hey any tips for body draging up wind when over powered ?????? keep geting lifted bacck down wind when bring kite from one side to the other to change tacks.... i know 1st answer dont be over powered,but sometimes its not intended ,wind picks up and then have to deal with it......

Tezza

Two ways to depower the kite, one is by pulling down the strap on the leading lines (pulls the leading edge of the kite down), the other is to let the bar out as far as you can (which lets the trailing edge move up !)

(think of it as an areoplane wing (which it is) ... at take off the leading edge goes up, the trailing edge goes down, and reverse when diving ..i.e it is creating lift .. except you will rely on the breeze to create windspeed over the foil, instead of engine power ...)

Note that wings work just as effectively when horizontal (aeroplanes) or vertical (boat sails). In our sport we have the luxury of both.

So. Effective depowering, is to do both of these things. Letting the bar go, or pushing it away, is the most effective "instant" fix. Sheeting (pullling in)the leading edge is "trimming" .. i.e. setting up to suit conditions on the beach before you get going, though most brands have the ability to do this on the water (hard to do under load).

... and notice what happens automatically when you push the bar away ? ... the kite will fly to the front of the window ... this is where the least amount of lift and drag is being created, because you my friend, being tied to the kite are acting as a bloody big counter weight and the whole contraption is pivoting about you.

The most common mistake I see newbies make, is when a gust comes they squeeze that bar and pull it towards their body for all they are worth.

The juggular bulges, eyes pop, breathing stops, their feet leave the ground. Hey ! they are flying ! .... well go figure, they have just powered up to the max and are on their way to a good 'ol fashioned "tea bagging" !

To much power ? LET THE BAR GO or even better, push it away and let kite fly ..yes, it's doing the flying, all you are doing is determining where in the sky its going to stop .. be it over your head, or the wing tip kissing the water ... perfectly controlled.

so, if you are getting lifted, depower the kite (bar out, let it fly to the front of the window), and keep the kite very low.... and it helps if your harness is nice and low, not up round your chin ! .... tip for newbies, start with a "seat" harness.

now keeping the kite low is not going to help you turn, and cbulota is dead right, to turn you have to fly the kite right over your head (all the time at the front of the window) and down low on the opposite side again .. if you panic and turn too fast, likely the kite will fly horizontally right through the power zone, its very favourite place to be ... it will create lift and speed for you as the laws of nature intended .. and damn, spectators will witness you getting a tea bagging a second time.

tezza 02, thanks for asking for help, but please seek professional kite instruction.

happy, and safe kiting !

Do Longer tacks, there is essentially no need to do more than two tacks to get back to your board.

I'd also suggest slowing down the movement when you're bringing the kite from, say, 1 - 11.. the faster/jerkyier the movement of the kite, the more likely you are to pull your body out of the water and lose ground.. if you roll over slowly, already with the other arm out ready to go upwind, you wont loose as much..
Good luck.
TKC

arwilson said...are on their way to a good 'ol fashioned "tea bagging" !

LMAO. First time for everything I read on this forum. My mind boggled with that scary thought of being slapped on the sand. Not good.