So there seem to be about 3000 kiters in this area now.....

[bryanleighty]

lessons from instructors are great if you are a good student.. some are not.. some can get up and ride the next day.. some take a month or so of constant salt-water-eating-throw-thru-the-muck (like me).

Dan and I took our lessons together.. we learned to kite together .. one on land ..one trying to get up and ride.. sh*t hit the fan.. the other would be there to help out or assist.

The buddy system is the BEST way to learn. We did not learn quickly and we did some stupid ass stuff more than a couple times.. but we never put others in harms way and always stayed clear..

BUT...

I guess i am still stuck at the "what do you do when you see someone practicing unsafe kiting?".

I am going to do my best to approach the rider(s), introduce myself and get a feel for their experience and see if i can help them out. I know that when i was green, i knew the basics but a few pointers could have gone a long ways. if they are lesson-less and cop attitude I am not going to push anything but i might wrangle in some locals to help me 'persuade' the rider(s) to consider what they are trying to do.

I've seen other locals do this with success. its all about the right attitude..

I'm thinking of making up some quick flyers (similar to what ive seen from Hatteras) with a map of the area showing launch spots rated from beginner to expert and wind conditions. giving these out to newbies.. putting the names and numbers of local instructors on it might help too..
riders that have been here for a while need to step up help the new riders if for no other reason but to ensure that you'll have a place to ride next season.