Hi all,

Just wondering if can give me some advice. I'm having a little trouble getting my kite in the air. It's a 2006 slingshot fuel 13m with five lines. I have enough wind and I am launching it on the edge of the wind window, just unsure whether you have to have the trim line or oneline adjusted to a specific position for launch. All the kite wants to do is flip over or roll up the beach. I'm sure I have everything else correct, would appreciate some help...cheers

I have actually had lessons but it was a little while ago and there was alot to take in. I have been watching kitesurfing dvd's, just need an answer to my question

Hey mopsy
try launching the kite a little further down wind so when your launcher lets go it moves forward then up.


Also dont be overly keen to turn the kite straight away. This puts the kite on its back facing straight up on the edge of the wind window and will cause the kite to stall like you described.
Leave about 5 degrees of angle on your kite after first launch. The kite will either climb at this angle or drop back to a further down wind position where it will then climb.

Ask someone on the beach for advice people are usually more friendly if you ask than if you cause mayhem on there beach trying to work it out
Good luck!

hi mopsy,

it sound slike there is something realy wrong with your bar and line set up. rather than risk getting bad info over then net and killing other people on the beach go back to your instructor or the person that you got the kite from and ask them or drop it past SOS in freo and we can have a look at it for you. but dont try flying it untill you get it sorted out. and maybe if your kite is rolling around on the beach you should think about getting of the beach and in the water.

They'll soon be mopping up mopsy if he has to ask these type of Q's here~!

good call mopsy...

that ought to shut em up.




Ho ho ho

quote:

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[i]Originally posted by mopsy128
All the kite wants to do is flip over or roll up the beach.

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Your rear lines are probably too tight.
Slacken the strings a bit.
Tuning is generally achieved thru educated guessing.
Play around with knots and lines for awhile.

extreme? this sport is now mostly old men with bows!

Hey Mopsy I'll see if I can help you out.
You have a great kite and the only reason you will have problems launching is the line setup is wrong or the kite is a lemon. The latter is probably not the case! so lets start with the kite bar and lines.
We need to check they are the same length.
To do this attach all the pigtails onto something like a nail in a piece of wood or a hook on an outside wall or something as such.
Unwind the lines as you would if setting up your kite. Now let out your power adjuster strap to full power and attach the bar to the hook in on your harness " have the harness on at this stage" then walk backwards till the lines are taught and let go of the bar. They should all look tight with no slack in them and the bar should be square and even in front of you. If you have any slack in the lines then you will need to adjust them to suit so all are looking the same when tight. This will take care of the bar and lines setup.
On launching and I assume you know how to self launch?? as you are on your own! make sure you have the depower pulled in to about three quarters this way you have room to sheet out if the kite starts to trail backwards and it will then start to refly ok. If you try to fly the kite in winds lower than the given wind range for the kite it will tend to fly backwards when you pull in the bar too much, in this case adjust the power strap for more power.
If you still have problems after all this then the wind is not strong enough for the kite.
If you launch in reasonable winds 15knts + or so launch should be no problem depending on the size of your kite of course.
That's about it mate. Not much to it really!
Hope you manage to sort it out OK and please be carefull when kiting alone and know your limits with the kite and given winds.
Wouldn't want you to become a statistic.
Good luck matey!

5th line doesn't have to be the same length in many cases-just to add to time to hangs comment

mopseeya

i wouldn't recommend 5th pulling to anyone who cant go upwind cus there are some probs with that like it giving a massive jolt when it kiks in, you lose steering especially with a long dp range on the bar also makes it more prone to an invert although once you can fly the kite fine you should be able to work it out no probs