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Recommendations for lessons in Texas

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clk
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Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby clk » Tue Dec 04, 2018 12:46 am

I've been looking for a new hobby, so I'm thinking about getting started with kiteboarding. I live in Dallas and found a local school, Kinetic Kiteboarding, that teaches a six hour course at a nearby lake.

Down by the coast, there's also Air Padre Kiteboarding and 361 Kite in Corpus Christi.

The local school looks pretty legitimate, but a bit more expensive than the others, due to offering chase-boat support (from what I can tell).

Does anyone have experience with these schools? I travel down to Padre frequently as it is, so distance isn't a factor. I just want to get the best instruction I can get as I start out.

Thanks!

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby TheJoe » Tue Dec 04, 2018 2:57 am

Never heard of the the 361 but I don't go to Corpus all ways just drive to SPI. I would recommend going to the coast to take lessons. I live in Houston so I kite in Galveston Bay. Winds are going to better on the coast. Inland they will be a lot gustier which will make learning the basics harder. The learning curve is steep in kite-boarding after all. I would just pick the closest spot between you and the coast.

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby FLandOBX » Tue Dec 04, 2018 3:15 am

I agree with TheJoe. Learning to kiteboard on a deep inland lake would be frustrating. The winds will be gusty and the water will likely be deep (thus the boat support). It's much more fun and easier to learn in steady wind and shallow water. You'll be more likely to find those conditions on the coast. Galveston is closer than Corpus or South Padre, and there are good kiteboarding instructors in the Galveston area. You'll have more fun and make more progress by spending a weekend or a week on the Gulf with a good instructor. Have fun with it. :thumb:

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby jakemoore » Tue Dec 04, 2018 3:58 am

You can't beat warm flat shallow water for learning so a trip to the South Texas coast is worth your while. Good choices in CC and SPI. CC has better wind. SPI has nicer launches for bear feet. The wind is driven by fronts this time of year. If you get a front then you get good winds. But sometimes its too much wind. If you are between fronts, no wind. I would choose May or June for beginner sessions.

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby clk » Tue Dec 04, 2018 5:32 am

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely head down to the coast to learn on the water.

I'll have a lot of time between now and May, though. The company up here in Dallas does the first two hours of lessons on land, just to learn how to handle a training kite. Would it be a good idea for me to only do that lesson for now, and purchase a training kite to practice on my own?

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby TheJoe » Tue Dec 04, 2018 7:32 am

If you really want to have the trainer then just get it and practice with it. In all honesty though it only teaches how to steer the kite. The key to learning to steer a kite is to treat it like a bike. It's push and pull not turning your arms. Once you get the hang of steering the trainer you wont use it.

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Re: Recommendations for lessons in Texas

Postby jakemoore » Tue Dec 04, 2018 7:57 am

I would buy a trainer kite and fly the heck out of it before lessons. If you can keep the kite in the air your lesson time will carry more value. Fly it it light wind. Keep it in the air with your eyes closed. Fly it in heavy wind and learn to use it to pull you from sitting to standing. Try a skateboard in lighter wind.




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