Sounds like your pulling the bar in to much when the kite is flying back up to the sky and your stalling the kite try bar in when kite is heading to the water and bar out as the kite is heading to the sky.
As for body dragging just practice more you should be able to get back to your board in at least 2 tacks ,practice practice

Hi Force, as above ^^^

You'll also find 2 long tacks body dragging is far more efficient than a large number of short tacks (you go a little down wind every time you change direction)
Try body dragging away and slowly count to 20 (or 30/40 etc) and then drag back counting the same number. You should be back at your board.
If you are still down wind of your board on the 1st tack, keep going past and start counting again when you pass the board so you know how many counts you need to come back again.
With practice you will be able to judge how far out you need to go to come in upwind of your board.

While body dragging sheet out a bit, slow steady progress will get you further upwind than a highly powered kite.

Hope this helps

Don't be afraid to go downwind to gain momentum before edging. Find the sweet spot, lean back and edge and just feather the bar in and out as needed. If you find that you bar in too much and the kite stalls, depower a bit, this will allow you to ride more bar in. Also, if the wind is ordinary it's harder for a beginner so expect to have some hassles.

Forcetwelve said...
cheers - from retracing my movements in my sleep last night i realised i am usually starting off pointing too far up wind, and don't have my back exactly to the wind.

all things for me to practice tomorrow night!

I was doing the same thing. Edging too hard, had the bar right in (as i was using it to lift me out of the water instead of the harness) which resulted in diving the kite too lightly in the wind window...

I'd get up, the kite would race to the edge of the (gentle part) of the wind window and I'd sink. Then, later, I had the board pointing direct down wind and I'd out run the kite causing the lines to go slack, the kite to depower and fall out the ski...

Still, minor tweaks here and there have made a big difference.

AquaPlow said...
ONE thing U might not know re-body dragging...
Unless really windy - make sure you remove all the depower.
With no depower on the kite can get further forward in the wind window so helps U get a better upwind angle. Plus the kite tends to be a lot easier to steer with one hand.

Cheers
AP

So you're saying pull the bar right in with one arm, whilst steering with the other?