Just curious what everyone’s preferred technique for getting to deep water with the board is?
Especially in the surf with lighter wind.
Body dragging through the surf
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jespin4845
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Re: Body dragging through the surf
no volume wood board, duck dive big waves, use the foil to body drag between waves...board in downwind armpit entering water
surf foil with a short mast helps get out of dodge quicker...
surf foil with a short mast helps get out of dodge quicker...
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Peter_Frank
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Re: Body dragging through the surf
Take a look at this thread: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... 1&p=930492
PS: Brake should be break or surf of course...
PS: Brake should be break or surf of course...
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TomW
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Re: Body dragging through the surf
I was at Cabarete a few weeks ago. The shore break was pretty big, up to over head high, meaning 2m high. breaking 20 m from the waters edge. The wind was perfect sideshore which helped. Waves were not super powerful but they were pitching out and bombing, not crumbling. Swell was 2,5 -3m at the reef. I was a bit worried watching others try to get out. But figured they didn't know how to do it.
There were so many kiters that couldn't get out on TT and surfboards! Kites too high, swinging kite around to onshore side as wave hits them. Losing control of board. Dropping kites in the shore break. It was educational watching them...
First thing is timing, try to time the sets. This is possible in cabarete, but much more difficult in pure windwaves where there's no sets. Look for a spot along the launch which may offer smaller waves or a current to help.
Second I put board under my windward arm, tail first, foil pointing up wind.
Go out into waist deep, watch and wait for a lull, keep kite 45 degrees.
then go out quickly, keep board aligned with waves, until you loose foot grip, just as that happens swing board around to leeward in front of you, as mast is laying on water.
Switch hands on bar, windward/forward arm is holding bar, other elbow on board tail over foil plate or slightly forward, board pointing out now, tilted 45 degrees down in water.
As you are swinging board around you might need to bring the kite up a bit, but don't bring it to 12 or back towards the beach, keep pressure outwards.
Power up kite keeping it 30-40 degrees up. Drag out, duck under waves and grab rail of board, and keep power in the kite.
Drag only as far to get outside the waves or deep enough to give opportunity to start on foil and ride out thru the break.
You gotta do all this rather quickly, without hesitation or you'll get pushed back.
You can also just go out with the board under your leeward arm, nose out, foil pointing leeward. This is OK if wind on beach is stable and there is no risk of losing kite control.
You're flying kite with windward arm.
Go out quickly to waist / chest deep, then drag out as above.
This eliminates the tricky part of swinging board around.
There were so many kiters that couldn't get out on TT and surfboards! Kites too high, swinging kite around to onshore side as wave hits them. Losing control of board. Dropping kites in the shore break. It was educational watching them...
First thing is timing, try to time the sets. This is possible in cabarete, but much more difficult in pure windwaves where there's no sets. Look for a spot along the launch which may offer smaller waves or a current to help.
Second I put board under my windward arm, tail first, foil pointing up wind.
Go out into waist deep, watch and wait for a lull, keep kite 45 degrees.
then go out quickly, keep board aligned with waves, until you loose foot grip, just as that happens swing board around to leeward in front of you, as mast is laying on water.
Switch hands on bar, windward/forward arm is holding bar, other elbow on board tail over foil plate or slightly forward, board pointing out now, tilted 45 degrees down in water.
As you are swinging board around you might need to bring the kite up a bit, but don't bring it to 12 or back towards the beach, keep pressure outwards.
Power up kite keeping it 30-40 degrees up. Drag out, duck under waves and grab rail of board, and keep power in the kite.
Drag only as far to get outside the waves or deep enough to give opportunity to start on foil and ride out thru the break.
You gotta do all this rather quickly, without hesitation or you'll get pushed back.
You can also just go out with the board under your leeward arm, nose out, foil pointing leeward. This is OK if wind on beach is stable and there is no risk of losing kite control.
You're flying kite with windward arm.
Go out quickly to waist / chest deep, then drag out as above.
This eliminates the tricky part of swinging board around.