BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Greetings!

I'm a beginner with about 12 hours of lessons. I can water start (not consistently) in both directions and can sort of ride upwind. I feel I really need someone to just babysit me while I put in some hours water starting and learning to edge my board upwind. I want to work my way up to transitions, but not there quite yet. Still, have some dues to pay and simply know I have to put in some hours.

I have 2 kites, harness, and board. I've got a 10.5 and a 12 kite wise. Went out in Bodega with an instructor 2 weeks ago with the 10.5 in 20 knots and got up a few times and rode about 100 meters and even went upwind a little.

I have 4 kids! So my disposable income is non-existent. ;) Thus my plea for a babysitter. ;)

I'm hoping I can find someone that can use a little extra money and babysit me? Meaning, help keep me safe and moreover other kiters safe from me! ;) I am so frustrated because I can't afford $100 - $125 and hour. But I am also tempted to go out on my own. But just won't do it because I know I would be being irresponsible to myself and moreover to others around me. Ugh!

So this is my hail Mary! ;) Hoping someone who is not normally an instructor or maybe wants to become one can help me out? As stated above my budget is limited, but I do have money and am willing to pay. I am more than willing to travel anywhere in the Bay or to Sherman or wherever. I'm super motivated, fun to be with, love to joke around and just be light!

Maybe you can find it in your heart to help me?

Thanks for reading!

edit: Just a shot in the dark. ;) I'm in the music business. Run a small audiophile record label. Maybe you need and LP cut or a CD mastered? I can barter for that. Or if you like LP's or CD's I can barter for that too. Stuff you would know, Weezer, Grateful Dead, Sinatra, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, etc etc.

Nat at Edge Kiteboarding I believe still offers "assisted" downwinders for around $60 out at Sherman Island. Due to the constant, stable winds, Sherman Island is the best place to progress your skills imo.
http://www.edgekiteboarding.com/#

Check out Nauticat Charters as well for Sherman downwinders. I'm not sure if they offer assisted trips though.
http://nauticatcharters.com/?page_id=14

Agree with Yoda, assisted downwinder would be your cheapest option for the skills you describe.
Also, at some point, you just have to learn to go on your own! Talk to people at the beach. Make sure to ask for the right size to rig from regulars. Ask them if they wouldn't mind sort of following you a bit in the water (I know I would mind, and a lot of others in the bay are the same).
Don't be shy!

Yoda, le noun,

Thank you so much for your kind advice! My apologies for the late reply!

Already called Nat and left a message and also called Heather at Downwinders. She is no longer providing the service. She turned me on to Donny, which I took my first lesson from. I had a lot of fun with him and wasn't aware he provided the service.

So how does it work basically? They give you a ride upwind and then sort of look after you as you try to kiteboard? Is it all deep there? Basically you make it down wind eventually and do it again?

Are there any predominately shallow areas there to practice in?

Anyone familiar with this Dakine vest? http://kiteboardingcloseouts.com/tops-v ... oCWrXw_wcB

Will it be enough to float a little? Or do I need a full blown life vest? Any suggestions?

Again, thank you so much for turning me on to these guys. Hopefully, it will work out. Any other suggestions?

Cheers!

I have a Dakine vest and it works great for me. You are always welcome to try mine and see if it works for you. I am also a beginner kiteboarder - learning to ride upwind at Alameda. My skill level is not there yet to provide babysitting service :), but the next best thing is to have a buddy system. I suggest we form a group of beginners who can keep an eye on each other. You can post here or PM me if you are interested to join.

alexglebov, thanks for the offer! I might take you up on that! ;)

I think you have a brilliant idea about forming a group of beginners. There is power in numbers. So are there any other newbies out there? Please PM me and maybe we can form a group? I think an instructor might be more apt to give us a discount if there was many of us and we could guarantee a steady revenue stream. For instance, hey, let's book 6 hours this Saturday. 3 people from our group in a row. OR, let book 4 in our group for a downwinder. Watch all 4 of us at $60 an hour each, almost $500 for a couple of hours, nice work if you can get it. ;)

So pm me if you are interested! I've got some ideas.

Yoda, thanks for the quick reply and moreover the advice. Why do you like the F27 Kite vest better? Does it have the same amount of floatation?

At Sherman, typically how long does it take to go downwind for 1 run?

Thanks!!!

zeninfinity wrote:Why do you like the F27 Kite vest better? Does it have the same amount of floatation?

At Sherman, typically how long does it take to go downwind for 1 run?

It's the only waist harness compatible kite vest that I've found that is "adjustable" around the waist. What I mean by this is the front closure is a normal zipper at the chest, but then it switches to a thin "girdle-like" waist that has an adjustable velcro closure. This closure design is much more snug and form-fitting than the zipper types like on the Dakine (and most other brands). Once you try it and compare, you'll never go back to zippers. I'm surprised that more brands haven't adopted this design. I've converted several vest uses over the years to the ProMotion. The other bonus is the ProMotion vest (depending on the size) has 12-13lbs of flotation. A Type3 PDF has 15.5lbs of floatation, so the ProMotion is quite buoyant. No clue on the Dakine or other brands for that matter since most don't know or won't say.

Sherman downwinders generally take 1+ hours. It all depends on how well you're staying up wind and your energy level. Some have taken nearly 3 hours to get back since they were playing (and lasting) for so long. ;)

Edit: Sorry... I stated Prolimit when I meant ProMotion. Prolimit makes kite vests too.

Thank you Yoda! I really appreciate the guidance!

Alex and I meet tomorrow in Bodega! I'll follow up with a report.

Wish us luck! ;)