Kitesurfing - How to get started

STARTING KITESURFING

WELCOME TO THE AUSTRALIAN KITESURFING COMMUNITY!

Seabreeze.com.au has been fortunate to be part of kitesurfing since it all began, with a large & thriving forum (including categories for all the state kiting associations), gear reviews, a massive buy & sell for pre-loved gear, events listings, news and articles for all things kitesurfing, including contributions by pro riders. A massive photo gallery contains over 5 years worth of Australian kitesurfing photos.

The kitesurfing forums are famous within the Australian kiting community. If anything is happening in kiting, you'll find it here. There are so many helpful crew in the forums that just about any kiteboarding question you have can be answered.

Working together, Seabreeze.com.au, AKSA (Australian Kitesurfing Association), and the state kiting organisations are all working together to promote a safe and responsible entry to the sport.

Safe kiting doesn't mean its any less exciting - it means understanding the weather, understanding your gear, and having respect for others around you - both on the water & the beach.

GET LESSONS

If you're interested in starting Kitesurfing, it's easier if you try the sport with help.

The kites can be extremely powerful and without gradually progressing your skill, you can injure yourself and/or others. If you rig a kite too big for the conditions, or you can't drive the thing, you can quickly find yourself in a speeding vehicle with no brake.

By going to a kitesurfing school that has a full range of gear you get started quickly and safely. In a handful of sessions, you'll rapidly progress from trainer kite to boosting big airs!

GETTING STARTED

Some handy articles we've prepared for you, if you want to learn how to kite surfing.

UNDERSTAND THE WEATHER

Summer kiting is fantastic as Australia is home to some of the most stable winds in the world. On most days you can have an awesome day out with just a single kite & board. But, there will be days where the weather patterns will cause gusty and unstable winds and this is when the unwary may have accidents.

Caution is required in Winter as the winds can change direction 180' in the space of 10 minutes. Wind strength can double instantly. By reading the forecasts, synoptic charts and watching the clouds you can make an informed judgement of whether it's safe to go out, and what kind of gear you'll need for the day.

Seabreeze.com.au helps you out by providing 7 day wind & wave forecasts, as well as live wind reports for your local area. Seabreeze invented the "Green Arrows" concept for representing strong wind, so if you hear someone on the beach talking about it being "it was all green arrows", you'll know what they mean!

Handy weather articles:

A beginners guide to wind
A history of weather forecasting
The Beaufort Scale - use the trees and water surface to figure the wind speed.

JOIN AN ASSOCIATION

Volunteers from around Australia have pooled together to create fantastic organisations aimed at helping keep the sport safe and to bring people together. Their websites have a wealth of information about safe kiting in your area.

Western Australia Kiteboarding Association (WAKSA)
New South Wales Kiteboarding Association (NSWKBA)
Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV)
South East Queensland Kiteboarding Association (SEQKA)
South Australian Kitesurfing Association (SAKSA)

and check the parent organisation:

Australian Kiteboarding Association (AKSA)

CHECKOUT THE GEAR AVAILABLE

In the early days, the kites were pretty wild bits of gear, hugely powerful and no way of releasing the power. The sport has now matured and there have been huge technological advances in kite design. The latest designs have excellent de-powering (safer), larger wind ranges (less gear required), easy relaunch from the water, and of course vastly improved useability and many safety innovations.

The major brands available widely in Australia include:

FIND A SHOP/SCHOOL NEAR YOU:

Airborne Kitesurfing	Osbourne Park	(08) 9244 4474
Australian Kiteboarding School	Pinnaroo Point	0433 982 696
G Spot Extreme	Geraldton	(08) 9965 5577
Kite Addiction	Myaree	(08) 9329 9333
SailWest	Geraldton	(08) 99231000
SOS Sail and Surf	Fremantle	(08) 9430 7050
WA Surf	Safety Bay	0420 746 897
West Oz Kiteboarding	Safety Bay	0438 591 755
Windforce	Nedlands	(08) 9386 1830
Elemental Kiteboarding (Lessons)	Perth	0410 142 878
www.powerplaykiteboarding.com'>Power Play Kiteboarding School (Lessons)	Geraldton	0407 500 689

New South Wales

BoardCrazy	Belmont	(02) 4947 7131
Kitepower	Sans Souci	(02) 9529 6894
Windsurfnsnow	Collaroy	(02) 9971 0999
X-Shore	Diamond Beach	(02) 6559 3000
Kitesessions (Lessons)	Sydney	0410 937 222
Kiteworks	Newcastle	0413 387 991

Queensland

Adrenaline Rush Sports Australia	North Mackay	(07) 4953 3103
Kite Action	Caloundra	(07) 5491 3065
Kitepower Queensland	Clontarf	(07) 3284 1186
Kitesurf Australia	Noosaville	(07) 5455 6677
Sunshine Coast Kitesurfing Co	Maroochydore	(07) 5479 2131
SurfConnect	Brisbane	(07) 3137 0500
WindSwell	Port Douglas	(07) 4098 2167

Victoria

Kitepower Victoria	Geelong	(03) 5229 5899
RPS The Boardstore	Elwood	(03) 9525 6475
Zephyr Water Sports (Lessons)	Inverloch	0403 780 035
Find Boardsports	Frankston	(03) 9781 3463