I too come from the era of us all being self taught, the main reason for this was that there were very few people giving lessons and those who were had no official qualifications, many had only been on the water a month longer than the rest of us. Ah the days of bouncing down the beach behind a 2 line kite, what wonderful memories.....
That said, it is because of this that many of us feel quite strongly about the whole training issue. If I have one negative comment on the value of training it is that it seems to reduce ones common sense and willingness to talk to the locals... We are seeing more newbies than ever come to our beaches fresh from there lessons full bottle on safety and basic techniques only to set up in the middle of the swimming zones. To their credit they are giving themselves space and staying out of the way of other more experienced people as probably instructed. Few seem to think to look around and ask the locals what the go is etc. we are all generally a friendly bunch so have a chat and get to know us and any issue particular to the location.
this.. again? I am going to reply only because ive been on this forum just a few months and have seen this post (or consensus..) countless number of times and it baffles me. Do not take it personaly because you've put your opinion out on an open internet forum, its there for others to read and respond to, agree or disagree.
but seriously what the hell is it with this sport and self righteous bigots? Yes you need lessons to begin kite-life safely for your own sake and others.. thats damn good advice, why cant we leave it at that.. do you need to pay 4 said lessons? no. Do you need a little laminated card? no. Why the hell cant a level headed, experienced friend who has the time and patience offer this service free? because nobody is making money out of it like every f**ing thing else in this world.. this sport and many others get so extorted is sickening. $800 for lessons haha!! $2000 for a kite!?!?!
I had a mate who "tryed" to have his lessons here and im not naming names but he got so ripped 7 days from sunday, the instructor was just a horrible teacher.. i am sure he isnt in the industry anymore and as a result i was recommended to have lessons in Bali..before you say anything, my (possibly unlicensed(what ever that means)) Balinese instructor was absolutely awesome covering all the theory and prac for a fraction of the price.
Yes each case is individual.. with the teacher as with the student. A conscientious astute person will make a conscientious astute kiter, a ignorant fool will make a mess on a power pole.. you know the rest.
I dont need some unprovoked fool yelling at me on a beach where i was teaching my little brother in peace and safety alone (until this bloke came) that im a dickhead cowboy and i cant just go around teaching anybody i want a sport i love because he pays alot of money to teach there (so he can extort people..) I mean WTF. Do i harass people in carparks that have obviously done DIY jobs on their own car panels cos as a panel beater i didnt make money on it REGARDLESS of how f**ing good a job his done..??
No i wasnt charging my brother, thats none of your buisness and yes he is a very competent surfer now and neither i nor him have had any safety issues EVER with our little kiting expeditions.
Rant Over.
lessons are good blah blah get lessons........
Just to further play devils advocate, cars are a lot more dangerous than kites and I would guess majority of people do a lot of their learning to drive with their parents before they sit the test/log book/whatever.
Problem is with mates teaching you don't always go through all the boring stuff like how to self rescue etc. Definitely would not be as thorough as a qualified instructor. You can flame me if you like but I have taught probably 5-6 friends how to kite from start up to going upwind and I probably wouldn't recommend it to everyone. People need to use judgement and common sense on this issue.
I think most kiters who have been kiting since the 2 line days would be guilty of teaching mates. Its a difficult issue because in some cases its not a good idea for mates to teach mates but in other cases it works out fine. From a shop/AKSA/sports point of view you want to go with the safest option which would be an instructor. Once again it comes down to judgement.
take one lesson then get thrashed about
give up and Get Out of My Way 
no seriously 
Everyone has their own experiences, stories and opinions on this subject. Is there a right or wrong way to get into the sport?
As a shop owner and instructor now for 12 years I've slowly changed my thinking on this subject with the more experiences I encounter. Everyday I am questioned as to why the need for lessons. The reply is now automated and scripted in my head. I used to get or worked up and pissed if a customer questioned, or laughed at the recommendation of lessons, or is out their learning from a mate or worst still teaching himself. I believe, and speaking from experience that if you get worked up and argue the point then the person will still head out and try and teach themselves either way. You will never see them in your store again and they will likely disappear all together, or they will shop at your competitor who doesn't care about this issue and will sell willy nilly.
