Gary stainer - 7-4-2018 at 06:21 AM
Hi all, my 10yr old son has been really enjoying kite flying, we are getting him a hq symphony 3 power kite "1.3m" as an introduction into power
kites. I just thought, we have a mountain board in the shed, and wondered if this kite would be big enough to pull him along on it, just for a taste
of what boarding would be like. Not looking for speed or arials obviously. Just a bit of fun. Or is it just too small? He is small himself too,
probably the size of your average 8-9 Yr old. Thanks 😎👍
abkayak - 7-4-2018 at 06:46 AM
Welcome aboard!!..that kite will do fine
but shouldn't get on the board till he's got plenty of kite time
i kinda like the idea of a skateboard 1st ( no straps, closer to the ground)...
helmet, gloves, pads...no skin exposed, no wife around
Gary stainer - 7-4-2018 at 07:31 AM
Thanks for the reply. Great news. Will take your advice and get some flying time in. Also go for the skateboard first. He also loves skating, we have
a mini ramp in the garden so have loads of pads etc. Nice one
B-Roc - 7-4-2018 at 01:27 PM
My boys started when they were 5 and 7 but at that age I would tow them behind me as I held the kite and tethered a bar to my harness similar to a
waterski setup (so I was on my board and they were on their board behind me).
My youngest was able to ride downwind on his own by age 10 but then lost interest. Started again when he was 13 and made some progress upwind but I
haven't been out much the past 2 years. Funny because he said to me just this afternoon that he wants to start kiting again so hopefully we will.
They did most all of their kiting on a 1.5m with killers. It is way easier for them to learn in higher consistent winds on a small kite that doesn't
need to be worked and won't luff. When they left the tether and began riding on their own I would take about a 15 foot rope and just fold it around
them (holding one end in each of my hands). I would then jog or walk behind them pulling on it to teach them to lean back (into the wind) and then
loosen it to cue them to carve a bit down wind to teach them how to hold a straight line. If they got going I just dropped one end of the rope and
let them ride it out. Good luck and enjoy making memories.
Gary stainer - 7-4-2018 at 11:39 PM
Thanks for the reply, some great info there. Thank you