Hello-new member in Canada
Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 5:20 pm
Hi everybody- just wanted to say hi after spending a lot of time reading and lurking. This is a great resource!
I started kiting in 2014 after getting a gift certificate for a lesson but only get out on the water a few times each season, so I'm still relatively new to the sport. I do love it though and am getting the hang of it slowly but surely- I can get up and go for a while but am still having trouble keeping the kite in the right spot to keep me going for long distances. And getting upwind- I seem to either get overpowered and pulled downwind or not have enough wind (or not able to find and work it) to get upwind. I've been improving on this however, by better recognizing when my kite is too large for the conditions and maintaining more downward pressure on my back leg. I had been stuck on using a bigger kite to get more power to get up and going more easily, but then being overpowered and getting pulled downwind. So I'm selling my 13m kite and buying a 9.5m. Since conditions are highly variable where I am, I also have a 17m for really light days. I actually seem to use this the most.
I have lots of questions and this seems to be the place to come for answers! I think my biggest frustration is not having a reliable place to learn because of wind direction and lack of shallow water to get out away from shore. Plus not having someone to launch and land me- I seem to be on my own 80% of the time. So a lot of my sessions are in light wind practicing self launching/landing in safe conditions. I've had some guidance from experienced kiters on this at least. I also have to spend more time practicing body dragging to get upwind. I know I have to do it, but it's hard when I don't get out on the water often- I want to get on the board! lol
Looking forward to good conversations here-
Cheers!
I started kiting in 2014 after getting a gift certificate for a lesson but only get out on the water a few times each season, so I'm still relatively new to the sport. I do love it though and am getting the hang of it slowly but surely- I can get up and go for a while but am still having trouble keeping the kite in the right spot to keep me going for long distances. And getting upwind- I seem to either get overpowered and pulled downwind or not have enough wind (or not able to find and work it) to get upwind. I've been improving on this however, by better recognizing when my kite is too large for the conditions and maintaining more downward pressure on my back leg. I had been stuck on using a bigger kite to get more power to get up and going more easily, but then being overpowered and getting pulled downwind. So I'm selling my 13m kite and buying a 9.5m. Since conditions are highly variable where I am, I also have a 17m for really light days. I actually seem to use this the most.
I have lots of questions and this seems to be the place to come for answers! I think my biggest frustration is not having a reliable place to learn because of wind direction and lack of shallow water to get out away from shore. Plus not having someone to launch and land me- I seem to be on my own 80% of the time. So a lot of my sessions are in light wind practicing self launching/landing in safe conditions. I've had some guidance from experienced kiters on this at least. I also have to spend more time practicing body dragging to get upwind. I know I have to do it, but it's hard when I don't get out on the water often- I want to get on the board! lol
Looking forward to good conversations here-
Cheers!