May sound like a silly question. I have started doing some downwinders but still struggle with the technique of keeping the kite powered up. I mostly fly figures of 8 and am on a broad reach both sides of the wind but even that gets the slines slack sometimes.
Do I need to loop the kite regularly? What's the best technique for going downwind?

Loop it, drift it, figure 8 it. cut back when line tension is lost, Jump to the moon. All good downwinding techniques.

Do what ever feels good an works at the time.

Hell you can even purposefully run at the kite then snap it back with a cut back if you want.

The more wind the better!

As Dave mentioned certain kites are a big benefactor, but actively flying to compensate helps, kite position in the window, board position, speed towards a static kite, best way is keep doing the dwinders it'll click

I find i try to edge less =lose power=lose speed. Keep mucking around with it and it will come- after doing this a few times i can't see me in the flatwater much more- waves makes it x10 the fun

If you know you are only going to be doing broad reaches, then flying a slightly larger kite than you would normally use helps.

As Plums said, in high wind getting your Kite to drift is easier but in lighter wind try doing a bottom turn or any maneuver that will slow your kite down so your Kite has time to catch up.
Wind speed/direction & also wave direction all play a part, most times on the east coast I find you have to chase your Kite.
As mentioned above, type of Kite has a huge impact on enjoyment.

Yep, I found it nearly impossible also. Imagine direct down wind as a down slope of ski run. You'd only ever attach the downhill at 45 degrees. The analogy doesn't 100% work, but it is close enough.

If you find you're out running your kite (lines go slack) edge away from the kite get taught lines, and try again.

Directional boards are easier than twinny's in my opinion... but start off what you're used to and go from there.

Another thing to note is if you're travelling in the same direction as the kite, the relative wind speed is lower... so if its a 20knot day, and you're doing 5konts down wind... you've got a relative wind speed of 15 knots. You'd probably choose a bigger kite for a 15 knot day than a 20knot day.

toppleover said..
As Plums said, in high wind getting your Kite to drift is easier but in lighter wind try doing a bottom turn or any maneuver that will slow your kite down so your Kite has time to catch up.
Wind speed/direction & also wave direction all play a part, most times on the east coast I find you have to chase your Kite.
As mentioned above, type of Kite has a huge impact on enjoyment.

I totally stuffed this up

I was as meant to say......any maneuver that will slow your board down so that your kite has time to catch up.

Kajo said..
Ok good points here all round. I intuitively did it reasonably correct then out of the gate. Just wanted to make sure that it's normal to not go straight downwind but rather go frontside to backside basically at a broad reach to the wind while diving and looping the kite.

You could go straight downwind and loop, but it is much more fun to slalom.