Below are the most popular venues for kitesurfing / buggying / mountainboarding in the South east of UK.

Camber Sands / Gurys Gap: Fantastic location on the south coast of the UK, thats great for kitesurfing, buggying and mountainboarding, Ideal for WSW, SW, S, SE, ESE wind directions for kitesurfing. This beach has groynes, and is not useable at high tides, and is mainly sand, except for a pebble area at tthe top of the beach
Please Note that you actually kitesurf from Gurys gap, and most kiters park at the Broomhill sands car park. Most local weather station (lydd Airport) - add 7mph to windspeed approx 

Greatstone / Littlestone: Great location for Kitesurfing, Mountainboarding and buggying. Here the tide goes out a long way at low tide, and i mean a long way, This beach has no groynes, and can be ridden at all states of the tide (but advise against riding at high tide), there is about a 100mtr strip of sand that runs almost the whole length of the beach, which can be used for mountainboards and buggys, further out it gets muddy!. Ideal for NE, E, SE wind directions for Kitesurfing. Local weather station, Lydd airport

Minster, Isle of Sheppey: Good location and can be used at all states of the tide, and at top of beach its pebbly, and then going to sand, then patches of mud (not too bad though). Good location at low tide for beginners, Ideal for NW, N, NE, E and is in NW, N winds fairly flat. Easy access payable carparking on beach. Local weather station

Tankerton: Ok location for kitesurfing only, but has sharp stone and shingle area, and some muscle beds (these eat kites!), Ideal for W, NW, N, NE wind directions for kitesurfing, as you can walk out to point, and kitesurf from there, but can be rough at times, and with a NE wind means there is a flat area, just beside the point.

Whitstable: Ok location for kitesurfing only, but has sharp stone, sand and shingle area, Ideal for W, NW, N, NE wind directions for kitesurfing, but can be rough at times (High N, NE winds), but smooth in (W and E), and has shingle strip to far right hand side.

Minnis Bay: Good location to kitesurf, with majority of beach is sand, but there are sections that have sharp stones, This beach has long Concrete Groynes, and high tide is a definate no, ideally avoid up to about 2 hours either side of high tide to give plenty of room, there is a specific kitesurf zone so look at signs. Ideal for NW, N, NE wind directions for Kitesurfing. Local Weather report

Below are some useful weather and tide links:

Met Office: This covers the inshore weather for all of England, for North Kent coast its generally 'The Wash to North Foreland', and for Camber sands/Gurys gap/Greatsone its 'North Foreland to Selsey Bill' 

XCWeather: A very good easy to use weather forecast, and can be animated.

Windguru: A fanstatic weather website that can have your own settings set up (once you have registered - Free)

New Romney Weather: A Very informative weather report for Greatsone/ Littlestone.

South East Tides: Good for checking the tides out locally - For:
Camber use Dungeness
Minster use Sheerness
Whitstable Use Whitstable approaches
Minnis Bay Use Margate

Windrfinder: World wide weather

Tides: by the BBC - by the Admiralty - Clickable map
National Data Buoy Centre - Readings
Cornish Web Cams
Cornish - Newquay & Perranporth spot info with forecasts
Cornish - FistralCam - has current and forecast weather
Windwatcher.net - Current conditions around the UK & surf spot info !
Weather bouys around the UK - Current Marine Conditions around the UK
Poole Harbour - speed, direction and other weather info
Chichester - speed, direction and sea state
Worthing - web cam and wind details and sea state
Sheerness - web cam and weather details
Shoreham - with last 50 minutes detail.
Hastings (Camber Sands) - with archive ...

Stunt kites: Beginners

Stunt kite flying is all about control. From freestyle to precision, all our kites are designed to follow your commands with incredible accuracy, allowing you to perform a wide variety of stunts and tricks.

Advanced designs and the latest in material technology give you the best performance for your money.

Within minutes of your first outing, nerves calmed and confidence high, you will want to try your hand at landings, take-offs, traverses, spins and loops, before attempting more advanced axels, turtles, pancakes and coin tosses!

Stunts kites are designed to master aerobatic stunts like spins, axles, tumbling, cascades, recovery and tracking. They are not built with kite traction in mind.

