Of course it's going to be good today, I can't get there lol 
Aiming for tomorrow afternoon though. SB forecast looks nice, fingers crossed it stays that way.
I've loaded my gear up, but I'm not sure if I should go out. The seabreeze graphs for Sydney Airport are showing a range between 15k (avg) and 24k (gusting), with the wind forecasted to drop. I might head out (southerly end of botany bay, but not doll's), but I think it's pretty sketchy for us newbs. Be careful if you come out.
Warehouse, now that we're both able to get up and going (for a short time!) I imagine we'll progress quickly. It'll be much easier to learn the next parts as we can hopefully try things, get instant feedback, and keep going; instead of trying, wiping out right away, then having to pick up the kite, body drag back to the board, eat a snickers, etc, before being able to try again.
That's my theory anyway!
Select to expand quotejms said..
Warehouse, now that we're both able to get up and going (for a short time!) I imagine we'll progress quickly. It'll be much easier to learn the next parts as we can hopefully try things, get instant feedback, and keep going; instead of trying, wiping out right away, then having to pick up the kite, body drag back to the board, eat a snickers, etc, before being able to try again.
That's my theory anyway!
Yeah most of my mates that can kite have said similar things. Once you get over that first hurdle and can water start reasonably consistently (its's about 50/5 for me at the moment) and can start staying up for a few seconds then things start to progress quickly for a bit. Runs get longer, you start to edge properly, keep power in the kite and keep it out of the water etc. I hope that theory stays true.
As for this afternoon, go off the BOM site rather than the SB graph, it can be a little unreliable. The last few times I got out I pushed myself a little further in stronger winds and found that what I thought was me being over powered was just me being a worried newb. What it feels like on land is quite often a lot less once you are on the water and trying to start. Yes be careful in very gusty conditions etc and don't go out unless you feel confident, but you also have to get use to dealing with weird conditions as well. As long as you are not kiting alone (which you never are at Botany) and you have the instinct to pull QR first, ask questions later than you should never get yourself into too much trouble.
JMS, if the wind sticks around ill head out and am happy to meet up with you. Just send us a text if you head out and where you are goin go to be.
It turns out that the wind was a bit low! It was still a little up and down and there were some pretty scary clouds, but no dramas.
You say that there's always people out at botany bay, but as soon as I got all my gear out everyone left (after giving me a launch)! It was a bit eerie with the dark clouds by myself, but I was joined by others soon enough. It was mostly other beginners out, maybe there wasn't enough consistent wind for the more experienced guys?
I'm stoked with my progress - I can get up and going fairly well now. I was having difficulty keeping going, but the conditions were maybe not the easiest. I executed a couple of perfect self lands (one advantage of light wind!), and a brown trousers (but ultimately safe) self launch. Apart from the lack of helping hands, it was nice having emptyish beaches today.
As I progress, I'm finding all the new and novel ways to wipe out. It turns out I end up swallowing more water up on the board than I did body dragging!
Lessons learned:
* DON'T CHOKE THE KITE
* know which way is downwind and where to point the board
* breathe out of my nose while wiping out to stop water going up it.
I also met up with manlykiter - good to meet you mate!
Sounds like you are progressing quicker than me mate.
I still only 50/50 water starting and being able to keep riding.
Yeah, best thing one of my instructors told me was just leave the bar alone. Once you do your initial dive and are standing, just leave it alone. Half the time you can just let it do its thing and it will sit where it needs to to pull you alone, then just lean back and edge the board. Obviously you are going to have to work the kite a bit in light wind but that initial get up and going the kite will generally do by itself.
I haven't had the chance to try a self launch/land (other than pulling the QR) always been plenty of people around and too much wind for me to try.
I am hopefully looking at heading to BB this arvo if the wind picks up, forecast doesn't look good but will be checking the BOM observations from lunch onwards.
As for figuring out which way is down wind, I hope you figured that out before launching. If you are getting a bit turned around in the water what I do now is just do a little soft start. Basically i take the kite from 12 to either 1 or 11 depending on which way I need to tack, just enough power to drag me softly in the direction i need to start, I look for a land mark in the distance under my kite and bob's ya aunty thats where you want to point to start. Once up you need to edge and bring the nose back a bit to keep tension etc but that's how i find my start now.
Nice to meet you JMS, I thought you were doing really well considering the patchy light wind! Its so much harder to kite in light winds.
I wiped out after trying a turn and my kite lines got tangled, so I packed it in. I was also getting tired from doing the 'walk of shame', being able to stay upwind consistently is my current goal.
Tomorrow is looking promising if anyone is heading out?
Yeah mate, I am planning on heading out tomorrow for sure. Been 3 weeks since I last got to kite, dying to get back out and make a fool of myself 
Who's going out tomorrow to kick off the long weekend?
