I was thinking to do this over a lake after launching from a water ski. How safe is hang gliding for a newbie?
Your odds are good...
She was a passenger on a tandem flight, she had no control over the glider. The tandem pilot blew it with the pre flight of her harness. Very sad story.
It's not safe. Hang glider owners have about 10 times the fatality rate of motorcycle owners. The survivors usually have interesting stories about broken bones and hospital stays. To the old saying "there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but are no old bold pilots" add "there are poor lawyers and there are wealthy lawyers, but there are no wealthy hang glider instructors".