Ideal Flying conditions and Safety
Quite often you see newcomers to kite flying just going out and having a go when theres either far too much wind or too little, in both scenarios kite flying is fairly difficult (dependant on kite type and intended use), ideal conditions for a beginner are about a 10- 12 mph wind, with no obstacles behind the flier, ie buildings, trees, windbreaks etc. This is because it is far easier for the beginner to have a constant wind with no turbulance. Take a note of the surrounding area aswell before flying kites, look out and avoid flying if you are near or under:
Overhead cables
An Airport flight path
Free running animals
Crowds of people
In stormy conditions

How to Launch your stunt kite
When you have set up your kite and attached the lines ( making sure they are of equal length) there are a variety of ways to get the kite airbourne, the easiest is to get a helper to stand downwind of you with the lines outstretched, and hold the kite with the nose pointing straight up into the wind, and when the wind and flier (they should have their hands held closely together, so as you can see how little movement of the hands that you need to actually steer the kite) are ready, release the kite and the kite should just fly off (theres no need in trying to launch the kite skyward like a javelin!) straight upwards.
Another technique for stunt kites with spars, and for people on their own is to lay out the lines downwind and peg the handles to the ground and then attach the kite to the ends of the lines and lay it down leaning backwards at the end of the lines (this will keep the kite on the floor until the flier goes back to the lines and pulls the kite forward into the flying position when it will just lift off and fly on its own.

How to Fly your kite
Once your kite is airborne and you have mastered the art of keeping it in the wind window you will want to control its every move. To begin with, try getting your kite to remain static, like a kestrel, above your head. Pull slightly on the right if it flies to the left, and visa-versa. Once the kite is in place above your head, hold both hands and lines together as one.

Once you have mastered this you will no doubt be itching to put your stunt kite through its paces.

First, the simple loop. By pulling gently on the right line the kite will drop to the right. Keep pulling, until the kite is nose up again. Now hold both hands together. This will keep the kite straight. Do not worry at this point over twisted lines. Most stunt kites can twist five or so times before this becomes a problem. If you wish your kite to fly through a figure of eight, simply pull on the right line as before and then repeat this manoeuvre with your left line, just as the nose of the kite is pointing skyward.

By repeating this move your kite will fly a figure of eight across the wind window. Just pull the lines together at the moment the nose faces up whenever you wish to get yourself out of the loop.
To understand the simple physics of how a kite flies, imagine the kite as the sail of a boat. As the wind pushes against the kite and the lines hold it tight, the wind is forced under the object, forcing upwards. The longer the lines the more powerful the drag ratio.

The simplest way to describe steering a kite is to liken it with a bicycle. Try to stay alert but relaxed, arms slightly bent with your elbows on either side of your body. As the kite starts to pull take up the strain by leaning backwards, digging your heals in.

By pulling on the left line, the kite will move to the left. Pulling on the right line will move the kite to the right. Make your moves controlled and precise as nervous twitches and panic attacks will only lead to crash landings.

The initial move that you will need for performing tricks, is one where all you actually do is fly the kite and pull quite hard on the lines (full arm lenght) and then back again very quickly, this will have the effect of putting the kite onto its back, and then a snatch on one line will send the kite on its back in a flat spin, you are now in the world of trick flying.

A good tip, when trying a trick for the first time, is to practice high in the wind window. This allows you to gauge the result of your attempt and to try again, if necessary.

How to Land your stunt kite........presuming you have not crashed it !!
When you come to land your kite, there are a few ways to do it, but the easiest is to fly the kite low and to the edge of the wind window (to as far as the kite will fly to the left or right of you) and when its there just walk towards the kite or extend your arms and the kite will just fall down and land. This technique can be used for tricks by not actually landing the kite but getting it to sit on its wingtip and hop the kite by gently pulling and then extending your arms.

Happy Stunt kite flying, just enjoy it and try out new tricks everytime you go flying, the worst you will do is break a spar. We have all the materials to mend the kites and damge is very inexpensive to repair.

The Larks head knot : The most important knot to know for kiting

The Larks Head knot is the single most useful knot in power kiting, so why not learn it now? The great thing about the Larks Head is that it's a slip knot. The more you pull the tighter it locks so there's no chance of it coming undone in flight. But as soon as the tension is released (i.e. after landing the kite) it's relatively easy to pull loose and undo. Follow the steps below to learn how to tie this most imortant knot.

