.
Pls see point 7. In the post above yours.
Select to expand quoteSaveTheWhales said..
You become advanced when...
2. You always keep an eye out and offer help or say your piece if something / someone has a problem..
3. You see someone gonna land their kite and help them..
5. You see someone unable to relaunch out on the water, take their board to shore then drag them to safety if need be..
just another day at melville !! 
kinda does seem like a dumb question
experience is gained by doing so
Beginer - hasn't done much
intermediate - has done some
experienced - has done a lot
none of which draws any distinction about whether you are a tosser or not or how good you are.
nor are there any boundaries, one day you will go out set up fly pack up and then wow, didn't even think about any of that, just did it
probably sans leg rope
Right so there are 4 stages if competence when learning. This applies to anything not just kiteboarding.
1 - unconscious incompetence - That kiteboarding looks easy. I'll be ripping it up in one afternoon!
2 - conscious incompetence - Arg shizer. This is hard! how long before I can go upwind?????
3 - conscious competence - Now I can go upwind if I stomp on the back foot. lets do a jump.... um load yep done than now pop....ah shiit send it. yes now redirect I think ......
4 - unconscious competence - Rig and ride without thinking how.. Just doing it.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
4 - unconscious competence - Rig and ride without thinking how.. Just doing it.
Sounds like a good add for nike
You are missing the most important level of kiting out of all of them from your initial post, and that is the 'KOOK LEVEL', which pretty much describes everyone on seabreeze, except for obviously myself....
