Kite Surfing

the Guru

Any of you guys know where I can get some info on Kite Surfing and where I can do it in the Dublin area.

ReefBreak

Surfdock in Ringsend have all the info you need. You should try Windsurfing first though.

Jak

Why would you need to do Windsurfing first? I did - but there's no reason not to just get yourself into Kitesurfing straight away.

Surf Dock ringsend and Wind and Wave out in Salthill or Skate city even in town stock kite gear and can give you advice. It is all quite pricy.

If you are looking for lessons - they are tough to find, but try to make sure you find someone with a proper qualification - as with all things, being good at the sport does not make you a teacher.

Best/Popular spots are Dollymount obviously enough, Skerries, Portmarnock strand (is highly underused for what it is imo), Sandymount Strand (rarely good as it is too tidal) and if you hunt about you'll probs find one or two of the smaller beaches a lot of us go to. As with all wind sports - wind direction will determine the best spot for the day.

If you are learning/starting - pick up a second hand or new slingshot 3m kite or something similar and take it out to and empty stretch of sand with an on or cross shore breeze and learn kite control away from people.

Don't take out a big kite at the start or go kiting near lots of people - it will only take a few accidents and complaints for people to start restricting which beaches we can use.

Good General info can be found at

Kitesurfing


And if you are looking for the best kites money can buy (my own opinion) check out the kites at

Flysurfer

JAK.

ReefBreak

Just quoting from a kitesurfer (actually, I think it was one of the guys working in Surfdock).

I assumed it was a reasonable request, as you don't want to be jumping into the ocean with a kitesurf when you don't have any previous experience of watersports? Perhaps I'm wrong? I do intend to try it some day.

Enygma

I guess it's a lot better to be a bit more comfortable in the water and have some knowledge of how the wind works before you strap yourself in.
I dunno, if you get dragged out too far by one of those things you could find yourself in serious trouble unless you know what you're doing.

Jak

Hence you don't go launch your kite in an offshore breeze.

If you try to reach up and down along the coast in a nice onshore breeze you will be fine - as the kite will always drag you back to shore.

It is true that water experience will help you with all these sports - but Kitesurfing is considerably easier than windsurfing and in my experience you are better off spending some time on the beach with a lil power kite learning control of that than out learning windsurfing - the only real parallel between the sports is board control - and even then Kiteboards are more akin to snowboards,wakeboards or small surfboards (dependent on which you choose - incidentally I would reccomend gettin a good directional board - it will give you more buoyancy for learning and will force you to learn how to gybe [rather than sliding] - also footstraps are preferable than lock ins when starting - its also something to hold onto which floats if everything goes pearshaped)

Out of the 3 of my friends and I who are now getting into Kitesurfing all of us have a sailing and windsurfing and in one case skateboarding/snowboarding also background. The wind knowledge helps a bit and you are calmer out in the water and I suppose board control and balance was a bit quicker to pick up alright - but the big thing was kite control .. none of us had a rashers.

If you want to get into the sport - practice safely on land with a small power kite until you can control it entirely by feel without looking up. Then get a board, a nice easy on shore wind day for the kite size you are using and go out and give it a go.

Cheers,

JAK.

TacT

well there's no need to learn how to windsurf although you will find it a lot easier if you have been windsurfing, it requires the same level of balance and to an extent some of the same movements which is why you'll notice anyone that has been windsurfing for a few years already will pick it up more quickly than someone with no experience on any board.

I would suggest you get a windsurfing board someone isn't using on the shore and see how long you can last balancing standing up with no waves to start with. Then you need to be able to maintain the same balance in the waves. If you can do this your experience of learning to kitesurf/kiteboard will be more pleasant imo.

Any of the windsurfing shops/schools should have all your looking for.