i started kiting last season, and got a few lessons of body dragging, ended the season wtih attempting to get on the board, but was never successful. i took lessons last season in rockingham near that penguin island, but was never comfortable in that area because it was just soooo busy with pple/tourist/kiters/kayakers.
Well, so this season, i feel like i've completely chickened out and haven't touched the water.
I'm a girl and i weight 45 kg and have a 7 m kite. I go out with my gear, get to the beach, and just plain chicken out. I"m scared of the power of the wind, and, from last season, can never seem to control. Then I come to the forum and i read about pple complaining about beginners being in the way. And i will be in the way with my powess of kite crashing.
How do I build confidence up, and where is a good beginers spot with say... at most 10 pple or do i have to learn with a crowd. with my weight and kite size, i feel like anything more than 20knots is abit too much for me, would that be correct?
Or are some pple just not cut out for this spot :(
I suggest you give WA surf a call, let them know the situation and have another lesson. Where they teach is on the point at the back of the pond. That particular stretch is really only filled with beginners and understanding advanced beginners to intermediates. We are all friendly and happy to help. I learnt there and still kite there with my son.
I agree the penguin island area is not as friendly
Select to expand quoteAndy T said..
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I agree the penguin island area is not as friendly
Really, I learnt over there too (pengo's) never had a problem, not had one really over the back of the pond either but always felt better at pengo's, while there are a few learners over there the crowd is a little more experienced......different strokes I guess.
If the power of the kite is overwhelming you then get something smaller, this is going to make water starts hard or impossible in some conditions but sounds to me like kite control and confidence are the main concerns at this stage so get something smaller and be content with body dragging for a bit until you can do it without looking at the kite and most importantly until you can feel comfortable (I find my breathing to be a critical tell tale, if you can do all this and not have elevated heart rate or breathing too much maybe time to move up or onto the next stage of learning.....don't rush it).
don't give up, everyone finds other kites/crowds intimidating at first, do the lessons to the point you are comfortable with the kite on your own and then just try and give yourself some space. At pengos for example I used to start from the main area and let myself go downwind almost all the way to the far point then walk back.....yeah it's a pain and you need to be able to either self land or have someone come down specifically to help you but you don't need to be far nth of the main pack to find enough space not to worry but still have kiters around. Bottom line is once you have the kite control down and are a little less overwhelmed by all the stuff you are doing then the crowd becomes less intimidating and more predictable.
stick with it and good luck
:)
okay, take things slow and easy. sounds like a plan and back to body dragging.
I think i feel overwhelmed because i'm battling waves, looking out for other kiters, and then looking at my kite to see where it is. It's like sensory overload. If i'm looking at the kite, i think i'm going to be in the way of someone or crash into something. If i'm not looking at the kite and looking out for swimmers/kayaks/kiters, i'm gonna crash my kite. There is no way i can body drag and not look at my kite.
Do you think shallow/flat waters are better? like melvile and mandurah? if anything happens, i can just stand up or someone can come run over and get me?
I have taught a couple of mates to kite and this year i taught my sister who seems to be in a pretty simmilar situation to urself.
First of all out the back of the pond is a pretty good place to learn. Just walk as far out as you can on the sand spit and head left (make sure u can body drag back to your board)
A key to progression is confidence. My sister was the slowest to learn by miles because she had no confidence to be mildly agressive with kite.
My sister has a 6m @50kg which covers ur average 20-25 knot day. I would recommwnd getting out earl when the wind is still picking up and get comfortable depowering ur kite.
And lastly talk to other kiters on the beach about whatever problems u or they are having and expand ur knowledge base. Oh and learn how ur safety works and pull it a few times it will make u alot more cofident in killing the power in the kite.
Good on you for sticking at it and asking for help. I windsurfed for 30 years and have done adventure sports all my life and it frightened the crap out of me when i first when solo with the kite. If you can afford it, get more lessons it really helps. And do body dragging as long as you want, it builds kite control skills and confidence which is what you need. A friend of mine who is a total gun surfer, competed at a national level when younger, spent a whole summer season doing nothing but body dragging out to the reef and back. because the kite scared him.
So its not an easy path, being scared is good!, and keeping at it delivers some amazing experiences.
Good luck to you.
Go to the cake park also to get a feel for the board without thinking about your kite. Might make you feel more at ease.
