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Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

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vela99
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Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby vela99 » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:23 am

Hi

I am new to this forum but have already been reading in it for some months. Despite searching actively for some specific information here and in other places a basic doubt remains. Hope I am not boring anybody with this question as many similar posts have been made before:

How important is a wave specific kite to my progress in wave kiting?
(I always first blame my lack of technique and work on it prior to thinking about a change in the material. However, I do not want to repeat my experience from windsurfing were I have always waited for too long before changing material slowing down my progress significantly).

Background:
I weigh 74kg and own a 2014 North Nugget and a 2011 North Rebel 12m. I am windsurfer since many years and I started kiting more seriously about 2 years ago with the aim to get more time on waves in low wind conditions when windsurfing is not (as) interesting. The conditions I want to cover are roughly 10 to 15 knots (most of the time 12/13 knots) for small to medium size waves with on shore to sideoff shore wind directions.

The two key difficulties I am struggling with mainly are (1) to keep the kite in the air even if moving it actively and keeping the bottom turns really tight and (2) to have a more or less stylish and round surf as soon after barely managing to keep the kite up it takes some time to react to my inputs but then reengages with a lot of power shooting to the window edge. While I am aware that I still need more hours I wonder if I am doing myself a favour with the Rebel……………..

Thanks up front for your comments.

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby cor » Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:09 am

Any kite is fine to learn wavekiting, but in my opinion you have some considerable advantages with a kite that is build on a c-shaped platform with 3 struts. More agile turning and drifting will help you a lot in turns and to keep the kite in the air. Also, it is way more fun (and that's why we are here, isn't it?).

The Rebel is a pure freestyle kite. I've owned the 2011 12m myself and it turns rather slow, even in comparison to newer Rebel models.

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Jan:)
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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby Jan:) » Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:07 pm

12 knots in onshore winds does not work, at least not for me.

12 knots in sideoff can work, but it is very tricky.
Better suited kites might help you a lot there.
You will want a kite with good drift.
Faster turning wont help you much, as all kites I know will be too slow turning in that wind range anyway.

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby lobodomar » Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:37 pm

IMO the BRM Cloud is much more suited at this wind range than strutted kites for DTL off the wind wave riding. It drifts and stays inthe air very well... giving room for actual surf emulation with a less "strings attached" feel. Very different experience than a Rebel for sure.

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby Babel » Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:42 pm

Jan:) wrote:12 knots in onshore winds does not work, at least not for me.

12 knots in sideoff can work, but it is very tricky.
Better suited kites might help you a lot there.
You will want a kite with good drift.
Faster turning wont help you much, as all kites I know will be too slow turning in that wind range anyway.
Yep, same here. 12 Knots is not enough for 12m to go about with onshore wind. Although you will be able to kite due to the Nuggets abilities for lighter winds, riding waves will take away too much of the winds power and thus the kite will stall.

Cloud might work, never tried it thou.

vela99
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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby vela99 » Thu Aug 06, 2015 2:28 pm

Thanks a lot for all of your answers, they are quite useful !

My take away is that a wave specific kite with good drifting will definitively help me but the intended use of surfing waves with 12 knots on shore wind and a 12 m kite is a bit of an illusion.

This brings me to the next point. If I bought a North Neo, given the above parameters, should I get the 12m or the 11m size? After dialing in my technique, should I be able to do some more or less decent wave riding or is this clearly beyond the limits of what is possible?

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby Jan:) » Thu Aug 06, 2015 2:37 pm

I use my Switch Element 9m² as my biggest kite in waves.
This gets me going in 14-15 Knots.

The problem with less wind than that is not the kite size, but simply the windspeed.
If you are going downwind on the wave, in really light winds, there wont be any wind left at all in the kite.
A bigger kite won't help you with that.

So I'd take the smaller kite ;)

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby Strekke » Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:07 pm

Wave riding in low onshore winds will always be very tricky, as stated above. Apart from a kite that drifts well and turns fast, you also want a kite that goes upwind very well (to get behind the break more easily). I've read good things about the Neo, great drifting and good upwind, but haven't flown one myself. I would personally go for the 12m if you really want to ride in light winds...

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby cor » Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:08 pm

For 10-15 knots in the wave it would be interesting how the new Core Section LW performs. http://corekites.com/us/kites/section-lw

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Re: Wave Kiting – doubt about specific quiver vs. technique

Postby Flyfish » Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:17 pm

Jan:) wrote:
The problem with less wind than that is not the kite size, but simply the windspeed.
If you are going downwind on the wave, in really light winds, there wont be any wind left at all in the kite.
A bigger kite won't help you with that.
very true. also remember that the size of waves can dramatically influence if you can go down the line or not. ie. bigger waves equal faster board speeds down the line, thus needing more wind speed to keep up with the kite drift.
so i hate when the conversation is always centered around "grear".
think small kite if you can get away with it (they just drift better due to size).
next think try to learn to position the kite to where it has the best chance of drifting when you start down the line.
to me thats key, and its so dependent on the two factors of wind speed and wave size.
just experiment with how aggressively you turn the kite for the bottom turn and how long you wait to unload the lines.
good luck


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