Hi, Im totally new to kite-everything. I just bought an HQ hydra 350 trainer kite (3.5m) to learn and a used MBS core 90 board. Im planning on using the trainer with the board once I get used to just the kite itself. I weigh 180lbs (81kg) and am about 6 feet (181cm) tall.

Do I need to get a harness for this setup? how bout a helmet? I need to fit this stuff in a suitcase to go down to the beach before the end of the year. I know its probably better to wear a harness, helmet, protection, etc, but unless you guys think that I will probably do some damage landboarding or get some air with a Hydra 350 kite, I'd rather not take a helmet. Is this setup gonna be hard to handle without a harness?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated! I would need to buy the harness (or any protection or accessories) asap if you guys think its necessary so its gets here in time for my trip..

Thanks

can that kite even pull you on that board?

and since your new its better to learn not hooked in helmets are always a necessity wind is very unpredictable and can gust up fast and knock you over... sand is hard i hit my head once while riding a 2m kite and the next day i bought a dirtbike helmet and have worn it ever since

kites are easily repaired... your brain isnt so wear a helmet, if i didnt wear a helmet i may not me alive today

Hey!

Wow, 2m kite and it threw you on your head... I'll look for a helmet on craiglist or playitagainsports then. Were you kiteboarding or just training?

I think the kite would pull me at least a little if the wind is strong enough. I saw a video of a guy succesfully kiteboarding for a good 10 seconds with an HQ Hydra 350 in strong winds:

forward the video to minute 9:30 (really @ 9:40)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2MQzKPPxFk

Im not really looking for anything super exciting yet, more on the safe side. It's usually pretty windy at the beaches Im going to so I hope it'll be strong enough to pull me on the board.

yeah it's the little ones that spank the hardest because you let your guard down. Save the harness for later when you always will know what the kite will do next in any kind of conditions. But get the helmet on always.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Welcome

NEVER buy used helmets, especially anything the composite ones like motorbike helmets. IMHO they're so cheap new that you don't need to risk brain damage by buying a used, possibly stuffed, one.

You don't need a harness at this stage as you want to be able to just let go the bar and have the kite flag out.
But I'd definitely recommend elbow & knee pads and perhaps, wrist guards and padded shorts if you feel like seriously kitting up. Sturdy boots with ankle support would be good too.

See how he's looping the kite continuously, around 9:47? He may be up and riding but he's headed straight down wind ... which sucks you'll need a good blow to get riding on the smaller kites ...

Like everyone has said, a harness will come in handy later on, after you've learned how to fly your hydra inside and out. You'll also need a "D" loop with Quick Release, both PL and HQ make these, to attach your bar to the harness. The problem with the 3.5M is that in order to really have fun on your board with it, you will need strong wind, and if you are not certain of what your kite will do at all times, that is when you get spanked, and lets face it, there are a lot of us who have some experience, and we still get spanked on occaision. Don't let that deter you though, just be prepared by really getting to know your kite. Good luck, and have fun!+1 on wearing a helmet!

My neck is still soar from my fall yesterday. When I got up from the fall , I felt a little dizzy. Luckily my helmet was on my head at the time. A car on the beach got in my path so I reverse the kite trying to stop. The kite and I stopped but not the board so bam right on my back. I felt a popping sound on the back of my head when the helmet hit that hard compact sand. I thought I crack the helmet it was just the sound it made because the sand was so hard. So the first thing is get a helmet!!

Quote:

Originally posted by NJLandboarder can that kite even pull you on that board? kites are easily repaired... your brain isnt so wear a helmet, if i didnt wear a helmet i may not me alive today

Well said, CJ!

Thanks guys!

I'll get some knee and elbow pads, maybe some wrist pads too. Do you think a bicycle helmet would do for the trainer kite? or what other helmet aside from motocross? I have motorcycle helmets and they are kind of big for my suitcase so I dont think a motocross helmet would fit. Im not sure Im gonna be able to take the board on the plane, Im looking at the specs and it says the board itself is 36" long, so its longer than any of my suitcases. Maybe I can take my suit bag (business suit) and stick the board (no wheels, etc) in with it so I can just carry it onto the plane, the stewardess usually hangs the bag up in a closet so it doesnt need to be folded or anything. Anyone taken a landboard on a plane before? Maybe I should just leave the board here. It probably wont be much fun with the trainer kite anyways.

Maybe this helmet?

http://kiteboarding.com/proddetail.asp?prod=acewater

or this one:

http://www.cosmickites.com/gath-surf-convertible-helmet.html

Invest in a brain bucket!! All it takes is one mistake or ill-placed fall and you have head trauma. As far as taking the board on the plane goes... If you really want to bring it, I say just bring it as carry-on. Although I don't think you'll need it... The most important thing you can do right now is really get to know your kite. I mean REALLY know it. To the point where you can fly it in all safe conditions (40+ mph winds in the kiting world are generally deemed unsafe, even for advanced riders), and be able to pilot it without looking. It doesn't take long to catch on. A little bit of dedicated practice can go a long way.

Good luck!
Seanny

Thanks Seanny,

I decided for the protec wake helmet with ear flaps so I can use it once I get into kitesurfing. Seems like it is a pretty strong helmet from the reviews. Im leaving the board here, I'll get to use it this summer when I get a bigger kite

NO not a bicycle helmet! The shape is all wrong ... the Ace is much better. The Gath is ugly and overly expensive IMHO Bern is another company that springs to mind ...
I've taken my landboard on a place - put it in a snowboard bag with the wheels off, then checked it in :D

ProTec is fine! Any skateboard style helmet should do. MBS also makes a decent helmet for $30. Motocross helmets would probably offer you the best protection, but are heavy and limit your movement and peripheral vision. I wear a ProTec skate helmet. I covered it and stickers and put it on over my super cool Element visor beanie

Cheers,
Seanny

Helmet - FOR SURE

Knee + elbow pads - Yes but I don't always wear them.

