It is much appreciated by the kiting community that you are inquiring about safe kiting techniques.
You sound to me like you got the absolute minimum amount of lessons. You haven't even launched your own kite which is where things usually go wrong.
My guess is you got some flying and riding tips, got a kite, and now you realize how much left you really have to learn.
Riding in the north county area has a huge advantage for someone like yourself. For starters, there are lots of helpful riders and knowledgeable instructors willing to help you. Our access in north county is difficult as we share tight space with the beach going public. Mistakes can cause complete shutdown.
Instruction at Watersports West includes something called supervision. This is designed for someone that has their gear, but not ready to go it alone. We check your rigging, review safety systems, help you launch correctly, and most importantly use a jet ski to get you away from the beach and the other riders to allow you to work on your skills. We take you way upwind, drop you off, and let you play for hours if you want. If you get pulled downwind, we ride you back up. If you get stuck out there, we come to assist and get you back to shore if that is needed. We recognize that getting into kiteboarding includes many steps along the way. All too often, new students get gear, but still need some support to get their goals realized. We offer just that kind of support. Customers of Watersports West enjoy supervision at $25 per hour, and $40 per hour for all others. Its a small price to pay to get that precious water time and have an opportunity to still get your questions asked without the cost of private one on one lessons. The alternative is go it alone...fight to get off the beach....try and stay clear of other riders....fight to stay upwind....and potentially cause harm to you, your kite, and worse make a bad day for someone just trying to enjoy the beach.
To my knowledge, this is the only service of its kind in the greater Tampa Bay area and new kiters are taking full advantage of it. It makes it safe for you, safe for the other kiters, and most importantly, safe for the public that we kite around in north county.
Welcome to the club. As an avid surfer myself, and long time rider of Sand Key Park, I hope that we can assist you with the answers that you are looking for. Stay safe, and continue to seek professional help along the way.
Give us a call to set up some supervision. Its a great program and the rest of the kiting community will thank you for it.
Staff, instructors, and team riders of Watersports West have 1000's of hours in the north county area and are the only school offering instruction in these parts. Our goal is to enjoy continued access to these incredible kite spots, but we need your help!!!!!
Team Waterpsports West
727-517-7000
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