New to the site, just sayin g'day and askin a few questions.

[SHEPPO3930]

g'day

first post on this forum after discovering it. i am from the mornington peninsula, seen some kite-surfers round and wondering if any of them are on here??

i am about to get into the sport, just free-ing up some $$$ and going to get some lessons then purchase gear. what kite-surfing schools/lessons do you recomend? i would like to be taught the basics then work on them myself after work/uni, as i live right next to the beach.

i am ~75kg, what kite sizes are good for port phillip bay? as the average breeze is 20-35knots when it blows steadily.

as an ex- snowboarder and sailer (i raced both at a competitive level) i am keen to get into kite surfing. so if you see a dude walkin around askin questions and having a squize at your set up, its probably me :wink:

Thanks for ya time,

Dave Sheppo..

[Kembro]

Hey Sheppo,
I see your a driver/sailor. If you want to have a go in a sweet wind powered drivers vehicle, give us a yell when you can get down to Sandy Point, Waratah Bay (about 1 hr SE down the coast).
I'll set up a blast for you in a blokart. Beautiful balance in oversteer, capable of 93km/h+ and able to 360 at 60km/h. We have the Dirtsurfer and Kitewing combos as well if pain is more your game.
Keep an eye out for events held down at Sandy Point once per month for wind powered vehicles with the Gippsland Wind Sports Group. I'll catch you out there, ask Nigel, well as long as there's a few seaweed obstacles anyway.
Cheers
Kem

[nigel]

Good to hear from you Dave.

I would get training at an official IKO (International Kite-something Organision) shop or insructor.
They have trained instructors and should be able to teach you the basics and the very important aspects of safty, considering you are going to be strapping your self to a kite big enough to launch you skyward, and possible of three times wind speed into solid objects. :shock:
Also check that they have some form of insurance.

Have a lesson or first too. And don't stop asking questions.
You will get different answers from evryone who you talk to.
The kiteboarders will not know much about anyother kites, other than LEI's (leading edge inflatables, the ones you pump up) even though there are lots of other kites that might suit you better.

Have you also looked at the kite buggyies, or kite ground boarding???

These might work out cheaper and also mean you can stay high and dry if its too cold to go in the water.

Welcome to the world of kiting :D

[SHEPPO3930]

Kembro, i'll take u up on that offer as i have seen the blokarts and they look like fun! when i got some time off work/uni i'll be there for sure.

i have noticed safety is a large concern with kitesurfing, and i think this is good as lots can/could go wrong, but lets not think about that aye :wink: i am lookin fwd to knowing how to kite surf and pulling some funky moves, like jumping sandbars.......thats just mad!

catch yas..

[schultzie]

azza on here is an iko instructor and so is goshen, i belive that there is a kite shop in rye. they fly arcs but have not had much to do with them in recent years. but if you want to learn head to st kilda and ask around i can recommend a couple people. however unfortunatly the person i would normally reecoment is unable to walk at the moment and wont be giving any lessons for quite some time so my guess would be kite power in gellong.

[Azza]

Dave,

I used to drag a trailered car all over the state... blowing diff's and ripping motors between heats was just part of the fun. But I went back to school and the funds dried up, so no more rodding, and since then the insurance thing (!!BUNCH'A FCUEKN BASTARDS!!) has killed most motor sport. :( It took me ages to find something that gave me "the buzz" again... then I found kiting :twisted:

Getting good instruction is the only way to go... it could save your life and it makes the learning curve much less steep, and that means MORE FUN :D and quicker progression to tricks :twisted:

check this post, http://www.extreme-kites.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=257, we're offering a great way to get into kiteboarding... and it's even handy to your location. If you can't attend for the whole week we might be able to work around the days you can... same goes for everyone.

Regards,
Azza.

[SHEPPO3930]

yeah i am going to do a 4hr lesson some time soon-ish, the company says i should be able to stand up and tack and turn and re-launch, etc after the lesson, then i should be right to go off and practice with ma mates at our local beach.

once i got the hang of it i'll get some gear and hit it hard!

catch yas..

p.s. lets see the police catch me on the water wif a kite! :twisted:

[Azza]

Schultzie,

sorry if I gave you, or anyone else, the impression that I'm an IKO qualified instructor.

I AM NOT AN IKO QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR... Not yet, anyway.

The IKO Q'ed instructor, for the Sandy Point Clinic, will be Tony Lorenz (RAL Innovations).

Tony has far more experience and skill than I do... I'm just a hack. But, if you come to the S.P.Clinic, I'm your friendly "pump monkey", all-round "kite pig", and sanitation technician. ;)

Regards,
Azza.

[schultzie]

if i come to the sandy point thing ill be kitesurfing on my own accord. but more so ill show u what it is about on a mountainboard.
:P

and my mistake, i have met a guy before that is from ballarat, i thought he might be you. lol it is all good

and from the advise i have seen you give i dont think i will be seeing you as a hack

[Azza]

Thanks Schultzie,

my head is lolling from side to side from the added weight... but seriously, you haven't seen me on a board yet!! :shock:

Suffice to say, for now, I can build them better than I can fly them.

If you're down SP way during the week, 19th-26th Feb, then drop by and say g'day... a demonstration of mountainboard skills would be too cool! 8)

Azza

[schultzie]

it is quite the place to be, and you can kite surf in any direction with out much trouble at all, infact you can do any wind sport in any direction as long as you stay away from people HEHE

[kaboom]

I think that you are a few years out Justin. The Kite Shop in Rye shut down a few years ago. Well I suppose it was really only 2 or less years ago.

[SHEPPO3930]

today went down to pt leo, ma mates took their kite down and all i can say is FFFFAAAARRRRKKKK! the power if amazing, just a 12m kite in about 20knots and ma mate was getting lofted up off the ground! and that was with the kite up at the edge of the power window. He didnt go into the water as it was getting real gusty and the kite was lofting him all over the place.

i am hooked, cant wait to get into it and harness that power! i can only imagine what the acceleration is like when the kite comes into the zone and you take off on the plane. :lol:

anyone down my way?? or do i have to travel up to St Kilda to watch more ppl??

catch yas

[mrbonk]

today went down to pt leo, ma mates took their kite down and all i can say is FFFFAAAARRRRKKKK!

Teehee :lol: It's about the biggest buzz there is! That's pretty much exactly how I got started.....went to Rainbow Beach with a mate who was just starting out. Smashed myself around in the surf, unhooked, for about 30mins before I simply couldn't hang on any longer. The next day, I was on the phone ordering gear of my own :D

I'm just about to start buggying......just waiting for some gear to turn up in the freight (lines and a new seat for the buggy I got 2nd hand). I needed something to do when it was too light to get on the water.....here's hoping it's as much of a buzz as kitesurfing!