NSW
2 posts
Hi all, this is my query. Last time i as out body dragging i felt quite a bit more powered up travelling to the right then to the left and i cant work out why.
Iv'e been searching everywhere to find answers while i'm recovering from a knee surgery and cant get out to keep practicing just yet and cant find any answers.
Im only real new to the sport and have a brand new 11m Rebel as my first kite. I am 77kg. Of the 2 times i have been able to get it out both have been in very light wind. I was able to keep it flying and body drag up and down wind.
the Last time was at Salts Bay, Swansea nsw. I was moving along body dragging up wind fine but there wasn't enough wind for me to practise water starts.
While travelling with right hand forward, left hand steering i was moving alot quicker and had more power available to me. I tried to be as uniform on both sides as i could (not real sure if i was though) with, kite speed while sining, position in the window, sheeting position, body position.
I wonder if this is normal for real light wind flying (if i stopped moving the kite it would start to fall at times) or if i am missing something simple?
WA
1615 posts
You may be trying to point your body and hand too far upwind when you body drag on the left side. If not then the only possible explanation is to do with the direction of the current. It can have a huge influence especially in low winds. On one side you body drag or ride your board you are going slightly more against the current (very easy to go upwind) and the other side you are going slightly down with the current (much harder to go upwind) which explains the lack of power.
The only way to do good upwind either on your board or body dragging is to move faster than the speed of the current, which is very difficult in low winds especially if one side is going more down with the current.
I remember kiting in a river mouth which had super fast flowing current and the wind was blowing perpendicular to the current at no more than 10 knots (kite was barely flying) on the tack directly against the current I was blasting upwind at speed, but I couldn't even water start on the other side!! since the current was going so fast in the same direction I was directing my kite. Blew my mind
Next time you get out pay close attention to the direction of the current vs the wind direction, it should start to make sense... But don't worry it took me a couple of years to really understand and read the current direction and how it affects performance.
Christian
NSW
2 posts
Ok awesome, that is something i had thought about just not at the time.
The spot where i was is a fairly shallow flat water siding within the inlet to Lake Macquarie. I don't remember feeling like there was a noticeable current but i was probably too focused on trying to keep the kite moving. Actually it would probably be much like the river mouth you mention at peak flow times. The tidal currents in the channel where i was get real strong from what i have seen. I'd say your onto something there.
I'll definitely be paying attention to the currents next time. Thanks for the advise.
