kiteboarding(land based)

anyone do it or know anything about it thinking of giving it a whirl got a 1.2mtr powerkite that i fly on the sea front and like the feeling of being pulled around by it and have looked on fleabay and there seams to be some bargins had board and kite wise,so how hard is it and where to go for info??

1.2 may not be quite big enough if you're a big lad! I have a 2.5m Bullet I use in high winds and that's pretty strong pulling, though!

Prepare to get hurt a lot while learning, and my best advice is – GET LESSONS! Seriously, it's so worthwhile to learn properly.

DO you already sail and/or board? (Board as in surf/snow/wake?). Those will help as if you've got the skill of feeling the wind already or of using heel/toe edges, that's going to help out.

Start with a smallish kite, like a 2.5. Peter Lynn, Flexi are two great choices. Get some kite killers on yer lines as well. Don't be tempted to go all macho and get some loony tunes 6m kite. It'll kill you. Save that until you've learnt the basics!

I recently sold all my kiting gear to fund some new wakeboarding stuff. Used to buggy and board alot. 1.2m isn't going to be big enough really. I started with a 3m Flexi Blade, then bought a 5m, 7.2m and 8.5m for different wind ranges, but the 5m got used most on windy days because I'm not exactly small…

Never had lessons myself, it isn't all that hard to pick it up to be honest. Just remember to stick a lid on.

thanks for the info figured that the 1.2 wasn't going to be big engough but the fact that in the right wind and if i got it working that it would pull me from side to side and if i jumped would pull me forward got me thinking what if i had some wheels,looks like iam going to have to talk the wife round to a new hobby 😉

also look at the Beamer. very steady kite that is fairly predictable (nothing is that predictable when dealing with the wind).

start off with a 3-4m kite at first. the problem with smaller kites in high winds is that you really have to have your wits about you because they move so fast and can catch you off guard.

if i'm right, you're in colchester. Mersea Island, the eastern end, is good so long as it isn't a weekend/bank holiday if you only want to get out and practice. Hylands park (my old local) just to the south of Chelmsford is good with a northerly wind. there are usually a few people over there and will help, chat or lend you a kite.
another spot, albeit a bit far is Barley Lands south of Billericay. you may have to spend a few quid but the grass is kept mown and belongs to a club.
Frinton isn't too far from you but i'd not advise going there to fly on big wind days due to the proximity of expensive housing, families and golf course. there are a few lads who fly there who are really fegging good and very helpful too.

if you are big as your name suggests it might be worth trying a buggy. your knees take a battering on a board and if you're a big lad you'll prob not be jumping much. problem with abuggy is the initial cost and storage/transportation. i never liked them but then again i'm a relatively skinny runt and like jumping 5m+ with my Flysurfer Speed.

as said above, kite killers are a must, not possible on silly two line kites and a potential life saver on the bigger, more powerful four line kites.
i'd disagree with flashheart and say lessons are unnecessary. the basics can be picked up quickly. lessons or no lessons you will get pummeled by the wind at some point and there are plenty of friendly folk to help you learn the basics.

try racekites.com or felxifoil.com for info and forums plus second hand boards, kites and the like.

oh, and get some insurance. can't remember from who but ask on the forums and they'll tell you. only anout 12 quid a year and worth it. kites are fegging dangerous. the lines can cut through skin when under tension. a mate let his go once and it just missed some power lines, coming down, luckily, in an orchard.

have fun.

Got a landboard and tried it once and I didn't try again coss I know it's gona hurt, so I just stick to the buggy, 3m blade in winds 15-20mph above that starts to get interesting, below that I use a 4.9 blade or sometimes a 5.5 bullet, the blades can be a bit too lifty, bloody good fun though, great raceing someone else in a buggy, good times!

be warned it is very addictive. I got hooked a few years ago.
I now have about 7 power kites of various sizes for different wind speeds etc. plus buggy and board. Oh plus trailer for buggy. It goes on.

I got into kiteboarding on a 2.4m Radsail that I picked up really cheap. Got my hands on a cheap Scrub Landboard too.

You should be able to find some cheap introductory gear on the forums and get some good prices (my gear in total came to £80).

Dont be tempted to do what my idiot mate did and buy something massive. He jumped straight in with a 6m kite not knowing a thing, had a session in a light wind then took his mate out in a 40mph wind thinking "it would be OK"….you can guess the rest.

do you not have a mates one you could borow? I'm sure your current kite won't mind………………….

the barbour next to the umbarella stand please Jeeves……….

You'll progress to water kites fairly quickly unless you enjoy eating sand 🙂

never fancied kitesurfing in the UK due to the cold plus all the extra coldweather gear you have to buy.
when i did try it i almost died.
i gave it a bash in Croatia using my Flysurfer and a borrowed board. a brilliant location where the depth was a comfortable 1m or so for ~200m out. one moring came where the wind was blowing strong so i jumped up and got myself out onto the water.

it was the first time where i could say i was really surfing. wahey! at some point the front of my board clipped a wave sending me flying/diving into the water. i got dragges along under the surface for 'X'm, swallowing loads of water in the process. when i surfaced i went to put my feet on the bottom and my whole body disappeared beneath the surface. as i sat there bobbing trying not to let the kite ditch in the water i realised i was a good 500m from the shore. i felt about this >.< big. i body dragged myself back to shore which seemed to take forever. once on land i ran back up the beach and we took the kite schools little dinghy out to tfind the board. it took us three hours of scanning up and down but we found it.

it is not an experience i want to repeat and not helped by the fact i swim like a drowning cat.. i'll stick to snowkiting now thanks.

Fairly limited in times/places you can do it though!

pretty limited on sea when living in the middle of europe, too.

Didn't realise there weren't any lakes in europe! 😀

to be honest, there is ardly any wind compared to the UK. one of the (many) benefits to being an island, i guess.

i've left most of my kite gear in the UK. it is one of the things i miss.

there are also very few suitable places to fly. the germans don't do 'sports' or 'rec' fields like we do; wide open spaces devoid of trees. their sports fileds are a bit more high-tech with floodlights, 20ft netting allround, changing rooms even.

the best time to fly is winter when the farmers fields, usually ploughed over, full of crops or cow muck, are covered in snow.

roll on winter, although i have to sort out the bridle lines first.

I'll be giving snow kiting a go this winter. Planning my location for one with no pylons or cliffs first though 🙂