Not often an area i'd image people ask for tips for... but here goes.

The last few sessions have been the first times with my new gear. Being blessed with some nice wind, I have only taken out the 8m and my poor 11m has had to sit unused in its bag.

I have been body-dragging out past the surf in order to practice water starts, and have been getting blown very very far downwind (I'm not very good).

When it's time to do the walk of shame back to the start point, I am finding it incredibly hard to walk with the kite. In my lessons I was using a BWS Noise and it was very easy to walk and control the kite with one hand. I could park it low in the window and just walk forwards normally.
But with my smaller 8m Catalyst it just won't let me budge. I have tried fully depowering, walking bar-out, kite at 11/1, kite at 12, kite low in the window edge (which seemed to be the best so far...) walking backwards and forwards. The wind didn't feel at all too much for the kite size, if anything it was probably on the low end for the kite size.

My quick fix has been to just go further downwind (big beach), jump out, wrap up the lines, and carry the kite back to the start point. But I don't want to do this because I feel like I am missing out on a crucial learning experience in kite control.

Any tips?

jay78c said...
Sounds like its wind direction rather than the kite. The more onshore the wind the harder you'll find it to walk back up the beach... You're doing the right thing wrapping up and walking if its a struggle

you meant to say the more cross-shore right?

If the wind is very crossshore and you have to walk back up the beach straight into it try just zig zagging your way back,kite low on one side ,board under arm,control bar in one hand and walk at angle to wind and then when you run out of beach swap sides and work back towards the water.It might take a bit longer but you get to rest one side of your body each time.

If the breeze is slightly onshore, it is much easier carrying the kite over the beach, if you have the room. Before anyone says duh... I struggled for quite a while with the kite on the seaward side just because it felt safer.

Bike pants.

Check your line lengths. Your center lines might be stretched and even though you have the kite depowered, it's actually still quite powered up.

Hey Mate, rather than perfecting the walk of shame, look more into why youre not going upwind or staying upwind.

Look at your foot straps, they should be ducked out - normally set them at around half way of the full travel of the straps and go from there.

Maybe you need to kite in more wind or need a bigger kite. When you depower most kites they will go upwind a bit better.

There's actually allot of variables that could be holding you back, I would go to your local spot on a good day and just ask the guys who are coming in from a session to watch you and help ya...

The guys Ive seen on the bws kites look like they are going upwind really well.

stuffed that up, right topic...new avatar pic but, mickey mouse surfing.

And I'm having a conversation with myself, how are ya then...yep good thanks for asking..

he's backdooring that lip...mouse tatics..

my mates and me all found putting the pads as wide as they could go and putting 45mm fins on WAY increased our upwind at the noob time. I got used to it and kept em there! a few of the boys have moved em in again, zippier but still more control at the wide settings i reckon