Just getting started in the sport, got some lessons booked for next weekend in Squamish, and looking into getting some first gear.

Before my lessons, I want to practice with a trainer kite, but I haven't had any luck finding a used one at a good price.

Just wondering if any of you in Victoria have an unused trainer kite that you wouldn't mind lending me for a couple of weeks? I can leave a deposit and sweeten the deal with a case of beer. Or let me know if you have an old one you are interested in selling.

Looking forward to meeting some of you on the water once I complete my lessons and start kiteboarding.

I'm new to the sport as well. The best thing you can do is just buy a trainer kite from the local OR store... supporting the local guys is a good first step.
Your first few hours of lessons will be on a trainer anyways. If you can show competent skills then you might get into the water, but not likely if you can't handle a trainer.
Besides you can let your friends try out the trainer once you're fulley confident.

I have a 2 line 3 m trainer you could borrow. It is a handful in more than about 12 knots because it has no depower. You can learn launching steering and control and have a healthy respect for the additional power a moving kite makes. You might be better to get a 4 line for the most accurate feel though.

May I suggest taking the money for the trainer kite and take an Extra days lessons for the price of a trainer kite, you will be over the trainer kite in about 20 minutes and on the larger kites.
In About 5 hours of Quality Instruction on the water you should be riding.
Over two days taking Private lessons with Strongkiteboarding
you will feel really comfortable and safe.
Have Fun.

Yeh Baby !!! That's the ticket

I know the schools just do the basics on a trainer, get you on a big kite quick, to get you riding in 3 days.

The OR 2m trainer acts just like a scaled down full size kite. I think it is a useful to get fully acquainted with kite behaviour and the safety systems in a safe way. 10-20 hours of land time in low wind just trying to keep the kite in the air, and up to fully powered, learning what it will do and how to react to it, when there are no consequences. Practice crashing it on purpose, dumping it with the releases, self-rescue, so you'll have a sense what happens before it matters. Practice water relaunches, figure 8s without looking (hard with zippy 2m), tie your shoes while keeping it stable, up to kite loops. Can even body drag behind it, though only downwind with maximum power.

It is ideal to use full size bar and lines, not the little one that comes with it, so you are used to the bar before flying for real.

And sorry, mine is already called for. :-) But you can buy one new for $370
http://oceanrodeo.com/products/rise_2m_sle_trainer
then resell it for $200-250 when done. I bought mine from amazon.com for around $320, so there are sales now and then.

Or if you're patient, wait for a used one, they come up pretty regularly at end of summer. Finally, give OR a call....maybe they have a "demo" model they'd loan you, who knows.

Good luck out there!

Thanks everyone for the tips, and big thanks to more force 4 for lending me his trainer kite!

2 line trainer is a fun starting point, get used to the wind window and the kite's power. But it doesn't really approximate how a 4-line kite flies. It is a strange mix of finding the sweet spot ... and in showing a bunch of people, I can't find a way to explain it ... seems you can only learn it by doing.

[pulling in bar to full power will make kite fall out of the sky, you have to let bar out to make it rise, but then once up pull the bar in to power it up...its counter-intuitive. Best analogy I can come up with ... like trying to start a car in 4th gear, if you gun it, it stalls, have to be very gentle with the accelerator to get it going]

Anyways, a tip ... if you're doing lessons locally, call the school and ask them if they have a trainer you can borrow BEFORE your lesson. They just might have a spare that they can loan you, and they probably would be happy to, if it makes teaching you easier.

Or call Ocean Rodeo and explain it would be in their best interests to loan you a demo 2m rise kite now, to showcase how great the Rise is so that you'll be convinced to buy one later.