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Kristin
Imagine you are learning how to snowboard and for your first run you are dropped off at the peak of the largest mountain in Alaska with no guide and no instruction. As you can imagine, it would be the ride of a lifetime – or possibly the first and last ride you ever take. This same concept applies when learning to kiteboard. While kiteboarding and snowboarding are not exactly the same, both sports are incredible activities and can have high risks, which makes it that much more important to take the proper steps when learning to ride. Your first step in getting into kiteboarding is to spend countless hours with a 2- to 3-meter trainer kite. With a trainer kite you can learn nearly every concept of flying used when kiteboarding. Key elements to practice include:
• Understanding proper landing and launching zones at the edge of your wind window.
• Flying figure-eight patterns in both sides of the wind window, which simulates your kite movement when riding.
• Simulating board starts by sitting down then standing up as you feel sufficient power from the kite.
• Holding the kite in neutral while putting your board on.
• Releasing the kite in case of an emergency.
If you’re considering getting into kiteboarding, a safe purchase would be a small 2- to 3-meter trainer kite ($100-$250) and a harness ($75-$250). When you can fly the trainer kite in every area of the wind window, one-handed and even without looking, then you should consider yourself ready for your first lesson. With a great base for your instructor to work with, you will be a step ahead. Once you become a kiteboarder and your days of flying the trainer kite on the beach are over, you will find yourself still pulling it out on occasion to introduce your friends to the sport.
HOW TO SELF-LAUNCH A TRAINER KITE
After someone has shown you the basics of how to attach the kite lines and steer the kite, you are ready to practice on your own. Place the kite on the ground with the bridles face-up and the leading edge downwind. Place a small amount of sand along the trailing edge of the kite to secure it from blowing away. Unwind your lines while walking your bar upwind of the kite, then attach the lines to the bridles once your lines are untwisted. Once rigged, put your leash on, grab the bar and walk backward. As the kite’s leading edge lifts it will fill with air and the sand will fall off of the trailing edge. Your kite should lift off and you can begin to fly.
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So is the idea here that, assuming you're serious about getting into the sport, you should buy a trainer kite and learn to move around in different directions before you take your first lesson? Or did I completely miss the point? Just trying to maximize a smaller budget.
In my opinion, it is so much easier to learn the basics of flying and handling a kite if a small trainer is used. It responds so much more quickly than a regular sized kite. You can learn the finesse of the wind window and how the kite handles in the various zones without as much risk/danger to yourself compared to using a large kite.
Trainer kites can be bought for $300 or less and are well worth the money in my opinion. You can take them out to an open space on a semi-breezy day and just fool around while building your skills.
Lisa
Take a lesson and the instructor will on your first lesson - teach you about the wind window. He/She will also have you fly the trainer kite. If you are taking a multi-hr class, then they'll likely get you on a real kite as well. Kite mastery is 90% of this sport. Without it, it becomes difficult to progress forward.