hillsyy - 13-4-2011 at 07:35 AM
Having dug an old mountain board out of the garage and spent the day rolling down hills (something I found lovely & easy & not terrifying at
all!) I thought I'd take it upon myself to learn how to fly a kite.
My dad is into basically every sport under the sun, including kitesurfing/boarding and is ridiculously good at flying kites. Unfortunately his
smallest is a 2.6m with four lines and I've never seen a kite in my life, let alone flown one, so that was a pretty terrifying experience for me,
haha.
Maybe I'd like to have a go at kitesurfing, but after trying (very badly!) to fly that kite I'm having second thoughts!
Would it be ok for me to learn with a nice small one?
Basically I was scared I was going to chop someone's head of with the lines or something!
Any recommendations?
Oh, and I weigh just under 150lbs so I'm not exactly a skinny girl or anything, just a wimp. ;-)
bobalooie57 - 13-4-2011 at 07:51 AM
That 4 line 2.6M should be just the ticket for you to learn on. Have your dad take you out in 10mph (or so) wind and teach you about the wind window,
power zone, etc. Also all the basic safety info, including protective gear (esp. helmet) pads make landings(crashes)so much easier. Where to safely
fly, reading the weather, etc., are all good basic info a kiter needs to be as safe as possible. Welcome to this exciting addiction, be safe and have
fun!
chudalicious - 13-4-2011 at 08:15 AM
Hey Hillsyy - welcome to the sport and the forum!
LOTS of great people on here and the amount of knowledge is unparalelled. You also have the best thing of all - a dad who already has a knowledge of
kiting!!
I'm around the same weight as you and I learned on a 3m kite and it was a fun, addictive and sometimes scary experience. Now, almost a year later, I
still have SOOOO much to learn but it just keeps getting better.
Go have fun with that 2.6m kite but like bobalooie says, be sure to stay around 10mph winds and learn how to use those kite killers!
B-Roc - 13-4-2011 at 09:15 AM
I'm 145#s and did most of my learning on my 2.5. That's a great size kite to learn on just go out in 10mph winds like others have suggested so you
learn how to fly / turn /control the kite and how the power is delivered througout the wind window.
snowspider - 13-4-2011 at 09:28 AM
I met a fellow who described protective gear as "Its like instant courage".
Welcome to the forum have fun!
Bladerunner - 13-4-2011 at 04:53 PM
Check out the great info for getting started at www.coastalwindsports.com
Folks are right 2.6 is a good size but an odd one? what make of kite is it?
If you are afraid you will hurt somebody you are flying in the wrong spot!
Try at 1st to NOT fly the kite . Just to keep it under control at zenith. Only after a long while start to rock it more and more. Beginers always try
too much too fast + make too large of motions.
Don't give up! You will find yourself wanting more power that that 2.6 can deliver sooner than you know.
+1 for pads. A helmet at least!
RePT - 14-4-2011 at 03:51 PM
i think you should buy a big kite(7m+), and fly it in low winds. buy a small kite(2m) and fly it in high winds.
that way, you gain experience from both ends of the spectrum :D.
I bought a 7m today, took it out in literatly, 0mph winds...it dragged me twice :O.
airwombat - 15-4-2011 at 05:28 AM
@ Rept - if they guy is struggling with a 2.6m kite, how is buying a 7m in any way a sensible option?
Stick with the 2.6m kid, and get your dad to teach you how to fly it safely (somewhere with lots of space), and you'll be fine. you won't regret it
:roll: