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Frequently Asked Questions Why can’t I just learn on my own?For several reasons. 1) It’s a safety hazard for you. You might ask the same question of hangliding. Why can’t I just learn hangliding on my own? Air sports such as paragliding, hangliding, parachuting and kitesurfing involve a degree of risk that can be greatly minimized with the proper experiential training. People lacking understanding of the sport have been hurt and killed by putting up a kite in unsafe conditions, not knowing how to rig a kite properly or not knowing how to control it. 2) You can hurt other people. Out of control kites have injured other people. Recently, in the Boston area, a little girl was sent to the hospital because an inexperienced kiter got dragged into her on the beach. Exercise your social responsibility and realize that if you are launching a power kite without the proper knowledge, you are endangering yourself and others. What’s dangerous about this sport? Most kitesurfing accidents occur from being lofted on or close to land. Even with modern safety release systems, a gust of wind or a moment of distraction can send a kite diving through the power zone and a rider flying. Novices are most likely to experience unwanted lofting but many experienced riders have suffered as well. Wearing a helmet, flying kites over the water, avoiding beaches with large rocks and other obstacles, avoiding onshore and gusty winds, can minimize the chances of an accident occurring. How many lessons does it take to be able to kitesurf? Typically a student is ready to progress safely on their own after 2-4 lessons. In the sport, when we say “being able to kitesurf,” we typically mean the rider can travel upwind and return to the spot where they launched from. This level of skill is up to the student in terms of how diligently they practice. A feature of Boston Kite School’s program is homework - kite exercises that a student CAN practice safely on their own. The more a student practices, the faster they will progress - it's that simple. For some new riders it’s a matter of several weeks, for others it may take months. What beaches do you teach at? Kite Skills lessons take place in the Revere Beach area, just North of Boston. Most water classes take place in the Falmouth, MA area. It is possible to get a water class in the Revere Beach area on weekdays and some Sundays. How much does gear cost? Like any sport, in kitesurfing you'll need to invest in equipment that is of high quality and easy to use. But unlike skiing or golf, in kitesurfing the wind is free. Once you have your gear, you won't need to pay for lift tickets or greens fees. Expect to invest $2000 in quality gear from your local retailer. What should I buy first? Take a lesson first; that way you know if you want to continue without spending additional money on gear. Having said that, a student should buy a trainer kite first. Practice as much as possible with the trainer kite. Students who practice with a trainer kite can progress as much as 4 times as fast as a student who doesn’t. Once I get going in the sport, what gear should I expect to buy? To maximize riding options, a common inventory might be: 3 kites, 2 boards, 2 bar and line setups, a harness, pump, helmet and a wetsuit. When buying your first power kite, make sure to consider your weight when buying. Buy the kite that you will use in medium winds (15mph-20mph). For a person weighing 170lbs-200lbs this will be an 11 meter, 12 meter or 13 meter. In low winds (10mph-15mph) you can use this kite to practice body dragging, relaunching and one hand control after you have taken a water lesson. Then, in medium winds you can practice waterstarts and riding. |