The Wind window

Where to fly in the wind window
Traditionally, sport and power kites are most efficient when they are flying at the centre of the wind window and horizontally across the sky at roughly head height or slightly above. Here they move fastest and pull hardest. Keep flying horizontally and the kite will gradually slow down and lose power as it reaches the edge of its window. Turn the kite round just before the edge and fly it back across the wind window. As you reach the centre, turn it upwards and fly the kite straight up the wind window. If the wind is strong enough, you'll notice yourself being pulled by a rush of power, followed by the same slowing down and depowering effect until the kite reaches a 'parked' position up above your head. This is known as the zenith or 'safety' position. There's almost no power in the kite up here and it's the place to try and steer the kite if you ever feel you're getting into difficulties.

Flying a large power kite near the centre of the window will generate enormous lateral pull and this is where you'll find yourself leaning right back, even lying down, to stop yourself being pulled over and dragged along on your front. In fact, you rarely see buggy pilots or kiteboarders fly their big kites near the centre of a window because the lateral pull would be too much to hold. What they do is use a different part of the window to generate the kind of power that is most useful to them.
As with wind speeds, knowing where to fly your kite in the wind window is something that is worth understanding in principle but will become much more of an intuitive thing with experience. Your skill as a flyer will be in learning how to manipulate the kite in the window to deliver the kind and quantity of pull you want.
Generally speaking, lighter wind means a smaller (narrower and lower) wind window in which the kite will be moving relatively slowly. You'll need to really work it near the edges and even at the centre to achieve real power. In a big wind you'll find that the kite flies quite differently - it has a bigger wind window, is much faster (not least because smaller kites fly faster) and has strong pull over a much bigger area of the window than it does in a lighter wind.

Powerkite Flying

Power Kiting is a workout in itself. As you improve, you will be performing the most challenging of stunts such as stunning aerobatics, scudding (skidding along the ground), jumps and body surfing

Differences between two line and four line kites
There are basically two types of kites you can use as your traction tools. You can choose between the two line Power kites and the four line kites. Which type of kite you use depends on the activities you want to get involved in.

Two Line
These kites provide plenty of power on their own and even more when stacked. They fly fast, which means that the pilot has to be aware of where the kites are in the air as well as the activity he is doing. They need to be flown at speed and in the power zone of the wind window in order to keep the power on. The two lines are used purely for steering.

Ideal Flying conditions and Safety
Quite often you see newcomers to kite flying just going out and having a go when theres either far too much wind or too little, in both scenarios kite flying is fairly difficult (dependant on kite type and intended use)and in higher winds can be very dangerous, ideal conditions for a beginner are about a 10-12 mph wind (for either a Flexifoil Pro team 8 or 3 mtr kite) bearing in mind that you use bigger kites in lighter winds and smaller kites in higher winds, with no obstacles behind the flier, ie buildings, trees, windbreaks etc. This is because it is far easier for the beginner to have a constant wind with no turbulance. Take a note of the surrounding area aswell before flying kites, look out and avoid flying if you are near or under:
Overhead cables
An Airport flight path
Free running animals
Crowds of people
In stormy conditions

1. Always check that your flying equipment is in good working order before you go out Power kite flying. This will prevent damage to your kites and other people.

2. When using either two line or four line kites, the wind needs to be strong enough to make you feel light on your feet when flying the kite(s) in the higher part of the wind window, or pull you off balance when flying in the lower part of the window. This indicates that the wind is strong enough for you to scud, jump, body surf, mountain board or buggy

3. Remember, you should always be in control of your kite. If the power generated by the kite is so great that you cannot control it, you should either put up a smaller kite or go home. Choosing the right kite for the wind conditions requires good judgement and experience counts for a lot here. If in doubt, always go for the smaller kite. The more you fly your kites, the more you will learn about the wind. Respect it!

4. When not using the power of the kite, keep it high in the sky or at the edge of the wind window.

5. Always take account of the direction and speed of the wind. The direction of the wind is very important when launching and flying your kite. For example, if you are on the beach with an off shore wind, the wind will be gusty on land but will become cleaner and stronger out to sea.

