Opinions on teaching a friend

BioDude83 · Since 22 Aug 2015 43 Posts Portland, OR

Just curious about people's experience/opinions regarding teaching others to kite. I've already taught one friend to kite and would like to teach another BUT I want to make sure I respect the kite schools and fellow kiters - especially considering the amount of traffic on the sandbar. Thoughts? Thanks! Cool

undertow · Since 15 Feb 2008 371 Posts BeaversBurg Obsessed

Buy them a lesson from a certified instructor.

bobgatpdx · Since 04 Oct 2008 218 Posts Stoked

Jones Beach is the place to go. Much less crowded than the spit. Plenty of beach to do "waterstarting downwinders".

My buddy and I took two lessons each. He was getting up, but I was not. Then we went on our own about 6-7 more times before I finally was able to waterstart and reach in both directions.

I've heard that it takes 10 times to get to self-sufficiency - certainly did for me. There's a lot of good stuff in the lessons, everyone should take a couple. But there's also a lot of things I had to learn on my own - the hard way. Jones was where we had many early breakthroughs - steady wind and lots of room to roam.
- Bob

PS: AirPirates does lessons at Jones. Good guys.

Scriffler · Since 03 Jul 2005 581 Posts LYLE Addicted

I taught a few people by launching a kite at the hatchery, having them swim out, hook them to the kite, then meet them at the sandbar. It was pretty entertaining but the windsurfers would always get sore about it.

wannabekiter · Since 14 May 2015 269 Posts Hood river Obsessed

Pay an instructor and going during the week in the middle of the day. The crowds are at the smallest during the week and in the middle of the day. Saturday at 2 is the worst time. Better yet go to floras lake and kite glass water while your friend takes lessons. If they can't afford lessons then they can't afford to kite. Harsh but true.

eabmoto · Since 10 May 2012 117 Posts seattle Stoked

You can learn to kite without paying for lessons if you have a competent person with you in the beginning. After the basics, learning to kite is just about doing it and finding out what works.

rhorton1 · Since 25 Oct 2012 36 Posts SoCal

+1 for Jones Beach. Steady wind. Wide open water. Always friendly kiters on the beach. Worth the drive!

Matt V · Mon Apr 10, 17 6:13 am

Spend tons of time on a trainer at Jones. Get your friend to the point where they can fly the trainer with one hand and send a text with the other. Moving on to lessons from there is the way to go. Instructors will even aprecieate that as they actually do not mind having a new student with really good kite control. It makes a kitemare somewhat less likely and allows focus on board skills where a professional is much more effective anyway.

Jones, when it is too light to kite on the water can be good for flying a tiny depower kite too (like 6m). This is a great intro to sheeting after the "texting while trainer kiting" thing. Just make sure you stop the unprofessional lesson when it gets good enough to kite on the water with your 14m. Keeping a kite up in light winds teaches a newb more valuable skills than flying a kite in strong winds anyway.

WindSki · Since 14 Dec 2012 411 Posts Portland Obsessed

Instructors never spend enough time repeatedly having their students launch and land.
Anyone the has gone out at the event site can contest. Beginners’ need way more practice at this skill. Most kitemares happen during this period.

voy-tech · Mon Apr 10, 17 7:15 am

Good kite control is a must - people new to sport underestimate it a lot and want to hit the water asap, which leads to some kitemares (or at least avoidable rescues). Spend a lot of time with your friend on a trainer and then maybe some beat up 6/7m kite on the beach (the 6/7m only in light winds) before you get out. My rule is to show them the trainer flying practice and if they still want to do that after couple hours than i direct friends to a kite school. Like someone mentioned kiteboarding is expensive and you should be able to spend some $$ on safe and effective lessons, especially in a not beginner friendly environment like Columbia River. In my opinion the safest way to learn in the river here is 1 on 1 jetski assisted lessons in the middle of the river (no crowds, direct radio feedback from instructor and no obstacles downwind)

Hazard to Navigation · Since 12 Sep 2016 62 Posts Hood River

Johnb · Since 02 Aug 2010 494 Posts Obsessed

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2088 Posts PNW Bigfoot

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4909 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Dont give him a board until he can body drag upwind half a mile and return to the beach - a jetski is nice to recover the carcass

bobgatpdx · Since 04 Oct 2008 218 Posts Stoked

+1 on the launching/landing practice. I ate sand several times until I figured out where to stand relative to the kite. Having two helpers for this makes it really safe - one at the kite and one at the student.

+1 on lots of trainer kite time. Even better is a 4-line trainer, or a tiny kite (3m-4m) in shallow water. Get good at doing horizontal and vertical kite maneuvers. Move the kite slowly to all points of the wind clock. Practice power strokes. Practice depowering the kite. Practice safety release and self rescue. Practice relaunching the kite from the water - this really helps reduce anxiety when you make your first runs and keep crashing the kite.

+1 on lots of body dragging. Get comfortable doing lots of power strokes and controlling the amount of juice you get from the kite - before you add the board.

Everyone wants to waterstart right away - but if you can't really fly the kite well, you can get very frustrated (and dangerous) at this point in the learning curve. I sure was. Spending more time just flying the kite and doing body drags really pays off.

The good news is, kiting is really easy to learn (compared to windsurfing or surfing). Just be patient and you'll figure it out in no time.
-Bob

bigjohn · Since 13 Mar 2012 663 Posts Addicted

dude abides · Since 06 Apr 2014 52 Posts Bend, OR

+1 for bodydragging
+1 for learning in light wind - haha, try learning in central oregon
+1 for learning in gusty wind - should be easy, try event site
+1 for lessons, Floras Lake Kiteboarding was my winner. every lesson in HR was rushed, crowded, not learning enough from the instructor, no headsets. They do it right in Floras Lake. Spend a week there, your progression will go thru the roof!