Rolls said..

I'm fairly new.

When cruising at full tilt i keep getting tons of water spray up into my face - its frigging blinding (don't laugh).

My rear heel tends to catch the swell. Same problem with my new board.

My questions for those in the know:

Do my feet need to be further into the binding? They are already in the middle - 50/50.
OR
Is the board on too much of an angle and i should try to keep it "flatter". Or perhaps the other way around.

You'd think i would be able to figure it out but i've had no success!

TIA

hehe.. this is common for most beginners. And it could come down to the wrong board for you, including the bindings. There is huge difference between brands/makes of boards and the bindings as well. Some bindings are so rough you might as well just tied rope around your feet. Others are as comfy as a pillow.

Never the less, posture is very important and comes down to practice. No one can really teach it. What I found to be good is to make sure your harness is on tight (tighter than you think - suck that tummy in!) as the pull of the kite on the harness "stretches" it somewhat anyway and you'll be more comfortable. You don't want it slipping up your torso.

Another thing is to simply lean back. Don't be afraid to lean back and don't pull on the bar too much when the kite is parked and you're on your way.

Just remember - dick up in the air - shoulders back.

I haven't had your problem but I have heard of moving the binding around from the position they are in. further apart, closer together, trial and error might be the solution.

Good luck.

Hard to tell without seeing a video...

Bend your knees appropriately, use your legs as shock absorbers and stay light on your feet, especially your front foot - a rigid front leg will often cause spray.

Ask Adrian for advice on set up...

cauncy said..

It may not be your stance, some boards give spray no matter what, when ridden in ocean or chop it emphasizes it,

Or it could be you're not edging enough. If you're skimming when the kite loops back up and you're leaning back, then your feet are too flat on the board. Bend your toes UP and see the difference.

Okay thanks for the tips.

Went out tonight - fairly windy. Was a little better.

Interesting to read the comment about your toes going to the edge of the binding. My toes are at least an inch from the edge of the lip. Maybe two.

So just to make sure I get this right, my big toe should be touching the black lip?


www.thekiteboarder.com/2012/11/2013-buyers-guide-axis/

Thanks heaps

Kamikuza said..

I was out last night on the 2014 Axis Vanguard 137x42 and Ultra 144x45 scored a demo woohoo!

Kazan's point of bending toes up... the idea is to be driving your weight through your heels and standing more upright on the board, then use fore/aft weighting to control angle to the wind.
You're probably pointing your toes, straightening your legs, and leaning way back to achieve the same edging...

And of course, you have to stand up straighter when going over bigger chop anyway; geometry of the water vs your body is such that if you don't, you'll clip it.

Could not have said it better myself Kami.

Thanks. All great tips.

I'm down with hanging out with one hand and grabbing the centreline with the other. Awesome feeling!

I often feel it's a lot easier to do this heading in one certain direction versus another. And I also have the spray issue more so when I'm heading in the harder direction. Again I guess it's logical cause when your further from the board hanging out, you're not in the line of fire from the spray - i.e. your leaning out away from the board.

Regarding straightening the front leg. When it's really cranking how do you control this stance when flying over swell. I.e. You get a small pop but you come down hard on the straight front leg. Almost jarring. Any thoughts?

I'll try the toe technique next time I'm out. Great tips gents.

Hey I also read today re. the axis binding"Remember that the board will ride best with the pad assembly centered on the board rail to rail. This is important for balanced riding heelside and toeside. If it is setup too close to the railside you will have water spraying in your face." Might double check tomoz.

This year. The limited. Good board IMO although I'm no expert