Three letter rule

HBF

Ice - I use windy.com for wind forecast these days. I like the graphic and details.

Cauncy - why do I feel like I'm walking straight into an ambush.... what is hbf? I checked out urban dict and wasn't sure which definition to apply ??

montoya said..
Ice - I use windy.com for wind forecast these days. I like the graphic and details.

I find the BOM bay forecast very accurate for the current day. Just remember seabreezes are a few knots stronger at the northern end of the bay (St Kilda to Altona).

Always ring for the Luls

I just had a sesh that had about the same wind range your describing because it frontal squall crap left over from cyclone oma...I lasted about 20 - 30 mins of feeling very uncomfortable hoping the squal would pass and die off a bit, but it just seemed to get stronger the kite was as moody as a bloody rattle snake so I came to the beach and pulled the safety and got the f out of there.

THE PIN PULLER said..
Lol anyone should know I meant Rig for the Luls :-)

If you rig for the lull and stuff up in the gust you die. It's that simple.

Most deaths are caused by people doing exactly this. Its stupid advice to give newbies even if its a joke.
Somebody could believe you, rig a 17m for the 14knot lull then proceed to get killed when the 28 gust comes through.

Don't be a dick man.
Think about the joking advice you give in the newbie section

raggedflyer said..

Plummet said:
If you rig for the lull and stuff up in the gust you die. It's that simple.

Most deaths are caused by people doing exactly this. Its stupid advice to give newbies even if its a joke.
Somebody could believe you, rig a 17m for the 14knot lull then proceed to get killed when the 28 gust comes through.

Don't be a dick man.
Think about the joking advice you give in the newbie section

Constructive criticism has it's place, this however is simply offensive and the doomsayer approach is not constructive, bordering on ridiculous.

Rig for the lull is a reasonable strategy, provided you understand the limitations of your equipment and your capability. A 12m kite may get you back to shore in 14kt and fully depowered in 28kt, also allowing you to get back to shore. Safely.

The advice I have for a beginner is, any average to gust wind speed range which has a 10kt delta should be approached with caution and with experienced buddies. More than 10kt delta, sit it out and take a few photos of your buddies, bide you time and build experience.

No its not. Its the truth. People die because they rig a kite that's too big for the conditions. It is the number one cause of kite death.
People do not die because they rigged a kite to small.

Now your advise above of suggesting a 12m because you can hold a 12m at 28 knots is not rigging for the lull. Its rigging for the max gust and is the same advice that I originally gave. Rig a kite that can withstand the max gust of the day.

You're welcome montoya, the online wind chart at my local shows the average and gust wind speed, so it's easy to see when those two lines are separated by 10kt or more. The conditions become difficult, with the gusts overpowering you and then you need to work the kite to keep going in the lulls. With experience you'll know which size kite to take out for the conditions at your local spot. If not at your local, introduce yourself and ask a local, you never know if you'll soon need their help!

Sometimes it's interesting to watch people new to a spot, they'll arrive and start running lines, pump a kite and gear up without taking 5-10 mins to observe conditions and local behaviours. I'll usually go say hi, have a chat and see if they've been here before, offer a launch even.

Here's an example from today, I was out on my 12m a the time where the gusts peaked just under 30kt. I noticed a few gusts had me letting go of the bar to sheet out and occasionally I needed a little trim/depower but most of the time wind speed was just right to leave the trim/depower fullly out. In the lulls I needed to work the kite to keep speed and full sheet out through the gusts. Had a beginner out, I helped him launch and he handled conditions ok on his 12m, I saw him get overpowered a couple of times, landing face first, but he'd get back up and go. For context, that's about a 7-8kt delta.

Did I offend or embarrass You?

I'm going to assume raggedflyer is a pretty big deal