Hip Pads - I use these and really need them with my boney butt.

Spine protection. Don't have it but it's a great idea.

Wrist guards- I used them when I was starting out on tarmac but don't use them now.

Harness - It isn't exactly safety equipment. I am of a different school. I think hooking in early while not pushing yourself is a big advantage. If you get used to a harness you can use it to rest up when walking upwind etc.. This means more fly time so faster learning curve.

From what I here the Hydra is not a great upwind kite. Don't be surprised if you struggle with that when you start riding. Don't get too stressd and enjoy the ride even if you end up having to walk upwind again. Once you are skilled you will hold your own with this kite .

i have this helmet
but its all stickered and it doesn't effect my vision much and its a little heavy but totally worth it i paid like 79 or 89 at a local motorcycle shop

Pro tec skate lid for board , full face atv helmet for buggy. deffo on the pads . And welcome to the PKF!

I got the Protec Ace Wake helmet and it has worked fine for kitesurfing, buggy and ATB. Only issue I have with using it for buggying is that it doesn't protect my mouth from flying dirt ( whatever crap that gets fling your way). I am thinking about getting a separate full face helmet like WeldingGod suggest for buggying.

got my protec wake helmet with ear protection today! its so light! weighs 1.25lbs (570g) looks much nicer in person than in pictures. Decided to go with yellow cus its the most visible in the water and on land.

nice! Be sure to wear it faithfully.

Respect the wind....
I cannot stress this enough, I lofted myself 30 feet into the air with this kite And broke my ankle badly because I did not pack it in when the wind became gusty and strong.

It is a great kite though, and Now on my 7th week post surgury I am looking forward to Flying Not seated again.... Have been flying In light winds while Healing, But when Wind is 20-30 kmh This kite is fun as hell, and Capable of Scudding ( on bike Shorts and Seated ) fast and as long as you have field left... I havn;t tried it with a board or in water yet But I can tell you that the hydra Does Sit on water for some time and re-launches easilly, had mine sitting on water for 4 4 minutes one day and it didn;t sink at all .

Good buy !

I make a point of not putting up a kite without my helmet on. It has become like the seatbelt in my car. If I don't have it on something doesn't feel right. I find it simplest this way rather than deciding if I need it or forgetting it all together.

DHKITE: I wish you a speedy recovery! hope it didnt cause any permanent damage. :shocked2: wow, you lofted yourself 30 ft in the air with the hydra 350?

I'll make sure not to fly it when its gusty! How strong were the winds? I bought a windmeter (cost 40$ if anyone wants one) cus I have no idea what wind speed numbers mean in reality.

Glad to hear I can scud with this kite! Maybe it'll pull me on the landboard after I get comfortable with just the kite. HELMET IS ALREADY IN THE SUITCASE!!! Still need to get the pads... shouldn't have given them away last year.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/sub/354-Protective+Gear.aspx

I keep meaning to buy some of these


http://www.nutcasehelmets.com/en/collections/water

thanks.. I walked today for the first time in 2 months So Recovery goes well and I'm stoked.

Winds that day were 20-30 Kmh and I was learning jumping but really only gettin floaty style swings on the kite and only 2 feet or so off the ground.... Then the wind changed which I observed in the downfield windsock but ( stupidly ) decided to do one more jump and slide down the field, I was off the ground maybe 6 feet ( bigger than any other jump that day ) when suddenlly instead of coming back down I felt the kite go of and I was now looking down On tree tops... Later that day i looked at the weather report for the area I was flying in and it said that at the time of accident the winds were gusting to over 60 kmh...

Windmeter is an awesome idea, and as for permanent damageto myself.. I now sport more titanium on the ankle.. but I will heal.

:singing:

Sorry for the double post but wanted to add that You may not get going upwind but You will haul ass going downwind on a board as I was hauling just ass scudding..

It's always the "Just one more ..." that gets you :o glad you're healing up DHK!!!

yup, twas the same when I did in the femur,hip and shoulder and also when i did the heel ... "just one more..."

Healing up well and looking forward to Kitesurfing in the summer ( will get a bigger kite then ) and snowkiting this winter with the hydra ( prolly just shuttle runs across the lake one way.. lol.

glad to own this hydra while healing though, is a fun kite to fly while broken... seated and in light winds of course.... there is just something so captivating and beautiful in kites and wind power...

It's always the small kites that get you! Although, I'd be kind of scared to jump high with a large FB also... Ha, I think my Twister II 4.1 gets me more floaty jumps than my 7.7 does... the 7.7 is a monster... if the wind isn't absolutely perfect with the 7.7, don't even THINK about jumping it. The Twister II is a very lifty kite, and I know I could not jump like I can in the same winds with an HQ Beamer or something. I guess it all depends on redirect, because I rarely have hard landings with my 4.1. It's also perfectly happy trying to plink you off the ground when parked at the zenith.

As a general rule, I would still never recommend jumping with a small kite, especially in gusty winds. 60kmh is insane! At least now that you're on the road to recovery, you have a wicked story to tell :D

Cheers,
Seanny