I have the day off so going to get out there early, around lunch time to make the most of the winds I have been missing out on.
Yeah, my lines got tangled too when I took my kite in (left them in the waves for too long after unhooking), so I spent ages sat by my kite sorting them out.
I'm not sure if I'm getting up and going half the time, but it's sorted enough that it's not an issue. Most of the time when I fail I just fall back in again, so can start again with minimum dramas.
I always logically know which way downwind is, but I still haven't built up a feeling for it. Myself and another guy were finding it easier to come back to shore than go out last time - my theory is that with the cross onshore wind I was trying to stay too far upwind when going out, but not when coming in.
I'm not coming out today - I've got lots of work again (hooray!) and a birthday party in the evening. Monday is looking good!
Oh, and last time I was out I had my board rescued for me by someone - thank you! He told me that in light wind it's often easier to just swim backwards to pick up your board, but I didn't get a chance to test it out.
Select to expand quoteWarehouse13 said..
Who's going out tomorrow to kick off the long weekend?
I have the day off so going to get out there early, around lunch time to make the most of the winds I have been missing out on.
Scratch that, pretty sure the gearbox on my car just decided to crap itself, so now going to be spending (hopefully only) today fixing the freaking thing.
Seriously something does not want me to learn to kite, as far as karma goes at this rate i am seriously going to become the next world champ.
where do you live warehouse? i may be able to give you a lift if you are on the north shore
I'll try to get to Botany Bay by 8am or maybe even earlier to work on my teabagging without the crowd. I'll avoid Doll point as the tide will be pushing down the wind until 11am (if I can read the charts properly).
If someone is driving from the North shore I could use a lift (I live in Wollstonecraft) otherwise I'll just use by bicycle surf rack as usual :-)
What do you guys think of kite size for tomorrow? seabreeze predicts 20 to 25 south, it probably will be gusty. I am thinking of taking a 6 and an 8m for my 65kg (I can't carry more than two kites on the bike).
Also, Kitepower is having a "garage sale" and "swap" day tomorrow, I am not sure what it means but I'll be having a look too.
Jeremy
Hi all
I've just moved to Sydney and can't wait to get on the water, as it has been a while.
If anyone is going out tomorrow I'm and really keen to meet up.
Just reply or PM me.
Cheers
Martin
I live out near Kellyville mate.
Won't get a chance to get out tomorrow either, have to get this freaking thing fixed so I can get to work next week.
Select to expand quotejms said..
I'll be out tomorrow, but most likely at Kurnell.
Hi Jms...
Great to meet you. Why Kurnell over Dolls etc. I was reading not suitable for newbies/learners... How do you find it?
Kurnell is good, you just have to be careful when launching/landing as there is not much sand but there is LOTS of scrub that is happy to put holes through your kite (as my kite will tell you). Also until you can confidently get up, stay up and tack where you want, stick to the middle groyn, that's where most of the newbs float around, it just keeps you out of everyone's way as the more experienced kiters tend to run from the first one out and back in a loop.
Can't make it out today but going to be getting down every day I possibly can this week as the wind is looking amazing. Car should be sorted today.
I was thinking Kurnell because the city beaches might be a bit busy with non kiters due to the long weekend, and because the weather forecast isn't showing massive amounts of wind and Kurnell gets an extra few knots (I think).
Looking at the wind direction today, it looks like the wind might be ever so slightly offshore for Kurnell, so I might well go to the other beaches. Tricky conditions for me today, as I can get up and going now, just end up losing a lot of ground downwind!
It was good to meet you too Kitebike! Thanks so much for letting me have a go on your kite, it was very interesting seeing what difference dropping down a few sizes made.
Select to expand quotejms said..
I was thinking Kurnell because the city beaches might be a bit busy with non kiters due to the long weekend, and because the weather forecast isn't showing massive amounts of wind and Kurnell gets an extra few knots (I think).
Other way around, Ramsgate side of the bay gets a few more knotts than Kurnell. It's due to the fact that is more open to the sea breezes where as Kurnell is a little more sheltered in the bay.
You sound more confident than me about getting up and going JMS so pretty sure you are going to be ahead of me mate 
Really? I'm mostly just thinking back to the day where you spent all morning ripping at Kurnell, and I was chilling at Ramsgate thinking there was no wind!
I dunno, I've only had two sessions of being able to get up (with a failure of a session sandwiched between), so we'll see. Maybe my old windsurfing skills are FINALLY starting to help, although the movements do seem fairly different...
I'm off to check out Dolls, see if I can catch up with Schulerbible.
