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On Shore Wave Kites

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jumptheshark
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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby jumptheshark » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:35 pm

Most onshore conditions are what surfers call your average beach break. No defined take off, tubes are pretty rare, pretty short rides.

Still loads of fun on a kite. You can get into and out of those small rides better and if your lucky occasionally link a couple together. It's still surfing, and your trying to get as much DTL as possible, but its a lot of one hit wonders.

Closeouts have more to do with size and geography/bottom contour/depth than any particular wind direction.

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby zerogee_ca » Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:23 pm

My home spots are on the 10th largest fresh water lake in the world. The best waves happen when the wind is pretty much blowing straight onshore. They only setup in the shore break and further out is mostly just chop. Waves come in steep, fast and close together. They don't have the same energy as equivalent sized ocean waves either. They get up to over head high with some spots with higher than double over head high rollers. They are a absolute blast to ride and totally possible to link up lots of turns and cutbacks. When the wind switches to cross shore they offer some pretty nice DTL riding too.

I used to think my all around kites were great wave kites too until I tried a dedicated wave kite. It was a game changer.

Equally important is what you ride to take all advantage in these conditions also. I ride a small early planing, fast, and agile stubby board.

Perhaps there is another thing that makes it all work together. I use a rope slider. Gives me larger range of motion and carving feels more fluid and natural. There is somewhat of an "auto throttle" effect where the kite gets powered back up when carving.

Unfortunately, I don't really pay attention to what is all happening while riding to describe it. Its all muscle memory now. I just know it all seems to work well.

It makes for some challenging riding but it is always fun and has made me a better surfer. When I get to ride ocean side things seem so easy.

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby Slappysan » Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:11 am

Here is a great video showcasing what it's like to ride serious onshore windswell:

https://vimeo.com/145826916

You can easily paddle in to this kind of onshore windswell on a prone surfboard.

You can link 2-4 turns on the wave.

It's not pretty, but it's definitely surfing!

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby zerogee_ca » Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:33 am

We have guys that paddle out into our waves too. They get some nice rides but looks like way too much work for me.🤣

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby omg » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:56 am

So, perhaps back to the topic about the kites after three pages of rambling whether or not onshore riding is waveriding or not. The topic starter is not quite getting much info on what kites to choose...

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby omg » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:58 am

ooops, double, sorry.
Last edited by omg on Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby or6 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:34 am

I'd say: dedicated wavekites will do the trick, though a lot of the current three strutted freeride kites will do fine.

When using wave kites with plenty of drift, you'll be able to take your attention off of the kite occasionally, for very short periods, let's say one bottomturn. Then you'll probably have to re-engage line tension, if you know what I mean.

With most freeride kites you're constantly checking linetension....

Difference between freeride kites and wavekiters is gradual, though.

Onshore kiting can also be done with freestyle or full on c kites. Then you'll be following the kite constantly.

Or6

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby tautologies » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:51 am

Matteo V wrote:
Sun Jan 14, 2018 6:19 pm
Pretty big gap here in my knowledge base about onshore wave kite characteristics. I do lake on-shore wave (no more than 3ftwave, most of the time in less than 1ft of water), and on/side/side-on ocean wave kiting. I have very little off side-off ocean wave experience. And I use the same kite for all conditions. I use Best Kahoona's for all water conditions.

What are the specific characteristics that most kiters attribute to a good kite for each condition.

And, how were windsurfing sails different for side and on-shore conditions?
So, onshore you generally fly the kite more actively. I like tbe dash for that kind (fast turning with some power)..or the pivot which does pretty much everything great. In 3ft you'll not generate enough speed from the wave to worry much about line slack unless it is super light so both dedicated wave kites and free ride should work. In general in 3ft it's super fun to throw the kite around with aggressive turns and hit the wave.

Side off pretty much any kite can do, but kites that drifts well does better. It's the perfect direction for riding waves with a kite.

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby justkite100 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:59 pm

I've got Eleveight WS's. great kites, they are advertised as a wave / free ride kites. fast turning on the wingtip, loads of depower, and drifty. Super fast relaunch, got washing mashined the other day and had no worries relaunching.

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Re: On Shore Wave Kites

Postby Matteo V » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:13 am

omg wrote:
Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:56 am
So, perhaps back to the topic about the kites after three pages of rambling whether or not onshore riding is waveriding or not. The topic starter is not quite getting much info on what kites to choose...
Looks like the bottom line is that onshore vs sideshore was, and still is, DEFINED in windsurfing. But no real answer on what that means in kiting, or rather it means different things to different styles/approaches to kitesurfing. This says something to the limitless options of riding that kitesurfing allows compared to windsurfing.

My own style is very much on the fringes of what any other kiter, that I kite with, is doing. This may mean that my answer is not here, though I have learned many more times what I expected. GraemeF had a pretty good explanation that does provide some connection to windsurfing sail design and my previous understanding.

The flaw in my original question would have to be that I did not specify how I ride or how I define wave riding. And that seems to be the debate.

My conclusion on this has to do with whether or not the rider is strapped or strapless (mentality). From a strapless perspective, simulating surfing is difficult with any kite in onshore conditions. From a strapped perspective, you are taking a completely different approach to how you are riding the waves because there are more options and no boundaries as to how you ride. Some overlap likely exists too.

Thanks for all of the input.


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