I have a coworker in from Denmark right now. He windsurfs occasionally and I told him he would love Sandy Hook bay. Any idea where to rent one of those contraptions around here?
First of all...windsurfing and kiteboarding are 2 completely separate sports. Whether u are interested in windsurfing or Kiteboarding is a pretty big difference. U can't rent a kite and board without knowing what you're doing....you'll mess yourself up. Find out if ur trying to get a windsurfing setup or a Kiteboarding setup. I'm not sure he could get a rental without proving he knows out to do it. That's a huge insurance liability
He windsurfs and probably has never used a kite. I never realized how dangerous kite boarding was and thought he might enjoy trying it. Your probably right abotu the insurance liability but I've never understood why for $150 a complete novice can rent a snowboard and lift ticket then huck themselve down a black diamond but the idea of renting certain other things is completely outlandish. This is why Costa Rica is so amazing. I got the impression they would rent me a tank if I found the right shop.
Kite surfing accidents... more fun than your average wipeout footage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4J9mHbJIgo Still no reason that these can't be rented with an appropriate waiver. Lawyers suck.
kiting is definitely dangerous if you don't have any kite flying skills. theres a couple steps you need to take before your can pick up a kite and start charging upwind. first you need to fly a trainer kite for 6 hours or so to understand how to steer the kite. Then you need lessons from a trained professional to outline the absolute DON'T DOs or else you will smash into buildings and powerlines. Then your probably good to practice on your own for a while in a wide open beach wehre you won't hurt anyone else. While we're on this topic, if anyone on here thinks they are above getting lessons, think twice before you go ahead and do that. We're not allowed to launch from IBSP at all because some jackass messed himself up with a kite bc he didn't know what he was doing. So, before you pick up a kite, think about your safety, other peoples safety, and the entire kiteboarding community's access to certain launches. We're treaading on thin ice at sandy hook right now. BUT if you want to get lessons, contact vadim from greenhatkiteboarding.com. best place to learn in nj bar none.
Try iwindsurf.com for information on renting a rig. Kiters down this way are also on thin ice. Most are cool, but some are way too cocky and do not realise one accident in a area like Assateague and they will be shut down and ruin it for everyone.
Kitesurfing was a godsend for me this winter. I had been telling myself i was going to try it for years but never had enough cash for the gear. This winter absolutely sucked wave wise, i probably surfed a total of 3 times from november to march. I was going crazy, cranky, antsy and just generally pissed off. I got a new job and finally decided to give it a try. I snagged some gear off craigslist and took a lesson a week or 2 later. Since then i have been going out at least 2-3 days a week. I started off on the "wakestyle" board and switched to a surfboard after a couple of sessions and i was AMAZED how similar to actually surfing real waves it is. The freedom is amazing, its just you, your kite and the ocean. No crowd, no waiting for sets, no paddling, tons of waves, HUGE AIR and the best part....there is ALWAYS wind. It has definatly taken the edge off during the flat spells. Ive found that what i missed during the downtime wasnt really surfing but just being in the ocean and at the beach. I highly suggest every east coast surfer give kiting a try and i can garuntee you after 3 or 4 sessions you will be hooked forever. Its an amazing sport and tons of fun. Do yourself a favor and find your closest shop, take a lesson and buy some used gear.
