Need some tips

[Brian H]

As a beginner I also found that having the kite high allowed me to depower the kite easier while up on a foil and made it easier to control the speed . Having the kite high is the number one thing that has helped me the most .

[Starsky]

I find a quick hard yank on the bar forces the kite to turn and then it goes back up

Definitely agree, great tip.

[cglazier]

As a beginner bringing your kite high is an easy way to depower. Then you will learn it is better still to use your trim strap or perhaps a smaller kite.

As you progress try to keep your kite low for best performance. If your kite is high it is just wasteing power and lifting you off your board. It is impossible to point well upwind when your kite is high. It helps to ride with others (like in a race) and you quickly learn that a low kite gives you best performance. And it is very difficult to ride downwind fast with your kite high. When you are a beginner you will probably start going downwind with your kite high but this is slow and unstable. To progress you need to bring your kite low and lean back.. it is scary at first but then is a more comfortable ride once you get used to it.

So as you progress, strive to keep your kite low (unless you are doing a transition or tricks or wave riding). If I cannot bring my kite low (even when depowered) it means that I am so overpowered that I need a smaller kite.

CG

[Peter_Frank]

As a beginner bringing your kite high is an easy way to depower. Then you will learn it is better still to use your trim strap or perhaps a smaller kite.

As you progress try to keep your kite low for best performance. If your kite is high it is just wasteing power and lifting you off your board. It is impossible to point well upwind when your kite is high. It helps to ride with others (like in a race) and you quickly learn that a low kite gives you best performance. And it is very difficult to ride downwind fast with your kite high. When you are a beginner you will probably start going downwind with your kite high but this is slow and unstable. To progress you need to bring your kite low and lean back.. it is scary at first but then is a more comfortable ride once you get used to it.

So as you progress, strive to keep your kite low (unless you are doing a transition or tricks or wave riding). If I cannot bring my kite low (even when depowered) it means that I am so overpowered that I need a smaller kite.

CG

Disagree (which is rare with you CG)

You lose efficiency if you have the kite low, as you will need more power, thus more drag, so going upwind even highly powered racers are rarely under 30 degree, and most often higher if not powered, sometimes closer to 45.

How to verify this ?
Easy, if you ride low powered one day, try flying with your kite low, and you will see you will get off the foil, or having to bear downwind to gain speed so you lose upwind angle - simply because you lose overall efficiency hugely !
Lower than 45 degree would be my estimate, and you lose overall efficiency when normal (or low) powered. This "level" is individual though, I know.
If you have a huge kite relative to the wind, yes, things change and you can ride with the kite somewhat lower - but still not low on upwind legs.

Agree fully though, at downwind angles with speed, the kite low is better indeed for racing, as you got so much speed and ride at low wing AOA's that you dont gain anything by having lift too, so using it fully as a "sail" (really low) is the best.
But upwind, no way, you DONT want to have the kite as low as possible - you want some lift to get a better VMG upwind - it corresponds to using a bigger wing which goes higher upwind (but would be slower downwind so not an option for a full round the course race)

This is the very reason why kitefoiling excel over windsurf and windfoil, as windsurf sails DONT have this "upward" lift in the same amount, so they can not gain as much as we can not in terms of marginal winds nor upwind

This is not the topic of this thread though - as it was how a beginner should learn the easiest and best way, and I keep my words "Kite high is way better", also for experienced if not racing in most scenarios

PF

[cglazier]

[Peter_Frank]