Pittsburgh PA, Trying to get into Kiteboarding!

[nosurf]

Hey all,
I moved to Pittsburgh PA two years ago from Hermosa Beach CA. I was used to surfing every day. Since I have moved out here finding surf on the East Coast has been incredibly difficult. Its a 6hr drive and usually the waves suck unless its winter and I cant bring myself to surf in 20deg F weather.
I learned wakeboarding this summer and caught on very quickly but it is always difficult getting people together and having a boat. So this brought me to kitesurfing/kiteboarding. I have found online that people are able to do it at Presque Isle In Erie, Lake Arthur, and Conneaut Lake. All of these are within two and a half hours away making it much more accessible than surfing!
However, I have not actually seen anyone doing it at any of these lakes. The closest place I can find lessons is in Buffalo NY. For the last few weeks trying to figure out how to get into kiteboarding seems more difficult than joining an underground secret society. Anyone out there live in this area?? Are there a good number of days in the year that we can kiteboard here? Or will it be the same thing as trying to surf on the East Coast...wait for a fluke storm or freezing cold winter? I know this sport can be dangerous and its not recommended to do it alone, but really for me that is how I would need to do it most of the time...is this a huge 'no no'? I surfed alone almost daily. I want to buy a trainer kite soon if this is actually something i can get started in and do regularly. However, going to Buffalo NY for a lesson wont happen and learning this sport in isolation seems way more difficult than any other of the board sports. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[matth]

I would find a way to move asap...Sorry but surfing, and kiting are not something you do in Pittsburg.

[jespin4845]

Ditto, maybe look at para motor or skydiving instead

[Rando1994]

You've got a problem my friend. I am from Pittsburgh and now live in Tampa Fl, arguably one of the top ten places in the world to learn to kiteboard. Ok, easy guys, I did say arguably. Fyi, billy parker, alex fox, drew christianson, and other pros and sponsored riders call tampa home. But I digress. Pittsburgh is quite landlocked. Lake Arthur and Conneaut don't have kiters for a reason. Presque Isle is likely the best spot for you to try. I would check blogs, like this one, and others to find anyone that kites there. Lake erie has some shallows near put in bay that might be rideable as well. Bottom line, Pittsburgh has three rivers and wakeboarding happens there a lot. Hang out at washington's landing or the point and chat up someone with the right boat. If you're good for gas and beer, trust me, you can find a wake buddy in the 'burgh. Good luck!

[nosurf]

ah man...bummer. thanks for the response though guys..as i wasnt able to dig much of any information about it on my own. yeah pittsburgh is a really boring place for me. desperately trying to figure out a way to spend part of the year back in CA or HI. I did find a friend with a boat but I love being in the water...was looking for something i can do a few days a week without relying on anyone else. Looks like im making that desperation 6 hour drive to Belmar NJ to try and find surf more often than i like again lol. Jealous you guys get to kite in good areas. ill stick to looking at pics and videos for now

[justbob]

Pittsburgh to Erie is only 2 hrs or so. W to NE should work?

[edt]

Pittsburgh to Erie is only 2 hrs or so. W to NE should work?

true. worse daily commutes have been made to find wind. I don't know of anyone who teaches out of presque isle tho and it's only suposed to be good on a SW or a NE. I think I must have said a dozen times learn where you will kite. Yeah about that. I think for him it might be worth while scheduling a vacation to learn how to kite and then come back and start scheduling road trips, there is a lot of driving to be done to pick up this sport out of Pittsburg. Road trips to hatty on the weekend why not, yeah it's an 8 hour drive but what can you do, if you can't move.

[justbob]

Pittsburgh to Erie is only 2 hrs or so. W to NE should work?

true. worse daily commutes have been made to find wind. I don't know of anyone who teaches out of presque isle tho and it's only suposed to be good on a SW or a NE. I think I must have said a dozen times learn where you will kite. Yeah about that. I think for him it might be worth while scheduling a vacation to learn how to kite and then come back and start scheduling road trips, there is a lot of driving to be done to pick up this sport out of Pittsburg. Road trips to hatty on the weekend why not, yeah it's an 8 hour drive but what can you do, if you can't move.

Obx is definetly an option for weekends, and gas is cheap in the US right?! This sport is a goddamn sickness is what it is! I'm 4 years in and it's still all I can think about day to day!

[flyingcamel]

you can still learn how to snow kite which can be as fun or sometimes more fun with the right terrain and conditions. First get a trainer or power kite and have fun with it until you are bored. if you already know how to ski or snowboard and have them then your already half way there. then i would pick up a harness, seat harness would be most comfortable especially when learning. then get a flysurfer peak 9m which will cover you for most wind conditions. peak is easy, light weight, safe, cheap, and very easy to self launch and land since you will probably be going solo because you haven't seen people yet. this will also help you learn much faster on water but you will still have to take the first basic water lesson to learn the most important stuff like body dragging and self rescue and other basics with kiting around other people and beach goers. after this happens you will probably move because you will be hooked. i drive any where from an hour and 15 to an hour and 45 each way to kite at least two to three times a week.

[nosurf]

yeah Presque Isle is fine for commuting for sure. Ill have to keep an eye on the winds over the next couple months and see what happens. I go to the beach fairly often still for someone land locked so maybe next time im in socal ill give it a go. kiteboarding on a snowboard is probably out for me...i have the medical records of a 90yr old from my snowboarding days...best i leave that stuff alone lol