help on riding the board.

> 10 years ago
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jesseftw
jesseftw
NSW
15 posts
NSW, 15 posts
2 Nov 2012 7:49pm
i just finished my lessons and can get up by swooping the kite and getting it powered so its pulls me out of the water and i start going but then i just lose my power and sink and bit and then go for another swoop and just face plant lol what do i do once im up?? where do i sit the kite say if im going right? i need as much advice as possible so next time i go out i have an idea of what im doing! haha so any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!
Katz
Katz
VIC
131 posts
VIC, 131 posts
2 Nov 2012 11:56pm
You've got to think about getting the kite back up right from the outset. So rather than think of a swoop down to get going, think about how you are going to turn it up after the swoop. Remember to ease the bar out when the kite is on the way up. You often need a down, up and half down to get the board speed up.

Don't turn upwind too early. You'll spend a fair bit of time walking back up the beach, so just accept it and don't fret - it passes.

Also you'll find it easier when the kite is reasonably powered up as you don't need to concentrate so much on keeping the kite moving to generate power.

When I was at your stage, (not so long ago), I spent a session just being really conservative slowly increasing kite movements and with the sole aim of not face planting; made a big difference getting the kite control right.

Enjoy it!
AquaPlow
AquaPlow
QLD
1066 posts
QLD, 1066 posts
4 Nov 2012 2:27pm
Hi Jesseftw
This is a common theme - do a search to get a lot of mostly excellent tips / points of view.

I was working this thru with my youngster not so long back.

Get Ur board out in the lounge/garden and setup - it is easy to balance rocking from the front of the board to the back and much harder across it. You need more of the front to back not across pull from the kite to the board - Until you get speed and body angle dialed in you are trying to balance across the board often on the balls of your feet!!
Lets assume there is enough power to just do a power stoke to get U up and on top of the board.
When You exaggerate what a standard start look like the power is mostly through the front foot which pushes the board slightly down wind - your balance is from front to back not so much across the board, then you transfer your weight more to you back foot and start edging (think push down on the heel) which makes the nose point across the wind. - At the same time the kite is moving forward in the window and the pull is still more along the board than across it. So how do U achieve this on 'L's?.... An easy way to start is to have your front leg more or less straight and your back leg almost half bent - this set the board up so the pull on you is more along then across - having your back leg bent give you the edge position. If you find yourself with straight legs crouch a little - bend at the knee. If you follow thru' on Katz point do this 5 - 8 times and each time once you are on top of the board think shoulders square, hips forward - no bending at the waist - you will get the transfer from stop to cruise .

You can find you still shoot out of the water the kite stops pulling enough and you fall back - you are catching up with the kite and it is loosing the wind - 1) do not point the board too far down wind on the power stroke 2). transfer your weight towards your back leg earlier - once you are dialed in this happens almost immediately your body comes out of the water.

It is much easier falling back ready to go again than re-cycling thru' a face plant sequence.

Have fun - Ur first run is very rewarding
Cheers
AP
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