Don't give up!
when I started I found skiving out of work early as the sea breeze came in was a real confidence booster. It gave me time on the water without lots of other people / kiters around. If you can do that I would recommend it.
good luck.
Select to expand quoteseaspraydolphin said...
:)
okay, take things slow and easy. sounds like a plan and back to body dragging.
I think i feel overwhelmed because i'm battling waves, looking out for other kiters, and then looking at my kite to see where it is. It's like sensory overload. If i'm looking at the kite, i think i'm going to be in the way of someone or crash into something. If i'm not looking at the kite and looking out for swimmers/kayaks/kiters, i'm gonna crash my kite. There is no way i can body drag and not look at my kite.
Do you think shallow/flat waters are better? like melvile and mandurah? if anything happens, i can just stand up or someone can come run over and get me?
A good instructor would hear your concerns and move you or choose a quieter location, have respect for your kite but don't be scared of it, IMHO you carnt do enough body dragging, if your not 100% with kite control then leave the board until you are, a good instructor will see this and won't introduce the board to you until your kite confident, if your not comfortable with your location get lessons elsewhere, it's an amazing sport and is definatly worth sticking at, better to regret something you've done than something you Havnt,
If your body dragging with a 7m kite then you've got what it takes to be a kitesurfer....you only really need to be glancing at the kite ...if your looking at the kite most of the time you will lose the most important safety aspect for you at this time ...awarness....more lessons are always a good thing...but If your body dragging you should be passed a lot of the safety stuff now....and should be confident with kite in hand....we all understand and respect the power of the kites and you must overcome that fear to some degree....you can afford to more aggresive when body dragging test yourself a little bit at a time...this will help to get over your fears...a kite buddy is also a must at this stage for you...knowing that someones looking out for you will allow you to go for it a bit more....i'm a regular at the back of the pond and learning off the sand spit is the best place for you at this stage...most kiters there are friendly learners like yourself ...strike up conversation....people will look out for you......if you've got yourself to this stage then you've got what a lot of people have'nt......the balls to do it
Hey seaspray
As the other guys said-don't give up!
I started and like everyone else was crap! I remember the fear you talking about, I felt it too. It's a learning curve we all gotta get over. A bit of fear is good too, it reminds you things can get hairy. That fear will become respect with time and practice.
I reckon ditch the board and just go out with the kite and body drag all day. You will need to be good at body dragging anyway so may as well practice it until you are pro. This will give you time in the water, experience with the kite, and you will get more comfortable with each session.
Other kiters are there to help, as we are (as a majority) friendly! Crowds are an issue-try getting out as early as possible, during the week if you can, and days when the wind isn't great (as in not very strong, but the right direction for the beach you are going to). You will find the more you get out, the less scary it will be! Taking a mate with you for moral support may also help. Make sure you know your safety system and don't be fooled to think its safer to kite on the beach-the water is your friend!
In a nutshell, every kiter you see has been in your situation. The only downside of following my and everyone else's advice is that you will develop the kiting addiction quickly, and then your life will be shaped by when the seabreeze comes in!!
Don't give up, trust us!!
I'm sure there are people on here that would give you a helping hand if you asked for it. Even if it was just walking down the beach to keep an eye on you for half an hour until you felt more confident. I have done this with a few beginners and would gladly meet you down at Melville when me and my brother go out.
Don't give up
Set your mind to getting past the initial learning curve, focus on what you want to achieve and believe in yourself
You will be up and going in no time and will learn a lot about kiting and be proud of yourself in the process
You have made the decision to learn, follow it through :)
Enjoy this great sport
One of the things I needed most from experienced kiters was a little push to inflate my kite. Some reassurance that the wind strength was right for me.
The other thing I needed to do was to forget about making progress (at least a little bit) and to enjoy this session, today, without putting pressure on myself to get better. Getting better is the outcome not necessarily the goal.
thank you all for the encouragement. You all have no idea how simple words on a page from strangers gave me a that much needed boost.
And with that, i went out for the first time this season yesterday. It was my first time at the point at the back of the pond and i was glad that i listened to you guys and got in before the crowds came in and winds picked up.
It was the perfect place for beginners and it was reassuring to see other learners and body draggers alike. Though, i almost took someone out on launching and when i came in, 
, crash landed my kite. Launching, landing and relaunching in the water just freaks me out for that split second the kite pulls me off my feet.