How to Launch your Power kite: 2 or 4 Line
When you have set up your kite and attached the lines ( making sure they are of equal length) there are a variety of ways to get the kite airbourne, the easiest (but only in fairly light winds - and ultra light winds for bigger kites), is to lay the kite out on its back downwind of you and put some sand or weight on the trailing edge of the kite, then go back to the Straps (normally used on powerkites to help harness the power and relieve the pull on the fingers), or for 4 line kites - Hold the top of the handles and gently pull towards you this will pull the leading edge of the kite towards you and slowly lift allowing the sand/ weight to come off and the kite to inflate - although a helper is not needed it is a good idea to have someone with you.
In higher winds the safest way to launch a power kite is to get a helper to hold the kite towards the edge of the wind window (about 75-90° to your left or right when the winds directly on the flyers back, this will enable the flyer to fly the kite up the edge of the wind window and not go through the direct power zone of the kite (the area infront of the flyer to about 30° either side and 30° upwards), and where the kite developes its highest pull. This will stop the flyer being possibly dragged off their feet, and into other people or obstacles.

How to Fly your 2 line Power Kite
Once your kite is airborne and you have mastered the art of keeping it in the wind window you will want to control its every move. To begin with, try getting your kite to remain static, like a kestrel, above your head. Pull slightly on the right if it flies to the left, and visa-versa. Once the kite is in place above your head, hold both hands and lines together as one, from here on slowly start moving the kite around, until you can keep the kite in the power zone (area described above).

How to fly your 4 line Power kite
A 4 line power kite can be flown in the same way as a 2 line (by pulling the whole handle), but they should really be flown by rotating the handle top or bottom towards the body with the arms at the same length from the body, hence if you rotate the top of the right handle towards the body and the bottom of the left handle away from the body the kite will fly to the left and visa versa.

How to Land your power kite........presuming you have not crashed it !!
When you come to land your kite, there are a few ways to do it, but the easiest is to fly the kite low and to the edge of the wind window (to as far as the kite will fly to the left or right of you) and when its there just walk towards the kite or extend your arms and the kite will just fall collapse and land.

Traction Kite Flying

Advanced Traction Activity
Once you have mastered the basic manoeuvres and you are aware of the power your kite(s) can generate, you may well be ready to try your hand at something a little more exhilirating. This section is designed for the more radical individual who not only wants to fly a Power kite, but wants to use it as a "Traction Tool" for scudding, jumping, body surfing or propelling a buggy or mountain board, if you enjoy snowboarding/skiing have ago with a kite pulling you on a flat ski area. This is a new and limitless challenge for the fit and the fearless.
What is Traction?
In Power kite terms, the definition of Traction is: to harness the power generated by a Power kite or kites and then use it to pull or propel a person or object.

The following are all examples of kiting activities where kites are used as the traction system:
Jumping
Scudding
Bodysurfing
Buing
Kitesurfing

Safety point: All traction activities are safe as long as you are aware of your own limitations and those of your equipment. It is advisable to use smaller kites for stronger winds and larger kites for lighter winds. For example do not use a large kite in a strong wind as you will be overpowered, and could cause yourself or others injury.

Jumping
Jumping can be done using either two line or four line kites. Use the power of the kite(s) to lift you off the ground both upwards and forwards. This is best done on the beach as the sand provides you with a soft landing. You can build sand launch pads on the beach to facilitate more effective and spectacular take-offs! It is possible to jump on grassy ground but a little more care must be taken when landing.
You can jump from just a few feet off the ground to 30 feet off the ground! It's entirely up to you how radical you want to be. Jumping well is an acquired skill and you need plenty of practice to get it right. The best way forward is to get an experienced jumper to explain the technique to you and show you how to do it.

Scudding
Scudding is the art of skidding along the ground on your feet. You can use either a two or four line kite for this but a four line kite will provide you with smoother and more constant power. For best results, bend your knees, lean slightly back and then bring the kite down into the Power zone until you feel yourself being pulled forward. Keep your legs and body flexible to adapt to the different rates of pull and the changing terrain.
Do not try to run, as you will probably not be able to keep up with the kite and will end up on your face! The longer you can keep the kite in the Power zone, the further you will skid. The stronger the wind, the faster you will travel.

Bodysurfing
Stand in the sea with the water around waist height with the kite flying directly above your head. Bring the kite down in to the Power zone and lean forward at the same time. Keep the kite flying in the Power zone and you will be pulled forward through the water. You may find that at times you are pulled right out of the water by the power of the kite, depending on the strength of the wind.
Depending how radical you want to be, a cross shore wind is ideal for body surfing. Do not try it in an off shore wind unless there is a rescue boat at hand!
Both Body Surfing and Scudding are excellent ways to discover kite power before you move on to activities such as kitesurfing and buggying

Buggying

Buggying is one of many alternative activities to use the power and traction generated by power kites. Instead of just resisting the pull of a power kite you can harness its traction in much the same way as a sailing boat or land yacht.

