Shopping for a trainer kite for kitesurfing? Here are 7 questions to help you choose which TRAINER KITE to buy, as there are plenty of options available on the market these days:
- Will you be practicing on land or on the water with your TRAINER KITE?
- How many lines will your trainer kite have?
- What size should you buy?
- What steering system will your kite have?
- Will you need a harness to fly your TRAINER KITE?
- What is your budget?
- Will you use your TRAINER KITE later?
Let’s dive deeper into these questions.
1. Will you be practicing on LAND or on the WATER with your TRAINER KITE?
You probably are getting ready to kitesurf or kiteboard on the water and it seems like a logical choice to practice with your trainer kite on the water as well. But in reality, the main and often time the only skill that you will be working on during this stage is HOW TO STEER THE KITE while it’s up in the air. Guess what, you do not need water for this.
More often than not trainer kites are used to practice ON THE LAND because it is challenging to find shallow water far enough offshore where you can stand up. This is required because trainer kites are usually small and they cannot help you body-drag and get to the shore safely if needed. Also, there are way more places ON LAND where you can practice, and you do not need to travel all the way to the beach every time you want to practice with your trainer kite.
THE VERDICT: Go for an OPEN-CELL model that is designed to be used ON LAND. This type is also cheaper by $100 or so.
What’s OPEN-CELL, you may wonder? Closed-cell kites prevent water from entering into air pockets of a kite when you land them on water. You can re-launch this type easily off the water. Open-cell models do not have this kind of protection and they let air into the kite as well as water. If you drop an OPEN-CELL kite into the water it will fill up with water instantly and will turn into an anchor.
If you choose to go for the closed-cell model keep in mind that it may be more challenging to re-launch it off the water because of the WIND GRADIENT and waves. Waves create extra turbulence in the wind and may swallow your kite altogether. Remember that even though closed-cell kites are designed to re-launch off the water, the amount of time they can spend floating is limited. After a few minutes of contact with water they may start to TAKE THE WATER IN, so, be aware of this limitation.
2. How many lines will your TRAINER KITE have?
Trainer kites for kitesurfers come with 2, 3, or 4 lines that run from you to the kite. Sorry, the single-line models are for kids. What those lines are for, you may wonder? Well, the two main ones are for steering. You pull on one and the kite turns right, you pull on the other and the kite turns left, pretty straightforward. And this is THE MAIN FEATURE that you will need from a trainer kite because you will be learning how to steer a kite. It is safe to say at this point that a two-line model will be enough for you to practice.
Now, what happens when you drop your kite on the ground? How do you get it back in the air? You will try to re-launch it and get it airborne again. And this is where you can use either the THIRD LINE or a FRIEND. In other words, it’s more convenient to re-launch a trainer kite if it’s a three-line model. This is our FAVORITE SETUP – 3 LINES, by the way.
And what about trainer kites with four lines? Well, there are two options here:
OPTION A: If the kite is inflatable, has an inflatable leading edge and inflatable struts then those additional lines are used to control the power of the kite. We call this POWERING UP and DE-POWERING of the kite. It’s a simple move of sliding the control bar away to reduce the power and pulling it closer to increase the pull of your kite. You will need a HARNESS to fly this model. More on this a bit later.
OPTION B: If the kite is not inflatable (we call these FOIL or RAM AIR kites, which is the most popular type for trainer kites), then you probably looking at the wrong model here. These are POWER KITES and they have control handles (sets of two) instead of a control bar and can be used for LAND BOARDING. Not the best option for a trainer kite for kitesurfers, frankly.
3. What size should you buy?
“Size does matter” when it comes to kitesurfing equipment and especially kites. Sizes of trainer kites for kitesurfers vary from 1 square meter to … well, technically, there is no limit yet we would stop at about 6 sq. m. Anything larger than that would be a regular kitesurfing kite. We can use large kites for training still but we should not call them TRAINER KITES, let’s agree on that here.
