How to know to continue or stop paying for lessons?

[mke]

I've taken a few lessons so far in which I learned to handle the kite on land and body drag. One of the reasons I tried it was because I heard it was easier than regular surfing and wouldn't take as much time to be able to ride along the water. I enjoyed riding whitewater saves as a beginner surfer, but didn't like the paddling and waiting for waves, so I tried out kitesurfing. I stopped kitesurfing when I learned how to put on the board in the water

I'm not sure if I should continue with lessons or to quit the sport entirely. Although kitesurfing looked fun, I didn't like how so much time was spent walking in and out of the water and walking away from the crowds, and learning to handle the kite and set it up wasn't that fun

I heard that taking jetski-assisted lessons could help with saving time from walking out of the water, so maybe kitesurfing will be more fun if I try it at a better location with better winds and is less crowded?

Or maybe I'm better off sticking to other water sports like wakeboarding/water skiing/windsurfing that don't require so much time before being able to ride along the water and have fun?

[mebeatee]

I’ll answer your query with a little story.......

A couple of bulls were on a hill looking into the valley where a bunch of cows were grazing. The impatient bull says...”I’m going to run down the hill and “get” me one of those cows.”

The patient bull says....”I’m going to walk down and “get” them all......”

bt

 

 

[frob]

Kitesurfing is an interesting mix of two sports. You need to be competent at both of them in order to do the combined sport safely. If you can mix the two successfully it can be breathtaking and exhilarating. 

So when I see this, I have concerns that it might not be the right sport for you:

On 12/10/2021 at 6:43 PM, mke said:

I didn't like how so much time was spent walking in and out of the water and walking away from the crowds, and learning to handle the kite and set it up wasn't that fun

While setting up the gear can be boring, it is something absolutely critical to get right every single time. If you're doing extreme things like jumps or flying in higher wind it can literally be a life-or-death concern. One mistake at the wrong time can mean your chicken loop or other safety won't release, and you or someone else will become trapped.

The same with the safety of being away from crowds. One wrong move getting your kite into the crowds is dangerous, and potentially lethal. It is even more dangerous for beginners who have less control and less familiarity with what to do when things go wrong. One part of training should be practicing all the safety techniques until they're part of your muscle memory.

You might be better learning to first fly power kites at the beach or the field if you haven't already. The water and surfing components are missing, many steps are easier to learn and become proficient at. You don't need to leave the crowds  very far for safety, just a hundred feet or so. It's also cheaper up front. You can still get powerful kites that can pull hard at your upper body, but avoid those so strong they may drag you or lift you into the air, as aerial landings on ground can (and will) break bones.