Guys, beginners.. this is a good skill to learn in light winds. It's so easy!

It's not an "expert only" technique really. Just practice in light winds and build confidence, anyone can do it.

No more dragging the tip of the kite to launch at the edge of the wind-window! Just launch!

its standard for every powerkite flyer.
its just not very often you get the slei into this position to even use it tho.
most beginners dont seem to understand we are just dealing with a rectangle of cloth and 4 strings tho, maybe one for the intermediate kite surfers and not total beginers ?

Reverse-launch is a great skill to have but will only be useful/necessary and safe to do in VERY low winds, meaning BELOW 10 knots.

So beginners wouldn't and shouldn't be using this skills, since they are more than likely not kiting in such low winds.

I use this method often on the snow, for landkiting as well and every time I hydrofoil in sub 10 knots winds.

So yeah, not an expert skill, but not a beginner one either and you wouldn't want to do this in winds over 12 knots with a large kite...

Christian

As I beginner I went out in too light wind often. Then it sometimes dropped further. I often reverse launched a 12m kite in around 10-12 knots. Seemed easy to me.

Kozzie said..
its standard for every powerkite flyer.
its just not very often you get the slei into this position to even use it tho.
most beginners dont seem to understand we are just dealing with a rectangle of cloth and 4 strings tho, maybe one for the intermediate kite surfers and not total beginers ?

Exactly! Well said

cbulota said..
Reverse-launch is a great skill to have but will only be useful/necessary and safe to do in VERY low winds, meaning BELOW 10 knots.

So beginners wouldn't and shouldn't be using this skills, since they are more than likely not kiting in such low winds.

I use this method often on the snow, for landkiting as well and every time I hydrofoil in sub 10 knots winds.

So yeah, not an expert skill, but not a beginner one either and you wouldn't want to do this in winds over 12 knots with a large kite...

Christian

Oh really?! Under 10 knots. What kites do you teach your students in - Flysurfer 21m kites!?

Probably worth pointing out that it doesn't work on all kites though. So probably best to try it in shallow water first so you have the normal relaunch if it doesn't work.

What's the deal with you using two logins to back yourself up on your own thread?

Gorgo said..

Livit said..
Definitely not something for a beginner.... What sort of advice is that?

I would say that reverse launching is an absolutely essential beginner skill. Not because you need to reverse launch, or because you have to do it all the time. But because you need to have put in the time at a safe place in safe conditions to learn to fly the kite before you're going to get any good at kiting.

It's all part of learning basic problem solving skills. If you have learned enough to understand reverse launching then you understand how the kite flies and the effect of the various line inputs. Add it to self launching and landing and relaunching from any position in the window from any kit position, getting the kite back from the edge of the window in light winds and flying the kite without looking at it as things to master in practice.

It's fun to try reverse launch in light winds. Often if you can't self launch due to light wind, reverse launch will get the kite up. I say newbies give it a go! But only on a deserted beach

This does not make much sense to me for kites surfing on water (perhaps it does for snow kiting). These are my thoughts (before I even tried it):

If you have enough power in your kite to be kite surfing on the water, trying this on land will take you off your feet and drag you along (hopefully onto soft sand, not onto road, rocks, trees, or bushes). Kite in this position has the most power (this is why we launch at the edge of the window where it has next to no power). Perhaps one can try it in the water (being dragged on water does not hurt).

I think this technique may be useful in the following circumstances:

When you are using some super-low wind board that hardly any kite pull is enough to get you kite surfing

When you are in the water and the wind dropped so much that you are not able to launch the kite normally – trying to get back to shore. However, as someone pointed out, this may not work on the water if you have some water in your kite behind the leading edge. If you are on land and there is not enough wind for normal launch, it is time to pump a bigger kite or pack and go home if you don’t have one. What is the point of reverse launching a kite that is too small for the wind conditions? If you are able to do this on land and not get hurt, there is probably not enough power in your kite to water start.

Snow kiting? Maybe if you go downhill and kite only assists, you can still have fun with hardly any power in your kite…

For a beginner that practices kite flying skills on land using too small for the wind conditions kite. Not sure if this is a good idea either, why reinforce a dangerous habit that only works with an undersized kite?

This would be my advice (If this happens in real life on land with the right size kite for the wind conditions):

One should quickly grab the centre lines, walk up a couple of meters towards the kite (keeping both center lines tight at all times), then holding only one center line (tight at all times) walk another 5 meters towards the kite. Then unhook the bar and safety leash, and get to the kite holding only one center (again, keeping it tight at all times as you get closer to the kite) .

When you get to the kite, grab it by the leading edge and ask someone to help with proper edge of window launch or get ready for proper edge of window self-launch. If things get out of control before you hold your kite by one line, release the chicken loop safety immediately (you will be attached to your kite by one centerc line (this is the safety system on most modern kites, or by two centre lines for few older kites). There will not be enough power left in the kite to be dragged once you release the chicken loop safety.

I saw some1 demonstrating this technique on old Cab crossbows (around 2008) in the field. Guy in this video did it with 1 "pump", but "pumping" it till it gets in the air, sometimes more than 10 times, keeping it floaty barely over the ground + going backwards worked for this guy. Kite couldn't stand by itself without moving it so it was probably extremely light.
Was a bigger kite, 10m+ and dude was wearing a jacket so it was colder more dense wind probably.

Swavek said..
This does not make much sense to me for kites surfing on water (perhaps it does for snow kiting). These are my thoughts (before I even tried it):

...

I think this technique may be useful in the following circumstances:

When you are in the water and the wind dropped so much that you are not able to launch the kite normally – trying to get back to shore. However, as someone pointed out, this may not work on the water if you have some water in your kite behind the leading edge. If you are on land and there is not enough wind for normal launch, it is time to pump a bigger kite or pack and go home if you don’t have one. What is the point of reverse launching a kite that is too small for the wind conditions? ...

Yeah. Well yes and no.

Yes in that the reverse launch is good when the kite falls out of the sky directly down-wind of you. Whilst in deep water, just pull both steering lines and pump the kite until it launches and quickly release one of the lines to get the kite powered the right way up! That's the ideal scenario... BUT

NO, when the winds are too light. There is very little you can do but a self rescue and use what wind you can muster by sailing back to shore.

The main question that needs to be answered; why is the dude in the video wearing board shorts over his wetsuit?

Its a hang-over from seat harnesses. Wear board shorts so that when the straps rub they don't wear the neoprene so much. Not a problem with waist harnesses. No idea why he is bothering though.