I lost my shoes! One got ripped off my foot when I came off my board, and another when I stepped off my board on shore. I tried to chase after it downwind/downcurrent, but couldn't keep up while keeping my kite safe. They were only $10 kmart jobbies, but I'd have preferred to keep them and also not pollute.
I'm still doing the walk of shame. My genius theory is that I *can* go upwind or at least crosswind, but I spend so much time body dragging to the board, falling in, losing my edge and taking off downwind at warp speed, etc, that I get washed downwind in those periods. I don't think the currents at dolls point help either.
These things can go fast O_O. Usually just before I stack it due to losing my edge.
Hahaha, yeah there is that slip second where you realise how fast you are going and you are like WOOHOOOOO this is aweso......oh fk too fast, no contr*splat* 
I don't bother with the shoes, just one more thing to worry about, ramsgate side is ok, it's over a kurnell most down the eastern end that you get the urchins that will ruin your day.
Sounds like you need to start getting into the habit I do now when I stack. The second you start feeling yourself about to faceplant, bend your kness backwards to tuck you feet into your butt. One of my instructors told me this one, what it does is makes your thighs take most of the abuse from the water and pulls the board out of the direct drag of the water reducing the chance of it getting pulled off your feet, you generally will curl your toes up when you do this as well which will also help hold the board on. Then you just keep your knees bent with board tucked behind you and body drag on your stomach until you get the kite to 12 and once settled, reach back to your board with one hand, take it off your feet, bring it around front and water start again. Worse case scenario, if you hit the water hard enough the board comes off your feet anyway, with your toes pointing backwards, it will just slip off and not bend your ankle back at the same time reducing the risk of you hurting your foot. Once you have some experience and can send the kite a little I have also seen guys do this where they just send the kite, pull themselves up out of the water, swing their feet back underneath them and off they go all in one foul swoop, this also had the added benefit of looking uber cool and made you forget about the stupid crash they just had hahaha
If you are taking off so fast down wind it sounds like you are doing the same as me and not edging enough. Once you have the initial burst of speed and are planning, that is the time to lean back, put a bit more pressure on the back foot and left your front toes to bring the nose of the board around and head more cross wind (and eventually upwind).
I have all my gear in the car so plan on heading probably to 1st or Hollywoods after work. Planning on getting there bit before 5 (depending on traffic), wind looks like it is going to be cranking so this should make for an interesting afternoon 
Well I got out yesterday with mixed results, I only really got one run out on a mates 9m I borrowed which was a mongrel to get to turn (long story short someone else had borrowed it and changed the depower settings on the bar without telling him so you went bar to full 90deg one way and the kite hardly moved, no wonder I was having trouble getting the thing to do what I wanted). Only got the run out, which was quick in that wind, didn't really have time to think about anything was too busy trying to work out why I couldn't get the kite to do what I wanted it to. Was trying to edge, not sure if I did or not, but lost power in the gusty conditions looked back and I was further out then I ever have been, first thought was well sht that was quick. That's when I discovered the steering issue, was massive chop/swell so ended up giving up and dragging back in. Anyway, didn't get much running in but glad I got out because I have never been out in wind that big, was a milestone moment for me
Planning on getting out there this arvo as well, should be less wind today, think BOM forecast 15-20knts. Yesterday it was 25+ gusting to 34+, was interesting to say the least. The other thing I discovered was that unless you can ride upwind, stay away from Hollywoods in a NE, the beach to the south has been basically washed away and there is nothing but the 2m high concrete wall and rocks. SE would be alright as there is beaches to the north but in NE stick to the more northern beaches until you can ride upwind.
Hopefully see some of you out there this arvo, probably heading to 1st or maybe Jeep if first is too crowded.
Interesting session yesterday, had to do my first self rescue which turned into my first failed self rescue and me swimming for a solid 10-15mins back into shore towing a fkn heavy kite, the fact my harness rode up around my chest and wasn't letting me get a full breath in wasn't of any help either haha. Thanks JMS for your help too mate, much appreciated.
Other than that I got some good runs in finally after 3 weeks off, although I felt all thumbs at some points. After so long off I almost felt back to square one again, making silly mistakes etc. I was able to test out my xmas present from my boys though (gopro line mount) so will post a vid up soon.
Was good to finally meet ManlyKiter as well
No worries mate, it's all good swimming exercise!
I'm hoping to get out this arvo, maybe Tues and Friday too. I didn't get out again last week, was wiped out and needed a recovery day or two!
OK, now I know how it feels to be overpowered! The kite was easy enough to control, and it wasn't scary, but I just couldn't keep an edge, kept zooming off at top speed, and it took the lightest of touches to get up and going.
I couldn't get a decent run in, so after a couple of runs I packed up and came home.
On the plus side, I do now have a silly looking hat, and spectacle straps!
