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Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Forum for kitesurfers

Underpowered or Overpowered Riding

Lit Foil
4
4%
Moderate foil
13
14%
Just enough to Foil
7
7%
Lit twintip
21
22%
Moderate twintip
13
14%
Lit Strapless
4
4%
Moderate Strapless
17
18%
Mega Loops
7
7%
Mega Hang time
10
10%
 
Total votes: 96

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iriejohn
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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby iriejohn » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:04 pm

If the wind range is above minimum trim but below maximum trim to hold an edge I'm happy.

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Re: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby ap888 » Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:12 am

Toby wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:56 am
Would Lit twintip and Mega hangtime be the same?
I would say lit is really good power and mega is when u have ur kite depowered on the beach and it’s still pulling you around...lol I love those sessions :D

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby plummet » Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:16 am

Give me power any day.

But also give me more wind!. I can be powered to all hell in 15 knot on the 12m on the foil. But stuff that, give me 30 knots any day!

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby Peter_Frank » Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:38 am

With the two last ones I assume you mean:

Mega Loops is TT with medium or smaller kites/high winds.

Mega Hang Time is TT with bigger kites maybe high winds.

As Lit twintip and Moderate twintip could be the same as above, so redundant :D


You are missing the option for what riders like when on waveboards though - only strapless is a choice in the poll.

On waveboards/surfboards, I like to be powered Moderate waveboard for allround waveconditions, and when lots of downwind current like on most point breaks (opposed to pier breaks), I like to be on a Lit waveboard.
Strapless is hardly used around here, a few but not many....
Some like to go strapless "Just enough to surf" when in waves though, most are Moderate in power liking, and I have never seen anyone who liked to be lit on a strapless surfboard :o
But as said, a waveboard with straps are what is by far used mostly around here - the strapless was "smart" some years ago (I was riding some years like that too), but faded again, and now a few only like this..


I prefer to hydrofoil with moderate power for allround, and Just enough to Foil is the only way to ride waves so quite different power needed.

Lit Twintip for me, but happens so rare that it collects dust :D

8) Peter

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby WindJunkieFL » Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:53 pm

Beardytello wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:15 am
Moderate twintip is fave, followed by lit twintip.

Underpowered sucks ass.
Agree

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby Matteo V » Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:33 pm

Perfectly powered = mean or median size kite out there, given enough other kiters
Boosting = sending the kite with abandon for maximum possible height, but not focused on making the landing 100% of the time.
Jumping = leaving the waters surface with kite power for height or a trick within the easily controllable power range of the kite to make the landing 100% of the time.



So yes you need some more choices in the poll if you want to get extremely detailed. I would put it like this to allow possible answers out of the reasonable range.

1. Not enough - no way can you make it upwind with the kite size you have, but you could possibly make it upwind with the next size up, though you can't jump an incoming chest high wave.

2. Underpowered - Can ride upwind with lots of skill, but not enough power for big boosting, though still able to jump an incoming overhead wave.

3. Perfectly powered - Almost able to boost to a moderate height in the gusts, but still able to handle 1 (or 2) kite sizes bigger with a reasonable amount of safety.

4. Over powered - Largest kite size you can launch and land safely, great for boosting to ultimate height as a larger kite would not allow you to set an edge.

5. Too much - "tea bagging" across the sand before you even make it to the water's edge, and if you make it to the water, you have a hard time staying upwind and in control.

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby Toby » Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:50 pm

4=5
No control

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby Matteo V » Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:13 pm

Toby wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:50 pm
4=5
No control
I would agree if you only fly "old school C-kites". But I would disagree on more modern C-kites and pretty much any modern (last 5 years) LEI.

I have had some epic sessions at #4. Steady wind, great waves, and unlimited power means you can do some things you can't do with less power. I can see where you are hosed on #4 if you are going for wakestyle tricks.

Personally, I am coming off about a 3 year stint of kiting on a 5.5m (at 100kg) while 90kg kiters are still on 11-12m kites. Now I am moving back to perfectly powered once more. And again, I still have fun overpowered (at #4) on occasion. But I will admit that I try to stop/refuse to launch kiters trying to kite a 12m when I am lit on a 5.5m. That is when I say they are headed for a #5 situation, though I have seen some hold it down in conditions I would not have dreamed of using that big of a kite.

To clarify, #5 and #1 is where no kiter can make it work no matter the skill level - it just does not work. At #4, beginners should not kite, and extra caution should be taken by those able to handle it.

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby salvino » Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:38 pm

A few years ago I spent an entire season rigging for #2 mostly TT and some SB. This was so a good focus on really learning how to fly the kite. To maximize its potential by learning loops in all kinds of conditions.

I think that pathway should be practiced by all. These kites are sooo expensive I want my money’s worth on each size before pumping the next bigger one up!

Half the guys around me (everywhere I kite), don’t and can’t fly their kites anywhere near how the kites are supposed to be flown.they just park and ride. Many with Ass-out pooping stance to handle oversized kite. Septicemia advice, they get stuck in routineof rigging too big.

One can’t safely start looping kites if overpowered.

After that season, I would approach any session with the question, “what kite size do I WANT to fly” rather than, seeing it as “Oh, it’s X meter wind, I’ll rig that.”

Similar to snow kitingin that one can rig way down in size and really fly the kite because you have the ground supporting you.

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Re: Poll: Underpowered or Overpowered

Postby Matteo V » Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:02 pm

salvino wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:38 pm
Half the guys around me (everywhere I kite), don’t and can’t fly their kites anywhere near how the kites are supposed to be flown.they just park and ride. Many with Ass-out pooping stance to handle oversized kite. Septicemia advice, they get stuck in routineof rigging too big.
Yes, everyone else is doing it wrong! :nono: Except me.

salvino wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:38 pm
One can’t safely start looping kites if overpowered.
You are correct on the "start" thing. Going smaller does give you some degree of safety to throw the kite around more without it throwing you around. But you eventually can transfer those skills to a #3 condition where you have enough for more powered moves. This is where you learn about moving downwind while looping to reduce the power in the kite, instead of relying on being underpowered and holding the same line. This is something that a smaller kite is a crutch for learning, but never really gives you the full range of capabilities while in other modes of kiting.

I was with you a few years back on your statement - using smaller kites than anyone else, even those lighter weight than me. Now I am more focused on transferring those skills to a bigger kite.


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