Ahoy there. I know u got warm days down there but here i am freezing my ass off! Freakin' winter. Just wanted to share it with u before i ask anything :P

70 kg (155 lbs), 175 cm, Skyrider 141-41 (some old board i got cheap and in good condition)

So! I am beginner who can stand on board and change directions, upwind goes ok in my opinion. Probably need to work some more hours. Winds here are 7-8 to 17-18 and 15-16 to 25+ (knots) and ALWAYS (!) gusty. I got 12m Cab Switchblade and it suits me fine for this stage. Since i have only 1 kite and go only on winds about 12-13 knots which sometimes can be little scary because of gusts, can anyone tell me how much does it actually help to put line extensions or simply longer lines? If i understood correctly, further the lines, u get jellyfish and little more room for wind. If this is true, which lines go longer? Front, back, all?

Don't get me wrong, i am planning to get 8 or 9 meters but after i get some basic skills to perfection because i don't want to trash new 8 or 9 meter kite. Got my hands on North Fuse on the land and i liked it very much. I wished water was closer.

Bonus off topic question:
I never wore neoprene suit or any kind of "water" suit because i go mostly diving during summer, warm water. Well now is colder with good winds and i want to go kiting so much! I got off ebay some cheap snorkeling suit. (i really don't know what "snorkeling" means, it said it was good for watercrafts, kiting etc...)


2 questions:
(2nd is not for ladies ;D)

1. Do u wear anything under it?

2. How the hell u hide your wingwang from showing up as a bump on the suit? It maybe funny for u, but it really makes me uncomfortable :\ (i expect penis size jokes so don't think u are Einstein for mocking :o) )


Greetings from Croatia!

Will do. Thx for advice. Anyone usefull? :)

Affff so simple... Thx! Got no kiters around so i have to ask everything here o.OSo, longer lines good idea for little more windrange?

Kamikuza said..
Longer lines give you more power, but they'll slow the kite down some... You get a longer power stroke, so you have a bigger wind window effectively, and the kite will reach a higher speed at the end of the stroke. You also get a little more wind higher up, or a little cleaner. 3m extensions are the place to start.

I use my 2011 13m Crossbow up to 25 knots, prefer it around 20. I like a lot of power though.

If your day has averages over 15, get a smaller board or take it easy. Be careful, keep even further away from obstacles downwind, and you'll probably find it's not as bad as you think it is.

Thx alot, cleared 99% of my questions. There will be 2009 8m and 2010 9m (SB) for sale around Easter (good value and good condition my friend says, he is snowkiter) so i want to "predict" will 8 or 9 be better for me since i am mr. 2 legged feather. I go on a budget till i get some confident skills.

God damn gusts are problem, almost never is stable wind here so every 5th gust gets me almost faceplant. Wind is 10-11 to 21-22 knots gusting sometimes to 35-40! That's why 12m can be a bigtime problem sometimes.

Thx again, if u come across Croatia and need some pointers, be sure to contact me. We have 3-4 great spots 2h cardrive in between and loads of islands.

Cheers!

RPM said..
As a euro make sure that you put board shorts over your wetsuit.

Yeah, i really didn't notice shorts over terabytes of videos i have looked at... Jesus!