Green Hat Kiteboarding FAQ - The five questions posted most recently:

Which weather forecasting services do you use to make lesson scheduling decisions ?

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:06:00 GMT

We depend on several weather forecasting services in order to make a decision to post a lesson schedule. Here's a quick summary:

ikitesurf.com - local human forecast and a few localized computer model forecasts, private sensors near most kite beaches in US, as well as lots of other very useful info like tides, wind history, etc. Membership is $120 per year, or $100 for the first time members, if you go through this link http://ikitesurf.com/kiteisland

weather.com - hour-by-hour and radar functions are very useful to watch the storms. Their wind forecast is a little off , but after a while it's easy to spot the trends (for example, anything with south component is usually underestimated by at least 5 mph).

noaa marine - excellent general wind forecast - it's not localized at all. This forecast is in text format, but click here to see a graphical representation of this text.

Forecasting services are never perfect, so there is always a chance that lessons may not be carried out even if we posted a schedule. However, we try our best to avoid these situations - most of the time we succeed.

After you reserve a lesson, please always check back to see the status - it will be posted on the schedule item under the "meeting time" section.

I have no experience with kiteboarding or flying power kites, how do i start?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:46:00 GMT

All kiteboarding lessons start with a bit of theory and flying a small trainer kite. We found that this part of the lesson works a lot better when done as homework. There is no need for an instructor to fly a trainer kite - it's very safe. And learning theory and terminology on a windy beach when you're anxious to get into the water hasn't proved to be very effective. For this reason, we've designed this Intro to Kiteboarding package. This package or the equivalent experience is a prerequisite for our Kite Skills Lesson.

How to book a lesson?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:39:00 GMT

Proper weather conditions are crucial for a successful kiteboarding lesson. For this reason, we do not schedule lessons prior to 3 days before the lesson. Instead, we closely watch local forecasts everyday and when they call for decent wind and weather, we create a Schedule of available lessons for specific dates. We also have a mailing list to which we send alerts whenever a new lesson schedule is created (See How to sign up for lesson schedule email alerts? ). Once the schedule is posted, you can book/reserve a spot by selecting the lesson type that you're interested in. Each schedule item will have a limited number of available reservations and will show "Call for availability" sign when all booked up (do call for availability since sometimes we can still squeeze you in or there is a cancelation). Space is available on a first come, first serve basis and the ONLY way to reserve a spot is through this system. Since there is no advanced booking and the reservations are usually done within 24 - 72 hours of a lesson, the refunds will only be issued in case of changes in the short term forecast or unfavorable weather conditions (The status of any lesson schedule changes will be posted on the schedule itself. If there is a cancelation due to weather conditions, you will be notified by phone).

NOTE: Please make sure to review the prerequisites for each lesson. Some, such as the Kite Skills lesson, require to have solid trainer kite flying skills and familiarity with the kiteboarding terminology. If you do not have those skills, we recommend an Intro to kiteboarding package which consists of a trainer kite and a video and is shipped to you. Please allow at least a week before your lesson to receive the package and spend some time flying the trainer kite. For a list of local spots to fly a trainer kite, please see Where to fly a trainer kite in the greater New York area

How long does it take to learn to kiteboard?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:16:00 GMT

The time it takes to learn to kiteboard depends mainly on the conditions. Our teaching location offers waist deep, flat water conditions which makes learning kiteboarding much easier and safer. It has taken our students anywhere from a one day Kite Skills lesson to a combination of a Kite Skills lesson and Board Skills lesson (2 days total) to be able to get up on a board and ride. To be able to stay upwind it may take some additional supervised riding sessions. If you are planning to take lessons in consequtive days and need a place to stay overnight in the area, see Where can I stay overnight in the area

Here are some of the factors that will determine how long it will take you to learn to kiteboard:

Your physical shape - you don't have to be a professional athlete to kiteboard, but the more fit and flexible you are, the faster it will take you to learn to kiteboard
Your past sports experiences - if you have any wind or board sports experiences, it will help you learn to kiteboard faster
Frequency - this is a very important factor. Two to three consecutive days of kiteboarding lessons and practice could equal to as much as 2 years of taking lessons once every couple months.
Determination - probably the only required factor.
The right gear for the weather conditions - leave this one to us. We have all the proper kitesurfing gear for all ridable weather conditions.

Which lesson is for me?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:57:00 GMT

No Experience: if you have�no kite flying experience, the first step is to buy our Intro to Kiteboarding package and then sign up for a Kite Skills lesson.

Flown stunt kites: If you have experience flying stunt kites, we recommend to buy a�Beginner Video and then sign up for a Kite Skills lesson.

4-line kite flying: If you have experience flying a 4-line inflatable kite and is proficient at body dragging upwind and downwind as well as relaunch and self-rescue, we recommend to sign up for a Board Skills lesson or a Private Lesson.*�

Getting up on the board: If you can get up on the board and ride for some time but are not staying upwind, we recommend Supervised Riding (possibly with a private lesson)

Board sports: If you have experience wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing but never flown the trainer or a 2-line stunt kite, you will progress faster than an average student but you would still need to start with the Intro package and Kite Skills Lesson as kiteboarding is 80% kite skills and 20% board skills.

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* Based on our experience, a Board Skills lesson with a 2 students to 1 instructor ratio works best as the students are alternated and have a chance to rest and learn from the other student's mistakes.