How can you afford to start kiteboarding?

[jats2k9]

Go to your local spot, make friends and maybe someone is kind enough to teach you. Then buy Switch, is the most affordable brand with great quality.
The only reason I dont teach someone for free is because I can tell they wont stay in the sport so I wont waste my time.

[t3rse]

I bought my first whole kit for 400$. The kite needed a LE which was another 120$. All said and done and after lessons I learned enough with this kit to know that I hated it. I still have the bar as a back up and I still have that turd board but I gave away the kite to a friend. Point being don't be stupid and acknowledge that old gear will be more difficult to work with and you can get by if you are intelligent and motivated enough to do your own research. You can get new old stock kites for 700 or so and a good used board is as good as a new one.

One thing I will say is that people come up to me and say "I want to try that". There is no try. Commit and embrace the addiction.

[Bushflyr]

Don't go into your first lesson cold. Buy a trainer kite on fleabay or borrow one from a friend and fly it hard for a couple weeks. You can do it on your own safely. Then when you show up at your first lesson you already have kite control down and you're ready to get on the board in the first half hour or so.

[Lubo]

Where I live the local kite school charges $150 per 1hr, there is never a shortage of people willing to pay that kind of money and learn how to kite

[Do-it]

Where I live the local kite school charges $150 per 1hr, there is never a shortage of people willing to pay that kind of money and learn how to kite

Thats fucking retarded. You must live in fuckmeintheassville

[Carlos_C]

Like others said....learn to fly a trainer kite....get Jedi at that...then

Get a landboard and learn to ride that - you'll have all the skills then to progress to the water. Buy the progression video
And watch that a few hundred times. Then go for a lesson to put it all together.

[shawn13]

If the OP can post their location, maybe someone can direct to a better price on lessons.

Lessons are important. Especially the safety aspect. Could mean the difference between life or death. So I guess it comes down to how much dollar value you want to put on your life.

[dragnfly]

Like others said....learn to fly a trainer kite....get Jedi at that...then

Get a landboard and learn to ride that - you'll have all the skills then to progress to the water. Buy the progression video
And watch that a few hundred times. Then go for a lesson to put it all together.

^^ what he said.

You could also do a couple of hours at a cable wakeboard tow. Most important thing tho' is the jedi kite skills - which you can learn for under $5 with a normal kids 2 line kite. I spent 20 years practicing like that, then they invented kitesurfing and I was ready.

[pmaggie]

Here in Italy lessons are far cheaper. E.g., in my home spot in Como lake, for a basic course (2 days theory / trainer kite etc. + 2 days in the water) you spend 270 euros. A full immersion course (2 days theory etc. + 5 days in the water) costs 549 euro.

http://www.tabosurf.com/it/home.jsp?idrub=26

[h11t0n]

Don't go into your first lesson cold. Buy a trainer kite on fleabay or borrow one from a friend and fly it hard for a couple weeks. You can do it on your own safely. Then when you show up at your first lesson you already have kite control down and you're ready to get on the board in the first half hour or so.

I agree with Bushflyr. Try and get a 3 line trainer kite if you can. Flying the kite well is absolutely key. Nothing replaces time flying the kite. You need to be able to fly that kite blind and know where it is at all times. If you can do it on the land without a board attached to you thats 70% of the battle.

30% is riding switch on a twin tip. Everyone has one dodgy side and if you can improve your ability with that you will be going upwind much faster and doing less walking. You can get your confidence up doing this by riding at a wakeboard cable park or behind the boat. A balance board like an Indo board can also help.