Hey Newbies! JFC, Take a lesson or two!!!
 

What a great weekend for kiting here in the tampa area. Blessed with plentiful launches, it should be a training paradise.

What is happening though is the opposite. While there are many reputable and skilled instructors available, too many newbies "can't afford" or just don't think they need instruction.

When I was learning two years ago, I burned the ones and zeroes off my kiting dvd's. I took advantage of local instruction. More than once.

Yesterday, in 20 knot gusty winds, I saw a noob trying to launch straight upwind of his kite. A 12m. And he was 140 lbs soaking wet. No concept of the wind window.

Another noob got dragged onshore out of control and crashed his kite, borrowed it seemed, 20 feet from a family on a beach blanket.

And these are not isolated incidents. Saw a noob last week rig his lines completely wrong. Luckily he asked me to check them before he killed himself in the 20 knot gusts.

Bottom line, what can we do? I am in no way an expert, but have taken the time and spent the money to learn how to be safe. These noobs have been willing to listen to advice, free, but are unwilling to get proper instruction.

More and more launches here are getting crowded with clueless noobs. It's just so frustrating.

Lack of skill, I can live with. I was there not long ago. But lack of knowledge and proper instruction? There's just no excuse.

Where did these incidents happen?

Noobs-A-Plenty
 

East Beach, Skyway, Cypress, Sunset...noobs are everywhere. I've got nothing against being new to the sport. I've been there. I do have a problem with the lack of knowledge and preparation. Nothing beats a good lesson from a qualified instructor, but even the cheapest and poorest of noobs can watch a training video. Information learned there can save your (and my) life.

Excellent points, this sport looks way easier than it actually is. You can get hurt, hurt someone else and/or hurt our access or perhaps just destroy your kite. It is just a kite, what could go wrong? Lots, that big toy kite can move a car or throw you a great distance through the air. Get proper instruction, it will cost less than your kite in all likelihood and medical bills in the ER and rehab.

Agreed. As a total 100% noob, I embrace the title. In every other thing that I've done in my life, like flying, sailing, diving, I am 100% serious about paying for quality instruction even if it means ramen noodles for a month. No diversion is worth my life. I am thrilled at the prospect of going solo but for now and in the near future, I know enough to know that I don't know jack -yet.

Why hurt other folks, let alone yourselves, when there is plenty of help out there?

My approach to newbies is that I tell them that they will get injured or killed, injure or even kill someone else. Then I appeal to their wallet saying that lessons are far cheaper than trashing their own equipment, paying the medical bills for their injuries, lost wages for missing work, or even risking a lawsuit for reckless endangerment if they injure someone else. I also tell them that lessons will make their experience a lot safer and that they will not be as frustrated as they will learn the sport a whole lot quicker. Sometimes it works but there are still some hard-heads that think "how difficult can it be".