There's lots of factors that contribute to sinking in after getting up, edging too far upwind before you get your speed up and sheeting in too much when swing your kite back up after that initial dive, were the two things that were the cause for me early on.

Particulary in light winds I find its best to sheet out a little when turning my kite back up and it will not 'choke' and fly better. Also in light winds it's unlikely to be able to just leave the kite at 2 until you've built up enough speed.

Hope this helps, stick at it.

marno said..
Long story short you can't just park the kite and expect it to pull you along, unless in strong wing or with a big kite. You need to fly it up and down a little, sheeting in and out at times. Sometimes the smallest move of the kite up and down is enough to power it back up. I reckon the most common problem with learner a is they think you can just park the kite at 11 o'clock and all will be sweet, in reality it doesn't quite work that way and you often really have to keep some movement in the kite. Next time you are out and do a water start, fly the kite up and down just between 10 and 11 o'clock until you are really going, then you can park it, if you feel you are losing power in the kite you need to fly it up and down a little bit straight away, or sheet out a bit and then in, don't wait until you are tea bagging! I'm sure others can explain all that better than I though, so over to you guys .....

This is exactly how my brother explained it to me when i was having a similar issue trying to learn to edge.
he sort of said the first pump gets you on the board, the second will get you moving and if needed the third will get you speed. He also told me to dive it more aggressively but that might have been a more personal issue. then once you're off you just trim it like described above with either small cycles or gentle "pumps" on the bar

Phil27 said..
Cool, thanks for the tips..
Does sheeting in not always give more power? When I start to loose power I have been sheeting in, thinking it gives me some more go..I shall try moving it between 1-2 next time and perhaps releasing the bar a bit when I get up - it's gotta come together soon.

I mentioned the size board in the OP, how does that sound for a 87kg learner?

There's a point where you are choking the kite Phil, and sheeting out let's it breathe or get more air in and filling the canopy to give lift.

try to sheet in on your down swing, and sheet out on your up swing generally. Once you get used to it, you'llfeel the times where you can stay sheetedin on up swings more. There are occasions (over powered) where you barely, or won't at all need to sheet in too, but the above is the rule of thumb i have found. Have a play around, you'll find there's a bit of a rhythm to it

You haven't mentioned what side you're trying to water start on Phil.

Like are you starting to go left or right? Or more importantly, are you trying to start in your "natural" stance or "goofy"?

To find out what is your most natural side (easier water starts), lie down on a floor, quickly get up onto your feet without stepping up (so using your arms to jump up onto your feet) and notice the stance you land on.

If your left foot is forward you are a natural and hence water starting LEFT is going to be easier for you. Going RIGHT being a natural footer is much harder to learn without having at least learning to water start and going some considerable distance.

Once you get going and feel confident going LEFT, then try and direct the kite over to the other side and see if you can go RIGHT. You won't at first but if you consciously lock your back foot and keep your front foot forward, you'll eventually get it. It's about training your leg's muscle memory to remember what to do.

Went back out on the river today, winds still a bit sketchy but all good practice. I managed a couple of runs around 50m or so before face planting but man its an awesome feeling! So different to windsurfing with the all around view..

I see what you all mean about trimming the power when needed, especially today when the wind was lacking at times and sheeting out filled the kite up again. Keeping it in the power zone is what I find tough but that's normal for beginners I guess, I wouldnt mind a few more lessons (only had 1 hour so far) but they aren't cheap. Feel I can get there soon enough but it would be good to have somebody saying do this or that at the wrong time.

I ride natural by the way, although windsurfing involves going both ways (lol), going goofy is a little uncomfortable and the walk of shame is a pain I the ass! this weekend is looking good, hoping to score a few hours (probably on the river) and hopefully half of the time stood up.

thanks again for the tips, really helpful today.

Phil,
I just had the same problem and had started a thread about it, perhaps you saw it:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Newbies-Tips-Tricks/After-power-stroke-its-not-moving/

Your problems will be solved if you go out in slightly stronger wind. Also going downwind a bit further before starting to edge helped me to pick up some speed.
The kite needs a lot less power to pull you once you don't accelerate anymore but just keep the same speed.
It's the same with a car, accelerating it requires much more fuel (i.e. power) than keeping it at an even speed.

Finally, as already been pointed out, newbies (myself included) make the mistake of sheeting in thinking it gives more power permanently. It only does so temporarily and then stalls the kite if not sheeted out again. So for the power stroke sheet in, then as you bring the kite back up, sheet out. If you need another power stroke fly another sine from the top and sheet in, then sheet out again as you fly the kite back up.

Hope this helps, as I say I just learned this myself so we're probably on a similar level...

weebitbreezy said..

Kajo said..
Phil,
I just had the same problem and had started a thread about it, perhaps you saw it:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Newbies-Tips-Tricks/After-power-stroke-its-not-moving/

Your problems will be solved if you go out in slightly stronger wind. Also going downwind a bit further before starting to edge helped me to pick up some speed.
The kite needs a lot less power to pull you once you don't accelerate anymore but just keep the same speed.
It's the same with a car, accelerating it requires much more fuel (i.e. power) than keeping it at an even speed.

Finally, as already been pointed out, newbies (myself included) make the mistake of sheeting in thinking it gives more power permanently. It only does so temporarily and then stalls the kite if not sheeted out again. So for the power stroke sheet in, then as you bring the kite back up, sheet out. If you need another power stroke fly another sine from the top and sheet in, then sheet out again as you fly the kite back up.

Hope this helps, as I say I just learned this myself so we're probably on a similar level...

Well said.

The control bar isn't about power but about trim. For the OP, if you are coming from windsurfing then think of it a bit more in terms of the sail. Just pulling the boom towards you won't generate more power. Its a case of using generating power in the sail (pumping the sail = kite power strokes) until you have built up enough speed for the apparent wind to keep pulling you along.

The other reason for sine-ing the kite is to control where the kite is in the wind window. When you first get going, you won't have enough board speed to keep the kite in the power zone. Flying the kite in a sine wave effectively brings the kite back into the centre of the wind window.
Conversely when you are well powered up you want to sheet out on the trim to allow the kite to fly faster than you so it moves to the edge of the wind window (I'm using 'want to' in the loosest sense here as being an ex windsurfer myself, my natural instinct is to try and hold down as much power as possible to go faster and faster until my legs are burning from trying to keep the board in the water)

Good luck

Just a question..

What is the reason when fully powered up that you would want the kite to fly faster than you towards the edge of the wind window?

Well, I have been out everyday this week almost the same last week, I think the flukey winds have definitely not helped. Today was fairly windy and I had no issue getting ip and staying moving, sometimes I was overpowered with the board going mental on chop, shooting downwind and waiting for the inevitable face plant! Hurts too, saw stars one time I went head first..
Still very poor technique wise but I am definitely getting there, feel confident enough to hit the ocean now where winds will be more consistent. I have found sheeting out at the right time a massive help, one way I found to practice kite control is position board under my body slighty and hold out straight using it to get upwind (quite well too). You can then practice sheeting in and out while diving kite and still move a fair speed in the water, faster than body dragging anyways...only did this as I find it awkward going back to shore stood up - bring natural footed.

Anybody heard of kiters wrapping around the tall tree on the river where the kite schools set up? Bit sketchy with learners around I reckon, somebody smashed their kite onto main road today, learning = danger!