I think i've always been disappointed that i didn't progress for the day. And i think you all are right about no pressure to make progress and just enjoy the day body draggin. I'll definitely change my mindset about that.
But, hey, i got out yesterday and didn't chicken out!
Well done seaspray! I think you'll find that even if you don't feel like you are progressing very much you're still learning heaps. Launching and landing are the most hazardous moments when your a newby so make sure you take your time don't forget about being ready to hit the safety release if it starts to go pear shaped.
Great to hear you got out and made something of it....every time you go out you will learn something whether its about new conditions you encounter,how the kite reacts to these new conditions and your reactions to situations like you had landing and launching....it all goes in the knowledge bank to make you a complete and safer kiter...i was out back of pond yester arvo... It got a bit gusty....there were two girl kiters off the sand spit...you by any chance??...they were making good progress getting up on the board......it would be good to hear your progress on here....to encourage others in your situation....dont forget were heading to the backend of the season so get out as much as poss as to retain your new confidence into next season.....good luck....and happy safe kiting
Select to expand quoteseaspraydolphin said..
I think i've always been disappointed that i didn't progress for the day. And i think you all are right about no pressure to make progress and just enjoy the day body draggin. I'll definitely change my mindset about that.
But, hey, i got out yesterday and didn't chicken out!
Great to see you got back out there. Even without realising it you will be making progress every time you go out, learning to read the wind, rigging, flying the kite instinctively rather than looking up at it all the time and situational awareness as to what others around you are doing. The more you get all that squared away before you grab a board the easier that will be to learn.
Select to expand quoteBENHURbevo said..
Great to hear you got out and made something of it....every time you go out you will learn something whether its about new conditions you encounter,how the kite reacts to these new conditions and your reactions to situations like you had landing and launching....it all goes in the knowledge bank to make you a complete and safer kiter...i was out back of pond yester arvo... It got a bit gusty....there were two girl kiters off the sand spit...you by any chance??...they were making good progress getting up on the board......it would be good to hear your progress on here....to encourage others in your situation....dont forget were heading to the backend of the season so get out as much as poss as to retain your new confidence into next season.....good luck....and happy safe kiting
I was there late morning to maybe around 230. When i was there in morning, there was only one kiter at the pond, and a couple of learners at the back of the pond. When it got gusty and a little overpowering for me, i got out. Unfortunately, it wasn't me getting up on the board. I was just happily body dragging and occasionally had my eyes off the kite!
I think the next time i get out, i'll go out super early and pratice launching and landing 50 times and then some water relaunching. I think when i launched on sunday, it was kinda light winds in the morning and it wouldn't catch much wind at the edge of the window to lift up, so my kite drifted towards the powerzone 
(i freaked out thinking i hate this damn sport and why can't it be easy to control like snowboarding). Going past launching is the biggest mental hurdle for me, and that's why so many times this season i rock up to the beach and then just plain refuse to set up my gear.
Once again, thank you all for the encouragement! I find it hard to strike up conversations at the beach with kiters, as I pretty much like to hide behind a rock, but i guess i have to slowly change that if i wanna learn from the pros and improve. So this forum has been a big help just for that little push to get out there!
Hi Seaspray,
I could be wrong but from memory Sunday morning was blowing SE until about 12pm. It can get slightly offshore in that area outside the pond on a SE. Try and wait until the seabreeze comes in (SW) because then it goes onshore. Much safer.
see if you can find a regular crew you can build some trust in. If you like I can lend you a trainer kite to switch to when the crowds and wind amp up .... It will build your confidence in your own kite flying. As everyone has suggested... Stick with it!
Hi ,
like they say
hold your head high and never give up
one small trick, i find works for me, when launching and landing, to stop getting pulled off my feet, is to sit down. When the kite, hits the power, basically just drop your bum to the ground.
also, sometimes it is easier to fly your kite @ 20+ knots than 15 knots , the kite just responds to your input easier. just remember your safety. test it every time you go out, it only takes a few seconds to make sure its working. good luck jd
Find a buddy who's keen to give you a helping hand . . .
There's the kite hook-up page on seabreeze, suggest you seek out some buddies on that.
Having mates to talk through stuff with, help you launch and land, debrief when things go wrong and get all pshyed with when things go right makes kiting so much more fun.
Gives you way more confidence during learning phase to know someone's there watching your back.
Stick with it - the first year sux, but then you'll be having as much fun as snowboarding, on tap in Perth all summer with no lift lines!