Imagine hurtling down a beach at 30 mph on a three-wheeled cart inches off the ground! It's a high speed adrenaline rush, all without the use of an engine. It is up to you how fast you go depending on the equipment you use, where you buggy, and the prevailing wind conditions.

What is a Buggy and how does it work?
Buggies are essentially a three-wheeled cart with a stainless steel/steel frame. Each wheel has a pneumatic tyre and is fitted with two fully sealed ball race bearings, essential to ensure free running in all conditions. The seat is adjustable and is suspended from the frame, and uses the power fo the kite for movement

The pilot steers the buggy with his feet by applying pressure to two metal bars which protrude from either side of the front wheel fork. The buggy is propelled along by a power kite which is steered around the sky in order to increase/decrease speed or change direction.

As you improve, you can attempt stunts such as jumps, 360 degree spins, wheelies and tilting the buggy onto two wheels. The better you get the more fun you'll have.

Buggying is a very accessible, versatile way of using and enjoying the power of the wind. It is also a portable sport as you can fit all your equipment into the boot of a car.

Where can you Buggy?
Any reasonably flat open space with a good constant wind, uninterrupted by trees or buildings or people! The best places to buggy are large beaches with hard packed sand, preferably at low tide and with an onshore breeze. Though firm grassy areas such as commons and football pitches are also suitable.

If you are particularly intrepid, you can travel to the huge plains of Africa, USA or Australia for some of the best buggying in the world.
How do I get involved right now?

Soft sand is not suitable for buggies with standard wheels as they sink, causing friction and loss of speed and manoeuvrability. The bumps from any uneven ground will give you a very uncomfortable ride, too. However, you can get big wheels fitted to your buggy that are capable of handling soft sand and make uneven terrain more bearable.

If you want more information, and you are resident in the UK, contact the British Buggy Club. They offer help and advice to anyone who has an interest in buggying, as well as hints and tips. They can recommend the best places to buggy and also give you details of buggy events. They can also arrange liability insurance for their members - this is crucial.

Please send a SAE to the following address to receive this information:

British Buggy Club
PO Box 4015
Smethwick
Warley
West Midlands B67 6HJ
United Kingdom

How to...
Learn to fly your power kite before getting into a buggy. For your first outing, position the buggy facing about 70 to 80 degrees off the downwind. With the kite hovering overhead, get into your buggy.

Steer the kite gently down in front of you until you begin to move slowly forward. Do not let the kite drop too low to begin with as the power may become too excessive to handle comfortably.

If you steer the buggy too far downwind it will accelerate well, but the lines will slacken and control will be reduced. If you steer too far into the wind, the sideways force will increase and the buggy will slow down or side-slip. Try to maintain a direction where the speed of the buggy stays constant with the kite as high as possible in the sky.

To slow down, steer the kite higher into the sky, while steering the buggy upwind at the same time. To travel back in the opposite direction, turn the buggy downwind 180 degrees.

Which is the best kite to use?
Buggying can be done with most power kites. If you already have a Power Kite you are ready to go. On hard sand or firm grassland you could reach up to 20 mph with just one or two Super 10's. If you want to increase the amount of pulling power just increase the stack.

If you want to take the sport more seriously, we would recommend that you consider a basic four line traction kite which will cater for all skill levels and wind conditions.

Even if you start your buggying career with a two line power kite, you will eventually need to buy a four line traction kite if you intend to become a keen participant in the sport.

Two-line Power kites
1. You will need someone to help you set up and fly, as these kites will not re-launch after they have hit the ground.
2. These kites are flown on longer lines than four line kites and are therefore more suitable for recreational buggying because of the relatively large amount of sky space they take up.

Four-line Traction kites
1. The extra two lines add another dimension of control to flying, making it easier to steer and position the kite.
2. These kites move more slowly around the sky, but pull more powerfully over a larger sky area. This means they are more stable in flight, leaving you more time to concentrate on steering the buggy.
3. These kites can be flown on shorter lines and are therefore ideal for racing against other buggies, tangle-free!
4. Four-liners can be re-launched by the buggy pilot without having to get out of the buggy. This is important for the purpose of racing and solo buggying.