I can’t remember any LEI kite that will relaunch easy in conditions like that. Try to practice lw relaunching, watch some videos, there are few ways to do that. I recomemd pulling one of the front lines (if you have low V) while holding the opposite back line to help kite turn on the side. LW relaunching is lot of work if you are in deep water because you need to create resistance and tension in the lines by working with your legs and pushing backwards.
Funny, this came up on my YouTube feed right after reading this.
Basically he is pulling the leading edge towards himself to allow the kite to lean back on its leading edge and then bringing it around to relaunch.
Light wind re-launch is all about your technique. Any LEI will re-launch in light wind, although some are easier than others. Practice in shallow water (but recognize that, in deep water, you'll have less apparent wind at the kite because of drift). You can always add a 5th line to most LEI's to make light wind re-launch easy (pull the 5th line until the kite rolls back, release the 5th line gradually as you pull a steering line).
Basicaly all LEIs are +- same they wont relauch without resistance - so you can relaunch in shallow, not so much in deep water. LEI that relauch as long as it fly is complete BS.
LEI will deepwater relaunch reliably from 12 knots - 10 knots with strong swimmer and luck. Freeride foil kite are deepwater relaunchable from 6 knots which is another league. They relaunch with minimum resistance which is main diference. For me LEI are best kites in the AIR. But if you want easy relaunch in LW forget them
I can’t remember any LEI kite that will relaunch easy in conditions like that. Try to practice lw relaunching, watch some videos, there are few ways to do that. I recomemd pulling one of the front lines (if you have low V) while holding the opposite back line to help kite turn on the side. LW relaunching is lot of work if you are in deep water because you need to create resistance and tension in the lines by working with your legs and pushing backwards.
Funny, this came up on my YouTube feed right after reading this.
The Slingshot RPM is even better at this LW technique than any version of the Nitro I have tried it with.
BUT!
Not all kites work with this technique. I have tried my Switch bar on my Best Kahoona's and it does not work. So make sure you give this technique a go with your particular kite in shallow water before you rely on it to get you back up in deep water. And obviously, you need a bar with a "low V" to even try it.
Actualy you dont need LOW V bar - you can pull leash line on single flag line high Y bar like North to do same thing.
Yup, you are correct, though you do not get to choose which side to use the technique on. You are locked in to using only the front line you have access to via the safety line.
My issue is that my main bars are built from North 2013's(?) layout with bright orange CL cuff release to both front lines, not a single one. Being "mid Y", I can't get to one of those lines because pulling in both (thick line up to the "y") makes a really big mess of line around me.
Last edited by Matteo V on Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.