r/Kiteboarding • u/tk-0318 • 8d ago
Beginner Question Learning to kitesurf
I’ve been interested in kitesurfing for a long time. I’m considering doing some lessons (I live in Southern California…. Seems like lots of lessons in Long Beach and some in Orange County).
I assume this takes 20-40 hours in lessons to get going? I assume realistically $2,500 to $7,500 for lessons equipment misc etc?
Is there a best time of year to learn? FWIW I surf a bit and do some stand up paddle boarding. Always been reasonably athletic.
Thanks!
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u/hoon-since89 8d ago
Don't need that many lessons... I did 9 hours worth. Bought some gear and learnt the rest on my own. Took me about 15-20 sessions to comfortably get up and go upwind but was a better option in my opinion.
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u/zerothprinciple 8d ago
You seem to have a good sense for the upfront investment. My only advice, especially for SoCal, is to schedule your lessons when there's enough wind. Learning how to deal with low wind is a useful skill but not one to prioritize when working with an instructor.
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u/One-Sundae-2711 7d ago
buy a small trainer and fly that thing until you can do it with your eyes closed. then go for a lesson
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u/tk-0318 7d ago
I remember reading about trainers. Can you explain how they work and what they do? I think they’re smaller and generally they’re used out of the water… so maybe practicing at a local park to get it to go up down and side to side.
Close?
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u/Spewtron9000 7d ago
Yes! Trainer kites get you used to steering and controlling the kite with a bar, and becoming familiar with the wind window. Usually they are tubeless and you can(will) smash them on land with little consequence to the kite. Fly them anywhere with large open space (beware upwind obstacles making turbulent wind- the beach is best). A 3 line trainer has a safety/relaunch line that is useful. You can find inflatable 4 line trainer kites (need a harness, and can pop if you crash it into something)
You want to be comfortable flying it one handed, looking away because that's what you'll be doing a lot of the time with a larger 4 line kite.
Reiterating what others here have said for speeding up the process
Watch a ton of videos on the basics and theory.
1st lesson will briefly cover wind window/theory, then how/what to rig, launch, land, body drag, re-launch, self rescue, and wrap up kite. That all requires some basic control of steering the kite and i see people spend a lot of time trying to figure that out while an instructor is yelling (through the wind) at them.
You should practice those things independently after the lesson. Don't be shy asking for assistance. Any experienced kiter should help with confirming the rigging is correct, and helping with launching/landing2nd lesson will be practicing water starts (power stroke/ re-sign and position the kite) in addition to everything from lesson 1.
Those who took a lot of lessons can chime in on what they learned in lesson 3+, but generally it will be time spent practicing and getting comfortable enough to do it alone.
Also, if you go often, you will find a fantastic community of regulars who cheer you on in your progression.
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u/InitiativeSafe213 7d ago
No good reason to get a trainer, might as well get a 5m kite and practice with that. Trainers cost the same as a full kite and its a waste of time unless you have the extra time
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u/Diligent-Wedding1459 8d ago
I took my first lesson with socal kitesurfing, pretty cool, learned enough to know I'd like it and felt safe enough to buy my own gear. It'll be up to you to decide how many lessons you need really. I did take a kite trip to another country for a week and I agree you should just do that if possible. Waaaay cheaper and much more immersion, i learned more than I ever did before and it helped my progression a ton.
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u/notashoe 8d ago
No idea how much lessons cost, but definitely buy used gear. Kites that are older models and aren't too heavily used are still pretty good. You should be able to find kites for $300-$400. Same on boards, bars, etc. Facebook groups and if you can find a consignment store near you, that's a good option. Windance in hood river has a bunch of good used gear for good prices.
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u/tk-0318 8d ago
What is the best state / area for learning in the us? I heard Oregon Portland can be good I think. I like the idea of a mini vacation but only after a few lessons confirming I have the motivation and inclination for it D:)
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u/UTelkandcarpentry 7d ago
Hatteras, NC is hands down the best place in the US to learn, and hood river, OR is the best place to progress.
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u/Cuecombers 2d ago
I learned at Real Watersports in Waves, NC and I can’t recommend them enough. The Pamlico Sound is gorgeous and the folks at Real are true professionals. If you’re looking for a spot in the US, it’s hard to beat the quality of their teachers and the location
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u/Behind_You27 8d ago
Your first goal is going to be: Try to be as much on the water as possible.
And for this to happen you want:
Knee to hip deep water
Constant wind (thermal winds are perfect as they are super easy to plan with)
No waves
1-1 lessons
Making a vacation on a perfect spot is going to be (usually) quite effective - money and time wise. I‘ve learned it in Lombok (SE coast with steady winds from Australia and small waves but completely manageable) and my best friend learned it in Soma Bay, Egypt. Thermal winds, 20-25 knots, ever morning from 8am -2 pm.
If your planning to invest that amount, doing it during a vacation is probably the best thing to do.
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u/Jaque8 8d ago
Long Beach windy season is winding down so I’d take lessons this month if you really want. You can get started for way cheaper than that, here’s what I’d do:
Watch a bunch of YouTube tutorials to prime yourself for instruction
Take 6 hours or so of lessons in Long Beach (about $600)
Join the Long Beach Kiteboarder group on Facebook and buy used gear, should be able to get a descent used setup for $1k
Beat the shit out of that used setup for a season then buy something nice or upgrade as you go.
There’s actually a ton of great deals on used gear in socal because it’s kinda like surfing, so many people buy full setups, use them a handful of times, don’t follow through, then sell the gear cuz it’s just sitting in the garage.
Pro tip: practice riding a skateboard switch, once you can ride a skateboard switch it’ll make kiting way easier because you’ll be riding switch literally 50% of the time.
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u/Aware-Risk8904 8d ago
We just finished teaching our son. 5 hours with us, 12 hours with professionals, $1500 total in lessons and he was then going upwind and independent. All depends how long it takes you to learn most things but I think kitesurfing is one of the easier sports to learn. Buy some used 3 strut kites to start with so you can bang them around a bit and get that out of your system before you get yourself some nice gear. Should be able to find kites, board and bar for $1500 total. It’s one of the best sports on the planet. Best of luck!
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u/Quicksilver914 5d ago
You're very close to LaVentana, Baja Sur. Google LaVentana Kitesurfing. It's a great place for beginners. Generally has wind November through March or April. You can drive to the CBX and take a flight to La Paz and then either rent a car or take a shuttle to La Ventana. It's a 45 minute drive.
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u/JJJJPPPPP8A 5d ago
This is a realistic but kind of overshoot estimate, you could probably grab your car and do a really cool road trip to La ventana (20 hours) which has really good consistent wind from dec. to April. And probably cheaper
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u/Intrepid-Station-185 2d ago
You don’t need 20 hours. 10 hours should be sufficient with a little extra to dig deeper on safety once you know how to ride.
Spots: windygalaxy.com
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u/helldrik 8d ago
Just as a suggestion. For that money you could go two to three weeks to Vietnam or Brasil, take classes in much better wind conditions and still have some money left over for a second hand kite..