I tried to join a group in a down winder today but after months of concentrating on going upwind it is not obvious how to go downwind!
I managed about 5km downwind over an hour but really that's just going upwind badly! Is there a secret? Should I have my kite higher in the window than when I'm trying to go upwind?
I seemed to be 'OK' at going downwind on the port gybe but hopeless on starboard. To the point that I got off and body dragged on starboard to get back closer to the beach again.
Push down on your toes to flatten the board and stand with your weight over the board instead of leaning back. Pull the bar further in to compensate and move the kite up and down
Its probably easier to start downwind in moderate winds - something that you can downloop safely or have the kite directly downwind. too light winds you will overtake the kite and it will fall out of the sky, too strong and you wont be confident of having the kite directly downwind.
Remember you can afford to fly with a kite 2 maybe 3 sizes smaller than you would for normal kiting when holding your ground.
To get downwind fast you need to have the kite at a medium height and deep in the power zone weaving back and forth across the power zone. once you get confident you can be looping the kite in the power zone.
start out with a normal water start, diving the kite hard through the power zone while pointing your board downwind and rather than starting to edge just continue downwind. keep the kite deep in the power zone by signing the kite and heading almost straight towards it.
good info and important when you are trying to stay with a pack of kiters. But the idea of a downwinder is that's it's a great chance to practice tricks, jumps, riding waves and have absolutely no worries of having to make any ground back. Maybe start with a small downwinder and have a car parked at the finish spot. Then there is no rush trying to keep up.
^^^^^ A down winder doesn't mean you aim to ride 'downwind" !! As said above the fun of a downwinder is to have fun and not have to worry about trying to hold ground or even go upwind - bliss when a good surf is running !! I heard a funny story about a group of guys that learnt to kite doing downwinders - fun I hear you say but when they needed to hold their ground apparently they hadn't learnt to go up wind !! KiwiDave - if you want to go down wind a bit more front foot pressure and kite as normal - aim the board downwind !! And Smile big time - its such a blast !!!
We have an 8km NE downwinder which we kite anytime the wind is over 10 knots. The wind is cross/on to start with and on-shore at the end.
We spend our time zig zagging out and then in on the waves. My GPS tells me we cover about 25k's on average in about 90 minutes. We often lose ground or go downwind when catch the waves a take left.
But we do not generally head directly downwind (too much work diving kite constantly). We just avoid deliberately trying to stay upwind. The wind and waves do the rest of the work.
Lambie said.. ^^^^^ A down winder doesn't mean you aim to ride 'downwind" !! As said above the fun of a downwinder is to have fun and not have to worry about trying to hold ground or even go upwind - bliss when a good surf is running !! I heard a funny story about a group of guys that learnt to kite doing downwinders - fun I hear you say but when they needed to hold their ground apparently they hadn't learnt to go up wind !! KiwiDave - if you want to go down wind a bit more front foot pressure and kite as normal - aim the board downwind !! And Smile big time - its such a blast !!!
