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ronnie wrote:There is no wave riding or linked turns downwind but it is a 17m kite.

Snip...

I havent seen a lightwind waveriding video yet for kiting, but there are quite a few for windsurfing.

Exactly - windsurfing rocks bigtime in light wind and good waves.

They can easily match and outperform kitesurfers on the new bigger windsurf waveboards, as they just have to "pump" themeselves out throught the waves, and when a powerful wave is caught - the sail is just left "unused" - it works awesome

So linked turns on the waveface, even in zero wind it is possible.

Where kitesurfers has to use a bit of the flats and the wind in between cutbacks, and a minimum windspeed is needed no matter what.

Then in smaller waves, will the kites outperform any windsurfer in waveriding, as there has to be power from the wave alone, for the DTL with windsurfers.
NOT possible in small waves for windsurfers.

Where kitesurfers can ride with the mentioned technique and have awesome fun doing bottom turns and cutbacks in even the smallest waves
A bit different than riding in higher winds so not the same - but in its own really fun too.

Peter

Peter_Frank wrote:

ronnie wrote:There is no wave riding or linked turns downwind but it is a 17m kite.

Snip...

I havent seen a lightwind waveriding video yet for kiting, but there are quite a few for windsurfing.

Exactly - windsurfing rocks bigtime in light wind and good waves.

They can easily match and outperform kitesurfers on the new bigger windsurf waveboards, as they just have to "pump" themeselves out throught the waves, and when a powerful wave is caught - the sail is just left "unused" - it works awesome

So linked turns on the waveface, even in zero wind it is possible.

Where kitesurfers has to use a bit of the flats and the wind in between cutbacks, and a minimum windspeed is needed no matter what.

Then in smaller waves, will the kites outperform any windsurfer in waveriding, as there has to be power from the wave alone, for the DTL with windsurfers.
NOT possible in small waves for windsurfers.

Where kitesurfers can ride with the mentioned technique and have awesome fun doing bottom turns and cutbacks in even the smallest waves
A bit different than riding in higher winds so not the same - but in its own really fun too.

Peter

Mostly there is enough wind to keep a kite in the air when the windsurfers are riding good waves in very light wind and its usually side or side-off wind, so they generate apparent wind power on the wave. Things combine to make it work and they can also use the power of the swell to cut very high into the wind to get back to the break.

Its an area where it might take a bit of thinking outside the box to develop a kite that works well.

I have been flying the Griffin Trx 17 mt kite in 10 to 14 knots side on for two seasons now. The kite is amazing because it turns so quickly. It pivots on its wingtip allowing for easy bottomturning and directional changing. With light winds it is easy to outrun the kite, there fore you need to keep the kite moving as you will not get any drift in those low winds.
There are a new generation of big kites that turn well, relaunch okay in light winds, and keep you going in all conditions. Try a few if you can, but the key is to have a fast turning kite so that it keeps moving and won't stall. Nothing worse than out running your kite, especially when it gets over 4 foot.

Any videos?