The tack is a very difficult move to learn. It has literally taken me over a thousand attempts. Here are some tips: - it is much easier when well powered. - look under your front arm when starting (this puts your body in the right stance) - stay sheeted out (depowered) until after your footswitch - ...

Here is an electric pump that is actually available.

I have heard of people using suntan lotion, cooking oil, WD40, lanolin, automotive oil, and other greasy things to lubricate a pump temporarily. :roll: Most of these will react with and eventually destroy your pump seals. :cry: A completely safe lubricant is silicon. Use silicon grease or silicon sp...

Your W590 wing is only 650 sq cm. You will get significantly better light wind capability with a front wing over 1000 sq cm.
CG

I have repaired many kite bladders that blew out at the tip. The cause is that the bladder was not secured to the kite fabric at the kites tip and then the bladder fell loose inside the leading edge (as shown in the sketch by edt above). Kites come from the factory properly secured so most of the ti...

StellaBlu wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 27, 2022 5:22 pm

… The best I've found are really thin 1.5mm Oneill gloves - which are more flexible. THey work for an hour long session when its not terribly cold. …

Agreed

Zinc anodes only work while submerged in water. Alpine foils have had them for years and we still see corrosion on their aluminum fuselages.
The most important thing you can do to minimize corrosion of aluminum is to rinse with fresh water after every use.

CG

5mm Dyneema is ideal. I have over 100 sessions on this equivalent rope from Amazon which is also UHMWPE rope (but not the Dyneema brand). You can't beat getting 15 meters of it inexpensively.
CG

A quick search finds these fastest speeds: Sailboat, Sailrocket2 2012, 65 knots Windsurfer, Bjorn Dunkerbeck 2021, 56 knots Kiteboarder, Alex Caizergues 2017, 58 knots AC75, Patriot 2021, 53 knots These were all set under ideal conditions for each craft. I doubt that anything could keep up with an A...

Peter_Frank wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:48 pm

95 cm, then you don't have to change later

agreed