I have taken a new approach to these people. If they are just getting their mates to show them, well thats their business. However, I take the time to explain to them some real basic learning safety tips like - get your mate to launch the kite, explain what and how the kite flies, the wind window and the safety releases and what the safety leash is for. I explain why not to fly on the beach and suggest to head out in the water when learning to fly. Make sure your mate shows you the setup process. Its not all about flying the kite, there is much more that goes with the safe practices of the sport. I always refer back to the importance of a lesson with an instructor and that you will learn quicker without delay.
- I also explain to them that their not the only ones that they need to consider. Consideration needs to be given to the public, other riders and property, themselves and their work, family, kids etc, etc.
- The danger talk of the high possibility of injury that can occur if these steps are not followed. I share my experiences of situations like the one when I ended up with my finger inside a blokes skull to stop the bleeding because he was lofted onto a rock wall head first 2hours after I had asked him if he had had lessons or not.
By this stage they usually have questions for you and you can basically talk them into some basic introductory lessons. After the into lesson, then they can go and have a play on their mates kite, after they understand the actual facts.
I believe that anyone can teach content. But a good instructor can achieve great results from reading the students psychological state, and changing a lesson to suit the students needs. 2hours of lessons goes a long way to avoiding accidents.
We stick by our policy not to sell to a person who has not done lessons. It is our duty of care as Instructors / shops to provide care and professional advise to new people. We want to protect our beaches, our people and our sport / lifestyle / business / reputation. Lessons are free with new packages in most shops...
We want to create Life Long Kiters, not hillbilly wanna be's that blow in and out of sports like its fashion. There the people I would prefer not to be associated with.
Joe
It cannot be over emphasised that kiting, predictably enough, is about being able to control a powerful kite. Surfing, wakeboarding etc etc mean nothing at the learning stage.
That means launch, land, manoeuvre and troubleshoot unpredictable weather and crowd conditions.
IMHO, the best thing a student kiter can do is buy a decent quality twin string stunt kite for around $60 from a hobby or toy shop (not necessarily a brand name 'trainer' kite that cost upwards of $300) and fly the thing for at least 25 hours before even turning up for a lesson.
Put it up at 12, run it through the window as low to the ground as possible, flip it over and run it back the other way, close to the ground as possible. (This is impossible on land with a traction kite.)
Loop it, loop it 10 times one way, back the other until it's untangled. Put it at the edge of the window and hold it there till it almost stalls, then recover it.
Big kites, little kites, bars or reels, they all conform to the same laws of physics.
All learning is self learning, no one teaches us anything. An instructor presents the information, the student chooses to learn it or not.
Now, with some kite skills, turn up for a lesson to learn how the big kites are rigged, how to control the power (sheeting, trim) and what drills to practice so as to become instinctive in an emergency.
Take that away, put 10 hours on the big kite, translate the kite skills from the stunt kite to the big boy.Rig it a few different ways, pull the safey in an appropriate area and become familiar with it.
Maybe time to hit the water for a body drag, maybe time to get some advice off an experieced kiter, maybe time for another lesson.
Ask questions, read, watch and observe.
Small steps till that first day you come to shore and realise with joy in your heart.
"Wow, I just stayed upwind."
Who wants some cheap lessons?
Click below for some FREE lessons.... 
That vid makes my stomach churn!!
Everyone should get a starter lesson full stop IMO, its not just about personal safety but those around you as well. Kitesurfing is dangerous and should be treated with care, hats off to the shops that don't sell to those who refuse a lesson.
I pick up things ok but opted for proper lessons from an instructor friend of mine, i think it helped me progress at a good speed and made me into a safer kiter.
I suggest proper lessons to everyone, my suggestion is dont just settle for the biggest do some research and talk to a few people on who they recommend. At the end of the day lessons from a friend who has at least some idea is better than watching youtube or just having a dig at your local!
I guess it could be related to the youtube generation 'Ah I'll just look it up'...
I'm going to be honest I'm brand new to the sport and have only been cutting recently after a few lessons..
