FLandOBX wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:37 am
Good2go, my answer to your question is "not very often". By that I mean that the wind needs to be really light for you, as a beginner, to send a 6m kite deep into the power zone on land without getting hurt. On most days with moderate wind, the 6m would be too powerful (even at your size) for you to be comfortable sending it into the power zone on land as a beginner. You'd probably get hurt.
When I teach beginners, I use a 3m trainer kite on land before heading to the water. I also have 4m and 5m power foils that we can use in succession on lighter wind days to show the student how a slight increase in size can really generate a lot more power (e.g., going from 3m to 4m, then to 5m). But I don't use the 4m or 5m on land unless the wind is light. I've had beginners lose control of the 3m trainer and end up face down in the sand, so it's too risky for a beginner to use the larger sizes unless the wind is really light. I have a 6m 4-line LEI that I can use in the water to teach smaller people (and that I personally use as a "storm kite" on high wind days), but I wouldn't use it with a beginner on land. Too much risk, IMHO.
Thank you for confirming what I was thinking.
This is why I was making the mistakes with the 6m, as I was trying to duplicate the exact movement of the trainer kite with the 6m kite, but those two kites behave differently as they generate different level of power.
Looks like I'll be practicing on land with smaller kites and then getting in the water with the larger kites. Can't wait. I'll be sure to keep an update either here or create a new thread later on.
I am determined to be up on the water before this spring is over on a regular basis.
Thank you.