A trainer kite is the most cost effective method of getting into kiteboarding but keep in mind purchasing a kite does not account for putting in the hours or training with the correct technique. Training on a trainer kite should take place before but not in replacement of your first kiteboard lesson. Kiteboard 101 thinks you need to train on a trainer kite because:
1. You will progress much further during your kiteboarding lesson. With kite flying skills under your belt, we will be able to move you to a full sized kiteboarding kite on the first lesson.
2. The overall mechanics of flying a kite and getting to know the dynamics of the wind are imperative.
3. You will save your new kitesurfing gear from unnecessary wear and tear during your first days of learning to ride.
Spending at least 4-10 hours on a trainer kite prior to a lesson will allow you to advance at a much faster pace than coming in with no kite flying experience.
What is a trainer kite?
The trainer kite is an essential learning tool. Compared to the massive pull of a full-sized inflatable kite, the trainer kite generates much less pull while providing an excellent and safe learning experience. Ranging in size from about 1 to 3 meters, the wind creates and maintains the kite’s shape. Trainers are great for kite skateboarding and for handing off to a friend who wants to get into the sport. They are often a foil kite. Foil kites have a double-surface shape, similar to a paraglider or parachute. The flat shape, maintained by a bridle system, projects more of its surface to the wind making the kite more efficient and powerful. Benefits include: better power to size ratio, can be used for land, snow and water, easy setup, and no pumping required
WARNINGS
1. Trainer kites are not a toy and need to be respected.
2. You can severely injure yourself or innocent bystanders. Always give yourself 3 line lengths between you and any other person or obstacle. (Lines are typically 25 meters so give yourself a circle with 75-meter radius, space upwind gives you a safety zone buying you time to react to unaware persons entering your training zone)
3. I have gone kiteboarding on a 1m trainer kite so do not fool yourself this is a real kite. (So it was 70 mph winds)
Getting Started
Basic Flying: First pick out a good field or beach to fly at. The bigger and more open the better. Remember that if there are trees or buildings between you and the wind the kite will be difficult to control. Stay away from other people, electrical lines, trees, busy roads, and any other obstacles. Always give yourself 3 line lengths in every direction between you and any other person or obstacle.
Take the time to note wind speed and wind direction, do not forget that these variables change throughout the day!
Now, take your trainer kite out of its bag and lay the trainer kite on the ground with the bridle lines facing up and the trailing edge facing up wind. Place a couple piles of sand along the trailing edge so the kite does not blow away. Hold up each line of the bridle and shake them out for inspection then place them upwind of the body of the kite. Unwind the lines from the bar, walking up win. Lay your bar down the same way you would pick it up RED on the LEFT and BLACK on the RIGHT. Step over your bar between the lines and walk from your lines toward the kite with the right line in your right hand and your left line in your left. Slide your fingers along the line to check for knots. If you find a knot know you can undo it, as soon as you set the line by placing a force on the line the knot has now permanently weakened the line and possibly changed its length if you cannot undo it. Attach you lines to the kite using a larks head loop. Walk back to the bar and attach your leash. Pull slowly on the bar and the air will ram into the cells of the kite giving it an aerodynamically favorable shape. One final firm pull will remove the sand from the trailing edge and the kite will launch.
Steering the kite is not like turning a wheel. Steer the kite right by pulling right and steer left by pulling right. Steer with push pull steering not rolling the bar. Look at the leading edge when flying your kite or everything will be backwards
You will crash your trainer kite! Just walk over and set it back up for re-launch. Re-Launch is the same as a launch, make sure to set your bar down the same way you pick it up and walk toward your kite while holding one line of the kite. In order to kill a kite you only need to hold onto one line this will cause the kite to lose its shape and turn into a flapping beach towel.
Try not to crash it directly down wind, as it is possible to blow a kite up if crashed directly into the ground at 40 miles per hour. This is called “tomahawking” the kite!
If you have someone helping you launch they launch the kite by using two hands on the trailing edge. Make sure they move immediately after launching to get outside the line length and then to true safety, upwind of the kiter.
Kites will fly the same even with twists in the lines. To untwist the lines, either fly a complete loop in the other direction, or spin your body quickly around. Always make sure that RED on the LEFT and BLACK on the RIGHT, a twist is 360 deg of rotation, which is still in phase so everything still works the same. To many twists can cause extra friction and bind the lines.
It takes most people anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to learn to fly a trainer kite proficiently. Now its time to develop your skills.
Training to be a Kiteboarder
Get to understand the Wind Window!
Now that you can fly your trainer kite, here is a list of things to practice to allow your skills and muscle memory to develop. The better you are at these skills the less you pay for swim lessons and the more you get out of a kiteboarding lessons!
- Neutral: Put the kite up above your head at the twelve o’clock position. This is your safety zone and produces the least amount of force. To keep the kite from passing over your head and “hindenburging” walk the kite slowly from 12:30 to 11:30.
- Down Wind Body Drag: Controlled symmetric figure eights in the center of the wind window. Sliding during the down wind body drag with a trainer kite can help you develop muscle memory. Remember hips forward and shoulders back. Keep your center of gravity behind your feet, its better for you to end up on your butt than your face.
- Parking The Kite (Riding Left and Right): Slowly bring your kite from neutral and put it at 45 degrees to the horizon. If you have the kite at 1:30 or to the right then walk to the right. Placing the kite at 10:30 o4 to the left is ridding left. Work on keeping the kite in one spot as you walk crosswind in both directions and keep your transitions slow. A quick and jerky transition from 10:30 to 1:30 or vice versa will initiate your first jump and you are not quite ready for that.
- Power Stroke: The power stroke is the key to getting up on a board and riding. The goal of these motions is to develop your muscle memory of turning the kite while walking to the right and to the left. Take your trainer kite from the neutral position in the wind window and fly it in small upright figure eights on the left or the right side of the window. As you walk the upright figure eights get stretched out into a nice sinusoidal wave. If the kite is on the right side with the leading edge facing the right then walk right. If the kite is on the left side with the leading edge facing left then walk left. Try to keep the wave centered at 45 degrees to the horizon and only go 15 degrees above and bellow that mark. Keep the wave symmetric and evenly timed. Notice the power on the down stroke. You are not flying a stunt kite the goal is not to get it as close to the water or land as possible. Keep your kite off the land or water because less turbulent air is higher off the water anyway and why risk the error of throwing away your lifeline.
- Water Starts. This will develop your muscle memory for leg and hip positioning for getting up on your board. First take a seat, feet shoulder width apart pointing, toes pointing downwind, and kite in the neutral position. Lets water start to the right, so get ready to bend your left leg and extend your right. Bring the kite a little tot he left side of the window then bring the kite into a power stroke. Make sure you don’t ask for more power than you are ready for. Stand up begin to walk downwind then set the kite at 45 and begin to tack crosswind to the right. Now practice to the left.
- Upwind Body Drag: This requires a harness and a hard line or fixed loop. The upwind body drag will teach you to fly one handed. First hook in and bring the kite to the 45 degrees to the right, walk right, and park the kite. Now choke your hands into the middle of the bar and release your right hand. Extend your right hand ahead of you as you walk. This is how you will retrieve your board and the general skill of flying one handed is important in learning to put on your board. NEVER use your right hand to control the left side of the bar or the left hand to control the right side of the bar this means it is never okay to reach under or over the bar with the opposite hand. Do not transition the kite one handed or try to steer the kite with one hand. The one handed technique is used for keeping a parked kite parked! Don’t forget to do slow transitions from left to right; you do not want to loose all the upwind ground you worked so hard to cover.
Getting to this level of proficiency often takes another 10 hours of practice.