Guest Super Ted Posted April 28, 2003 Report Posted April 28, 2003 Hey, I want to start kitesurfing but have recently been told that its now a grandad sport. Which put me off, is tthis true? I have a blade 2 4.0m but I want to get into kitesurfing cheaply? Can you tell me any cheap places to get equipment old or new? What are wakeboards like to surf with? Any help would be appreciated. Quote
matt21 Posted April 28, 2003 Report Posted April 28, 2003 not sure who told you it was a grandad sport??? Agger is a buggier check out the British Kitesurfing Association website/forum http://www.kitesurfing.org Matt EDIT: URL Fixed, sorry! Quote
wakeupandfly Posted April 28, 2003 Report Posted April 28, 2003 the BKSA site is http://www.kitesurfing.org best way to get into surfing is to get some lessons i learnt with http://www.x-treem-air.com and they are top notch, would recommend them to anyone Tom Quote
burgy Posted April 28, 2003 Report Posted April 28, 2003 Originally posted by Super Ted I want to start kitesurfing but have recently been told that its now a grandad sport. Which put me off, is tthis true? dude, thats a very poor reason not to try something you fancy doing. As for wakeboards? you really dont want to learn on one thats for sure. Quote
elementalsurfer Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 Use your 4m, make a cheap plywood board and give it a go. Many people have started this way, it will only cost £20 - £30 to make a board, to find out how do a search for 'plysurfer' on the forums. Quote
kite_poseur Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 Back in the good old days sonny, we used an old quilt, some cat gut and a park bench...... It worked for me.....its just too easy for you youngsters these days.... .....i wish i still had me own teeth....... ................................brussel sprouts........................................................................................................................armadillo............................................bicycle clip................................. Quote
Guest Super Ted Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 How do you make your own board then. Are they ne good? Quote
jelly man Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 in the process of making my own board at the moment choose a shape size width etc then get two bits of ply and resin them togther cut out desired shape and sand cut plane until u get the desired shape then cover the hole thing in resin again as varnish will come of when board flexes. i bought some soft mtb bindings from http://www.atbshop.co.uk they cost 12quid u bolt them on usinf the fitting they come with will make sense when you see the fittings. WARNING i havent tried mine yet so dont blame me if u die. try http://www.teethgrinder.co.uk and click on ply board :D Quote
Guest Super Ted Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 I looked at the website for maing your own board. But surely it doesn't float as well as a brought board. Aren't they like surfboards? Made out of polystyrene type stuff. Thanks for that idea im going make one straight away. Cheers let me know how yours gets on. Quote
Kiteboyza Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 I have a whole setup, kite, lines, twintip board, helmet in the For Sale section mate.......PM me if interested Quote
matt21 Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 I might have to have a go at making one of those ply boards in the summer, they look great fun! Matt Quote
jelly man Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 ply is quite floaty but it dosent really matter because you are planing so the board dosent really have to float that well, should be testing mine this weekend so will let u know how it went. does ne 1 know wat way the wind is going for this weekend cos will be traveling so can get good conditions have heard its northerly so will be ofshore for wher i am. ne thought would be appriciated. :D Quote
darrengray Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 ne 1 know wat way the wind is going for this weekend cos will be traveling so can get good conditions have heard its northerly so will be ofshore for wher i am. ne thought would be appriciated well i think i remember seeing you say you go off shoreham jellyman and have lessons with jon i know jon thats were i get my kit . well the wind for us in shoreham from the charts i use is saying southwesterly all week. and so far it has been right and the weekend looks somthing like this hopefully :-friday 25mph southwesterly- saturday 15mph southwesterly - sunday not sure how strong but from the south i can let you know if you want ? also if you go off shoreham look out 4 a white and red windtech rebel 9m 11.6m or 16m im prob 1 of the only people over there that uses them i go off the back of the centre if you see me come say hello id like to see this board of yours i may even let you have a ride of my wipi eclipse to see what real boards are like see ya there daz Quote
jelly man Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 cheers i think i have seen u riding last week wher u using a really dig rebel. first u were jumping with it and then u had a go a kitesurfing but the wind was so poo that u couldnt get going. and did u see some kids mucking about with an inflatable boatthat had a outboard on the back if so that was me. wat size kite were u using. sothery is onshore isnt it for shoreham and south westerly is cross onshore am i correct. Quote
darrengray Posted April 29, 2003 Report Posted April 29, 2003 yes that was me and i saw you that was my 16m rebel pro big isnt it it scares the poop outa me when its windy the wind was **** that day but i just wanted to get wet and you are right about the wind 4 shoreham weekend looks promising a big low pressure brewing trust me it will be windy im hoping to be therte sat and sun im the only person ive seen using those kites so its more than likly if you see 1 its me come say hello ill give you some pointers Quote