The bigger the kite the stronger the pull. The stronger the wind the smaller the kite you should get. How strong are the winds in your area? If the wind is blowing at 8 to 15 mph then you will likely be comfortable with a bigger trainer kite. If it blows over 30 mph then you should stay home… seriously.
And the more you weigh the bigger the kite you may be able to handle. Pretty straightforward, isn’t it? So, if you are over 150 lb then you may get a bigger kite. But if you are planning to train kids then a smaller size would be more suitable.
Here, at Kitesurfing Academy, we like to use larger trainer kites, around 3 sq. m., because you get a more realistic feel of the power a kite may generate. We just handpick the wind conditions to take our students out to practice so they don’t get overwhelmed.
4. What steering system will your kite have?
There are three options of steering available on the market, yet only kites with a CONTROL BAR are called TRAINER KITES FOR KITESURFING.
The option with CONTROL PULLEYS is mainly designed for STUNT KITES and for POWER KITES. The steering is very similar to the control bar yet we’ve seen our students getting CONFUSED when they switch from CONTROL PULLEYS to a CONTROL BAR. You can still use this model to practice but keep in mind that you will need an extra pair of hands to re-launch it after each crash.
The option with two CONTROL HANDLES is used in POWER KITES or TRACTION KITES. This is not the best option to train for kitesurfing with these kites unless you already have one. CONTROL HANDLES will allow you to steer the kite and also manage the amount of pull with the tilt of the handles. There is also an element of Left-Right synchronicity involved, which is totally alien to the kitesurfing control bar.
And finally, the CONTROL BAR, the “native” to KITESURFING. You steer the kite by pulling on one side and letting out the other, and vice-versa. You can find more on how to steer HERE. The power control will not be available unless you are dealing with four (or five) line power kite or an inflatable kite. Hands down, CONTROL BAR is the type of steering that we recommend for you to practice with.
5. Will you need a HARNESS to fly your TRAINER KITE?
HARNESS is an essential piece of equipment when it comes to KITESURFING. A “MUST HAVE” if you will. But do you need it to practice with a trainer kite? This depends on the type of TRAINER KITE that you will be practicing with.
Most popular trainer kites do not need a harness. Only the models with FOUR (4) LINES and with this feature called DE-POWER require the use of a harness. The control bar on these kites is equipped with a CHICKEN LOOP. Do not confuse it with a WRIST STRAP, they do look similar. Inflatable kites, for instance, always require a harness. When a kite has only two or three lines you will not need a harness to fly it.
6. What is your budget?
Prices for KITESURFING TRAINER KITES range from $50 to over $600 and here is yet another decision for you to make: how much are you willing to spend. Please remember that the life of a trainer lite is short-lived. You will need only a few sessions to learn how to steer and build your muscle memory. Once you pass this stage and start using a real kite you are not likely to pick up your trainer kite again.
There is one scenario when you will re-use your investment in the future. If you choose an inflatable model of a larger size, say, 6, 7, or even 8 sq. meters then you can use this kite for riding in very strong winds later on. This option should be done under a supervision of a pro trainer in carefully selected wind/weather conditions for your safety. And yes, you will need a HARNESS with this option, and this is an extra $$$. Add the cost of the instructor… You see, this is getting expensive already. Kitesurfing may get expensive rather quickly…
7. Will you use your TRAINER KITE later?
The reality is that most of the TRAINER KITES end up on eBay after a few weeks of practicing. As I mentioned earlier, the job of a trainer kite is to help you develop the skill of steering the kite and when you switch to the actual, full-size kite there is no reason to go back. This is why often times trainer kites end up being sold. You can keep it in your garage or closet to train your kids in the future, but once you are through with this step there is usually no coming back. This is why many students just borrow trainer kites or take lessons with an instructor, who will give you a trainer kite to practice with anyways.
And this is a wrap! Now you can make an educated decision on how to go about your own experience with a TRAINER KITE based on your personal vision, values, and priorities. Just remember that this is not the most expensive part when it comes to kitesurfing. Read more about the KITESURFING EQUIPMENT COST and overall PRICE OF KITESURFING AS A HOBBY.
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