Kite Surfing

I have always wanted to kite surf. As a long time sailor, this looked like the obvious next step in my evolution of wind-fired vehicles. Watching young kite surfers screaming across the local lagoon and jumping gracefully into the air filled me with envy, and the desire to do the same.

In December 2009 my kids clubbed together to buy me 4 hours worth of kite surfing lessons. The local kite surfing instructor, by the name of Brad, was really busy over the Christmas period, so I waited for his schedule to clear. My first lesson was in early January 2010, and consisted mostly of learning to setup and control the kite, and getting dragged through the sand. This lesson ended well, with only the occasional head-over-heels tumble across the dunes. Then I waited for my second lesson.

One Saturday morning I happened to wander in from the workshop at about 11am, just in time to hear my cellphone stop ringing. I didn't recognise the number, so called it back. It was the famous Brad to say that the conditions were good, could I be on the beach at 12pm? I got down there by 11.30am, and waited for him to arrive right on 12. While waiting I realised I had forgotten to bring water, so shot out to get some for which I was very grateful later.

I setup the kite on the beach under Brad's watchful eye, pumped it up, attached the lines, got into the harness (which is pulled so tight I can hardly breathe). We start off with a couple of sand drag exercises which go well, except for a sudden dive into the dunes (which I still can't quite explain) which punctured the kite. We carried on using the kite, stopping occasionally to pump it up again. I guess that's why the lessons are expensive.

We then moved over to the water (much reduced from the drought), where I started water dragging lessons. This was surprisingly easy, and I was able to maintain the kite in a steady position while being dragged quite quickly through the water. Occasionally I would drag through sandy shallows or thick weed, which was not quite as pleasant, as it tended to drag your pants off. Brad told me he once lost his pants entirely whilekite-surfing, and was obliged to return to the beach naked. You are supposed to be able to beat to windward while dragging by using your body as a kind of centreboard. Not so easy.

Next we practiced restarts of a fallen kite on water. This is much more difficult than on land, since their seems to be a surface tension holding the kite in the water, and you need to move the kite to the edge of the window before launching it. I tried this for awhile, and finally got the kite to launch.

Brad then suggested I keep body dragging through the water til the end of the lesson. I quickly said I wanted to have a go on the board in this lesson, and he somewhat reluctantly agreed, saying we had just 10 minutes. His next lesson had shown up by this stage. Unfortunately my body dragging had ended up about halfway down the lagoon, and we did not hop back up to the shallow area - a fact I later regretted. Brad proceeded to seat my feet on the board - I have very high arches and this required considerable adjustment. To my horror I found that I could not reach the board handle with my feet attached, because of the very tight harness, my large boep and my general stiffness. With suitable grunting and contortions I was finally able to reach, but was not at all sure I could do this in deep water while holding a kite with one hand. Finally I was ready to go.

Against all my previous thinking on the matter (believe me, I was thinking about this a lot) I decided to go for a couple of little test drags with the board, rather than leap in and go for a full launch. The wind had also strengthened considerably by about 2pm now. Brad had explained how to do a power start, but went along with the little test idea. So I pulled off into the relatively deep water, twisting the board this way and that, dragging my heavy body along, but not really coming out of the water. About halfway across I decided this was not going anywhere, and positioned the kite for a power start. Of course, when I executed the start, I was pulled forward (because I wasn't leaning back enough, I presume), rather than up, the board went behind me and was almost immediately pulled off my feet. I managed to control the kite, dragged to shallow water, turned the kite ( a dangerous exercise to be done carefully), and set off to retrieve the board which was nearby, but in deep water. As I concentrated on picking up the board, I stopped concentrating on the kite, which came hurtling down in a vertical dive into the water. Now I am holding the board in one hand, the kite controls in the other, and out of my depth. The kite has landed upside down, which means that the full width of the 9m**2 kite is exposed to the 25 to 30 km/h wind. I am being hauled at considerable speed down the lagoon into the deep channel in the centre, completely out of control. I vaguely notice Brad hopping up and down on the beach and hear him telling me to abandon the board, which I do. I start pulling the cables which are supposed to relaunch the kite, but to no avail. You have to get off to one side to get the wind under an edge, and that wasn't possible from the centre of the channel. I wrestle awhile longer, realise I am rapidly running out of shore to land on, and decide to trigger the emergency release. This releases the kite controls, but keeps you attached to the kite via a leash. Very cleverly, the kite also turns edge on to the wind and stops dragging me so hard. I begin to swim towards the shore, about 30 m off. As Dylan will know, this is about the limit of my swimming distance. Fortunately, I finally get to standing depth and trudge rather embarassedly up to Brad. The guy for the next lesson is a fit young fellow, so I ask him to swim out and retrieve the board, which he kindly does. I pull the kite in, walk back up the beach and hand over to the next lesson. Brad, bless his cotton socks, does not say "I told you so" once, but does suggest a bit more launch practice at the next lesson.

I absolutely loved the lessons, I think I made real progress in controlling the kite, and will probably get up on the board in the next 2 or 3 lessons. I haven't had so much real life excitement, challenge and danger since sailing in a heavy wind. Although my body was telling me that I am old at times, my mind was shouting "Go for it". And I have already dined out on the stories several times.