starting kiteboarding the launch

This is the start of a basic 20 step guide to Kiteboarding.

We will try and cover everything you need to know.

Step 1, is you have to be able to pilot the Kite in order to be a successful boarder.
The beauty about this is you can do it out of season and get some great practice in.

Most kites are different, we suggest you get a basic trainer kite, inflatable.
One that will allow you to practice launching on, in water as well as on land.

We are only going over the traditional inflatable here for now.
Launching Inflatable on land or snow,

wait for a steady 8 knot (or there abouts) wind, use 10-20M less line while practicing on land.

1. Place the kite down on sand, with leading edge toward the wind, with one tip of the kite on the sand and the other tip in the air. The kite looks like "C", leading edge facing the wind.
2. Fold the kite tip (about a foot 30cm or so)and put enough sand on it to stop it from moving.
3. Grab control bar, position yourself with the kite at the wind window edge respective to you (kite is 85 degrees to left or right of you leading edge facing the wind).
4. For a 4 line inflatable, adjust the trim strap and put the kite in depowered mode.
5. Attach safety leash wrist or harness. Don't hook in or shackle until after launching kite.
6. Pull on the control bar of the line nearest to the ground(the side that has sand on it) this will unfold the tip, release the kite.
7. Pull the top line (the one at the top of the kite) to make the kite go up.

Landing Inflatable on Land:
1. If you are hooked in to the chicken loop, UNHOOK before getting into shallow water near land, adjust the trim strap, put your kite in depowered mode.
2. Move the kite to the edge of the wind window near the ground (if safety leash is attached on the left of the kite then move the kite to the right wind window edge; or vice vresa)
3. Drop the bar, quickly pull in around 2 or 3 m of safety leash.
4. The kite should drop on the ground (leading edge on ground, the wind to your back, the wind will secure the kite on land)
5. Grab the safety leash line, walk toward kite, secure with sand.

Steering
Turn the kite simply by pulling on the left side of the bar, turns left.
pulling on the right side bar turns right.

some practice ideas
go left, go right.
figure 8 in left half, figure 8 in right half
do some up and down (sine) moves across wind window

do above while runnign left and right.

make the kite hover at either end of the wind window while running left and right, with kite at 45degree angele

lie on the ground, with kite hovering at the zenith or top.
dive the kite either left or right to lift you off the ground.
and do reverse.

also practice with the dead man safety devices
and maybe on lighter days, use the harness and try controlling the kite with 1 hand.

That should get you started.

Stay tuned for next time.