riding waves hand off

[powerkiteaddict]

Like the mighty mastadon, paddling your surfboard out may be reaching the end of its days. maybe. Sid sends

Sorry brother, but I'm calling bullsh*t on that one. Been surfing since I was 8 (now 39) and I will continue-as the saying goes "Eddie wouldn't tow"

PKA

[powerkiteaddict]

What kinda' winds and kite sizes are you guys talking about?
Line length?

PKA

[Mr Float]

I use a 14.6 phantom or 13 m Guerilla .In the light stuff I'll either use 40m lines and stick with my 140 Glyde TT around the 12kts or under I'll use 30m or 40 m with a 6'2' or 8 ft fun board no straps.
Had another thought today that surfers could really get their milage up by riding strapless tow in and hands off.We had big surf 2 days ago and I caught multiple waves towing in right out the back riding all the way down the line along a 400m stretch I had much longer rides than the surfers and many more waves .They can be riddden so that once on the wave the kite plays no part keeping it pure for surfers but really getting the number of waves ridden up there big time .Strapless Waveriding with kites on surfboards will be part of surfest this year in Newcastle and Layne Beachley will be going up against the men in the surfing

ALl the best

lach

Reghards

What kinda' winds and kite sizes are you guys talking about?
Line length?

PKA

[Pete_W]

So Lach,

Did you score some good waves today? It was blown pretty flat by the time I finished work (should have gone kiting instead of opting for a surf).
It would be good to see some pics,

Cheers,

Pete on the Central Coast.

[bennyh]

My problem is:
our winds are very often onshore with a small amount of cross occasionally. I like to waveride on a relatively small kite so it doesn't pull me off the face, but when I take off on the wave the kite wants to fly backwards so you have to crank the kite around just to keep it up there.

I don't want to drop it in the waves so what's the trick for riding hands off?

Being a surfer also, I'm keen to get into this strapless surfboard riding thing. Will my 6'4 board take a real beating if I start using it for kiting?

Thanx
Ben

[Mr Float]

shop ,then lesson,then half hour ride at 7pm caught a couple

So Lach,

Did you score some good waves today? It was blown pretty flat by the time I finished work (should have gone kiting instead of opting for a surf).
It would be good to see some pics,

Cheers,

Pete on the Central Coast.

[Mr Float]

The key for hands off is the phantom/guerilla /bomba.Let go it stays there.
The only beating your board will get is if you boost big and land on it

All the best

lach

My problem is:
our winds are very often onshore with a small amount of cross occasionally. I like to waveride on a relatively small kite so it doesn't pull me off the face, but when I take off on the wave the kite wants to fly backwards so you have to crank the kite around just to keep it up there.

I don't want to drop it in the waves so what's the trick for riding hands off?

Being a surfer also, I'm keen to get into this strapless surfboard riding thing. Will my 6'4 board take a real beating if I start using it for kiting?

Thanx
Ben

[MonkeyAir]

Hi Lach.
Excuse a little bit off topic cause this is sort of hands on and off as there is a bit of wind. The underground 150 firebird is an awesome board but with a thruster set up it is pure magic. (Even flatter tail rocker would be nice for the light stuff) The difference between a thruster set up you can actually generate drive off of in the waves like surfing compared to a twin is huge. Just got a heads up of some shots of my 150 F pro carbon with thruster set up in some small surf on this site <elportophoto.com> Go to the "County Line Kites" section of the photos. Please hold the goofy pants comments as there is no suit under and just a knee brace to cover up. Unfortunately the photog's computer crashed and the better surf and wind session later in the day was lost..However, You can still see the drive off of the bottom turn (from the board) and through the lip for reentries etc. Often the kite is just straight over the head and it is just momentum that is maintained for aireals and stuff. Conserving energy is what we are talking about with using surfboards. Only using the kite when we have to. Was fortunate enough to be able to play with several variants of this board in the development stage, the thruster has proven itself in a huge way. The board is really not any slower in a straight line and allows long lapses in power to surf unlike the teeny mutants and much more like my surfboard like kiteboarding kites but with all the pluses of a good kite board. Not a no wind board for my weight of course (need 12 knts.av plus) but still heaps better than any two large rear fin/ small front fin variant I have tried to date. A bit less planing than the standard, wider and thicker (158) airrush fusion with normal mutant fin set up but only by a hair secondary to the possibility of pumping onto a plane in waves and drive down the line generated off of every bottom and top turn on the underground. Hope more manufacturers look at the flow of surfboards and incorporate some of the ideas into kite board design. Need to get more descriptive photos of what you and I are talking about Lach...Good luck getting a photog unless she is a girlfriend and promised a very nice pair of new shoes and dinner...On a nice island...etc. etc...Yeah Right!!!
Have Fun. Traig

[powerkiteaddict]

Traig,

What kite are you using in those shots?
Where is that you're riding?

PKA

[MonkeyAir]

Hi PKA.
That is County Line Beach in LA/Ventura County. Caution 14 spitfire. Was on a ten m g arc when it got some decent size surf and wind. The caution turns, very ,very well and not an easy luffer relative to other kites. Great surf kite. No tube I have tried has the no hands ability of the arcs though as Lach had mentioned. Just kind of leave it up there and surf. You still have to fly the Spitfire a bit. Looking forward to the larger size bomas to come out from PL. Between the Cautions, P.L's and Gastra, I am one stoked dude.. All about the correct tool for the job.
Have Fun. Traig