I need convincing to stay with it.

[Tom183]

Nothing will take you longer or be more frustrating than trying to teach yourself - get some lessons, even if they're just with an experienced local instead of trekking all the way to a certified school.

 

Many windsurfers assume a lot of their experience will transfer, but most of it doesn't - knowledge of wind and waves is good to have, but kites are completely different from sails, and the boards don't have much in common either. Accept that you're basically starting from scratch, get some lessons, and you may be a bit more pleased with your progress.

[Dan_T]

Yeah it all makes sense. Was quite happy with my progress I could get up on the board for a second or so after just a few times out but once I got to grips with what little I knew I realised I might not have the time to get to grips with the sport properly. It was knowin this which lead me to think I'd be better off with windsurfing as I find it hard finding the time. I had a lucky run at the beginning of last year when I managed to get out 4 or 5 times in a month but that soon tailed off again. Its easy to say make the time but its not so easy to do it. Thats the real problem. At the moment I'd be lucky to get out once or twice a month which I didn't think is enough to master things. Windsurfing i could pick up again and go.

[Ted]

hi ted, didn't know you were a wet one:D - you'll have to visit the IOW for a w/e, wind from any direction is surfable so all you need is strength, i might even be heading out today to do downwinders in the lagoon at appley in 10mph:) - anyway, PM me if you ever fancy coming down (very family friendly too if you have a wife and kids to keep happy)

 

LW - I'll definately let you know when I can get over to IOW. You're welcome to stay here in Bristol too. Thanks for the invite. Ted

[Tom183]

Yeah it all makes sense. Was quite happy with my progress I could get up on the board for a second or so after just a few times out but once I got to grips with what little I knew I realised I might not have the time to get to grips with the sport properly. It was knowin this which lead me to think I'd be better off with windsurfing as I find it hard finding the time. I had a lucky run at the beginning of last year when I managed to get out 4 or 5 times in a month but that soon tailed off again. Its easy to say make the time but its not so easy to do it. Thats the real problem. At the moment I'd be lucky to get out once or twice a month which I didn't think is enough to master things. Windsurfing i could pick up again and go.

Yeah, even when you do have the time, the weather doesn't always cooperate... But I definitely feel for the guys who don't have many days to choose from to begin with, especially in the beginner phase.

 

 

If you don't have the time to get to the beach very often but do have a local place where you could fly a trainer kite some of the time, that would definitely help. Those kite skills will accellerate your learning curve on the days when you do make it to the water.

 

 

As for the windsurf gear, I'd say keep it for the really high-wind days - a lot safer than kiteboarding...