Got a buddy back home who used to primarily surf, and he foils the same way he surfs -- sends the kite then hauls ass around behind it. Works for him, I do it sometimes (usually light wind) but mostly I just ride the board then deal with the party pooper (kite) as needs be...jumptheshark wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 6:45 pmA load of BS? What, You think I'm trying to intentionally disinform!
Kites pull, they don’t push, they pull us, not the other way round.
Pretty sure we have referenced following the kite in waves since we started kiting in waves. Feel free to change convention but I foil very much the same way. I crank the bar, the kite responds and I follow where it pulls me. The informed observer can always tell when Im going to jump or change tack by watching my kite. I certainly feel like all my tacks and gybes are telegraphed by kite movement. As I said. Once you know whats what you can flaunt the convention a bit, but it still stands as a simple way for those learning to better comprehend the timing.
I remember clearly those first gybes with long near slack line downwind portions. That improved when I committed with the kite to pass decisively through 12 o'clock and I just as decisively followed suit. Kite can go across the top, or down loop or do any number of loops, but it leads across from one tack to another..
Frankieboy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2019 9:04 pmI also disagree with the "follow the kite" idea.......
So my advice is to send the kite before engaging the turn
WHaT ?? The kite is following you? Seriously? Do you load and pop your edge before sending you kite in a jump?
Nope. He is right. Turning the board before you sending the kite is the correct way of flying the kite when you turn on flat water. This keeps tension on the lines . If you send the kite before you initiate turning the board, the lines go slack and the kite stalls, especially in lighter winds or with small kites.jumptheshark wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 4:49 pm
WHaT ?? The kite is following you? Seriously? Do you load and pop your edge before sending you kite in a jump?
Im not saying he can't point in a different direction than the kite, but the timing is that he send the kite across to the other tack and follow it in pretty lock step as to maintain constant line tension until both kite and board are well onto the other tack, lines still tensioned. This is not a novel approach.
Even PF saying the kite and board are synchronized but the kite is not leading is confusing. If the kite is pulling you, how exactly is the kite not leading? Input to the kite precedes input to the board for basic transitions. Again, were not getting into the myriad of possibilities on foil. Of course I have pulled my kite out of a slack line tumble, but 99% of the time the kite is pulling me, so maybe we can try to keepthe explanations simple.
I also get that super low wind is a different kettle of fish with it's own nuances, let just keep basic explanations to properly powered foiling. OP can sort out the dark arts once the basics are figured out.
I am sorry, but your advice is wrong. It is definitely not safer to turn your kite first in a foiling gybe and someone will end up getting hurt by following this advice. The kite will fall in the water if you turn the kite first and you are not experience enough to force the board around after it. I spend a lot of educating the "turn the kite first" myth out of my gybe students. Most have been struggling a long time, because they turn the kite first and end up with slack lines. It is also why I get asked the "how can you gybe with 12m lines on a 21m kite" a lot. Sure if you have bad technique and turn your kite first, on short lines your big kite will always land in the water. Also trying to gybe a full speed, if you send your kite too early you will get shot off your board .cglazier wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2019 3:06 pm
But the safest ways is to turn the kite (start the downloop) first to keep tension in the kite lines. If you turn your board first (toward the kite) you will ride straight at it and may lose any ability to control it. This often results in your kite falling into the water. I recommend that you don't turn your board until the kite has begun to move in the new direction so that you maintain tension in the lines.
CG
This seems completely backwards to me. In light winds with a small kite I have to start the kite turning well before the board turns.f you send the kite before you initiate turning the board, the lines go slack and the kite stalls, especially in lighter winds or with small kites.