mgs Posted May 1, 2003 Report Posted May 1, 2003 I started kite surfing using an old ironing board,but it did'nt last long due to excessive rust.I tried using rust eater from halfords only to find that in the morning it turned into a pile of dust...Those were the days....... Quote
jelly man Posted May 1, 2003 Report Posted May 1, 2003 cheers we were gonna fly but wind was so sh;) t we went down in the boat. will probs be down somthime over the weekend. i notice u have a oshea tt for sale how much? and would u be interested in swapping for custom surfboard Quote
darrengray Posted May 1, 2003 Report Posted May 1, 2003 to you my little kitesurf wannabee £250 thats bloody cheap the board has only been used a hand full of times and it depends what board what condition what size????? Quote
jelly man Posted May 4, 2003 Report Posted May 4, 2003 the custom board is 6.4 but thicker than a a normal shortboard cos its desighned to be used in smaller waves that r in the uk board is in ok condition but well used. it also comes with a brand new dakine leash. joe p.s. after i had a made a complete tit out of myself by having my kite mashed up by the surf. i pumped it up real hard and it stayed hard. didnt change line positin on kite but moved strap and worked out how it worked do you find that when ur kite (darren) fuly powered up on its most powered it can go is quite slugish turning. i found it great for jumping of the ledge of stones alll i needed to do was depower the kitedo a pendulum jump and as i left the ground pull the bar i as much as possible i would just float and get huge jumps. thaks for helping me out after i gave my kite a spin in the waves was really helpfull (i felt like a right tit after i did that) we decided i was 2 choppy to go out again as the beach was getting quite crowded and i didnt want to hit ne1. will be going down to poole harbour to practise where its nice and flat and all the peole there look like begginers so we wont look so daft. also did u see my friend dump his arc over the rocks and get all his lines caught underneath them. it was quite a succesfull day really. we can fly kites honestly. Quote
Q-bert Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 My advice is stop *issing around and get some real advise, from real kitesurfers, not wannabees on this forum. Go to the British Kite Surfing site as previously posted or even better put a post on the BKSA forum http://www.sickair.tv/forum/ Kitesurfing is dangerous and a potentally fatal sport. You need real advice and real lessons. Dont skimp and try to learn yourself even if you can fly a kite on land. Kitesurfing requires well more power than you could ever handle on land. This will keep you safe, others safe and will also help safeguard the future of our sport and access to our beaches. Strange that after 2 pages of posting no one has mentioned safety. Shame on all of you. Quote
kiteingcolin Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 grandads sport???if my new tandem harness gets the green light this week end, i will give you the first free one to one lesson,(from a grandad) Quote
bladebrother6 Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Q_burt. talking of saftey i hope you're wearing a crash hat on the high horse of yours! And whats wrong with teaching yourself? as long as you keep the saftey of others in mind it can be bar far the most rewarding way to learn. Quote
Q-bert Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Mr bladebrother6 I could say that your response is typical from someone I assume is just a land flyer. It's not my high horse but the opinion of the official, British Kite Surfing organisation, are you a member?, if so Safety should be every ones primary concern, whether they fly on water of on land, do you not agree? I am sure you are aware of the bad press at the moment especially after several deaths last year including a good friend of mine. He was experienced, trained and above all aware of the issues but his accident still happened. Kite Surfing is dangerous and training does help inform the uninformed such as you. Official training in this country is extremely professional and covers lots of subjects which are really important and may just save your life or someone else’s life. If things go wrong it is not just you, you could end up killing but others completely unconnected with Kite Surfing as well such as bystanders. True, teaching yourself is rewarding, if you manage it without hearting yourself or others in the process. I for one had to teach myself as there was no such thing as training when I started over 5 years ago now but I learned the hard way and I too have had a few too many near misses. Official training has to be the only way forward, your instructor is trained to answer the questions as posted on this thread and he is qualified to give safe and correct answers, not just subjective opinions of other non qualified people. Quote
bladebrother6 Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Q-bert. no i'm not a land only flier. yes i am an insured member of the bksa and yes saftey should be near the top of everybodies list. personnaly my saftey kit list goes: buoancy aid helmet mini-flares and a flying buddy at all times. Like you i taught myself about 4 years ago because it was the only option then. Its not that i disagree with what you said, its just that while safety is important, it should not be a reason to scare new comers to the sport, and saftey concerns presented in the manner used above are not as helpful as they could be, in my opinion. 'dangerous or fatal' , well yes, but so is crossing the road if you dont do the basics, like check for traffic! The need for saftey is a given among all but the most foolhardy of our brethren, i dont think its exclusion in this thread should be seen as a source of shame for all of us, as you suggested. It is simply a reflection that when kitesurfers get talking, they generally focus on the fun side of the sport, and the positives. If we where all doom and gloom merchants we wouldn't have started kitesurfing would we. Quote
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