Having done allot of sailing and wakeboarding previously I had some appreciation of the water..
But there was no way I would of ever put a kite in the air without the proper training. I think I could of spent days upon days and risk serious injury to myself and others to learn the basics.
As opposed to investing some well worth money and getting the right guidance and could see that I was riding wakestyle and broke my habit quick smart.. If it wasn't for that.. I think I would still be learning to control the kite.. Though now I know which kite, is best suited for me in which wind range (Having been able to play with 6m kites in 30+knots through to 17m at 10knotes).
I think if anyone is investing money in gear or thinking of taking up the sport they would be stupid not to invest a percentage of there gear total into lessons.
Taking lessons just seems to be the economic option. Even if you buy second hand gear, if you take into account a harness, wetsuit (assuming you are starting with no gear) you are looking at about $1500.
Sure, you could do hours of research and watch Progression Beginner back and forth until you can air guitar along to the dodgy background music. Only to then spend hours beating the crap out of yourself getting the water start down.
Or, you could get the steep section of the learning curve under your belt with the assistance of an instructor in a fraction of the time. Hell, someone might get through the lessons and decide "it's just not for me" - at least you haven't forked out $1500 on gear you haven't any desire to use, and will sit in your garage for 5 years before flogging it off on Ebay.
I agree it seems a tad hypocritical that instructors who taught themselves 10 years ago are encouraging others to have lessons. But there are more of us now, and not every stretch of beach is at our disposal. For example in Port Phillip Bay, we have designated beaches and marked no boating zones that we need to adhere to. Being self taught may mean you miss out on that information. For example there was a n00b at Mordialloc today, kite bouncing all over the place in a cross-offshore SE'er, riding through the no boating zone in front of the Mordy Surf Lifesaving club. If things we pear shaped it would have been a long downwind drag to Ricketts Point. I tried to catch up to him to have a friendly word but he wasn't holding ground at all.
I've also seen people flying kites at Sandringham Beach and Elwood Beach, in locations that would have been pointed out as unsuitable/off limits if the people had had lessons.
I think the terminology is wrong.
Lessons infer we can teach students to kitesurf.. we carn't students have to aquire the skills through practise and instruction.
Lessons should be renamed safety induction to kitesurfing, this might change the perception and hopefully the take up would be more acceptable.
My 2cents
prea
Here's a bargain one day deal thingo!
Lets hope this sweet deal ($79 for a 2 hrs lesson) makes sense to some of the potential gumbies out there who figure they don't need lessons.
Bargain. BTW I have nothing to do with the school in the deal - just spotted it today and sharing is caring.
http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/84/deals/217870
BTW - Lessons at any price with any reputable school are still a bargain IMO compared to medical bills and life long injuries or law suits.
Why do people refuse to let others self learn?
Not every self-starter is a fook-up.
I taught myself, in the surf, and survived without getting any beaches closed, kept the hell out the way of other kiters and public when doing it, on sometimes-crowded Sydney beaches. Some of the best tips I got was from the local kiteshop – good man!
and one or two lessons don't guarantee safe kiting. I see plenty of experienced guys who still can't self-land effectively, and are pretty sketchy if they have to self-launch
The idea of selling a kite-and-lesson package seems a good idea.
Just leave a space for the 2% who still want to teach themselves and enjoy the challenge of working it out. Compared to stories the old school guys tell me about teaching themselves on the old kites, we got it easy
There's a few too many whaa-baby nanny-state-ers around
Glad you had a good experience (so far) gord.
However.. when you have been kiting for long enough you see soooo many complete fkn idiots that go and grab a cheapo kite with a know it all or 'she'll be right' attitude that create mega hassles/hazzards and unneccessary stress for ALL around them. Not mention putting themeselves at risk.
Just to repeat for the hard of hearing (IMO) money spent on lessons is never wated and is a bargain compared to medical bills or potentail fines/lawsuits.
Just kn do it and stop being a tightwad. 
hmmm.... i'll put the money i saved into stock-piling some beer and porn.
Sounds like i'll need it when i come unstuck for lack of lessons
Exactly
