Launching in strong winds

[TomW]

30 knots with the 9M hyperlink??? that's way too much wind.

[Adventure Logs]

30 knots with the 9M hyperlink??? that's way too much wind.

Why? I’ve launched my Soul 15 in 25kts. Just did my Sonic3 11m in 20kts extremely easily. High wind just requires good technique, and extra space downwind.

[Richard81]

30 knots with the 9M hyperlink??? that's way too much wind.

I live in the Bahrain, hot and dry winds with no power behind them. 30knots here is not anything like 30 knots in a European winter.

[Breze]

Guys, with the cobra, you mean the Ω position? Alluding to the yoga position? I ask, bc with the cobra I associate it with a picture of a collapsing foil at the edge of the wind window in a lull, vertical position of the kite- snake like S- shape, head of the snake in attack position. Often combined with the twisted cobra?

Anyway, to sort the given tips out. My pov after flying foils for a long time.

Often i hear " i didn`t pushed the QR, bc of fear of a tangled bridle. The few spins of a released foilkite are easy to untwist.No need to get in danger.
Observing the falling foil, will make you much more competend in anticipating the following steps to unwind the bar & kite, also when untangling on the water.So, rule Nr one for me : Be ready to push out, esp in high winds.

In high winds, make a side launch.Kite on the ground in line with the wind.Sandbag on the folded luvtip. Place the sand(bag) on the LE part of the kite, to let it slide off cleanly & not to get the bag tangled in the Z bridle.Put some sand on the TE. TE slightly pulled to the wind to prevent flapping.

As plummed said, you don`t want a foil kite start with the two foil panels sticking together. The high air pressure on the uninflated foil will not let air inside the air intakes.The needed higher internal airpressure will not develop. You will make a long distance flipflop slide with a kite not uprising, staying in the power zone.
To unstick and preinflating the kite in high winds, just penetrate the air intakes with your arm to open them up, then hold the windward air intake into the wind for some seconds.You don`t want to lift up the lying kite to prevent flapping. Repeat each per each until the leeward or vice versa intake. The kite should be some what about half full or more.

Start the kite
Have a look at the left hand. Armin is pulling the left floater while he compensates the left steering input with turning the bar with the right hand.
The higher aspect foil often need a strong over sheeting to open up the omega.( some say cobra ???)

Here you can see a smallish frontal collapse after kite is off the ground flying back. You don`t want this in higher winds ! .
This sort of frontal callapse ( 1.05) in higher winds makes the kite flying backwards into the power zone and possibly suddenly reopens.
Push the release right away Stay safe

[mgs]

Threads get started asking for advice with respect to a kites wind range for a “one kite option” for example so it’s good to see threads like this one.
I’ve yet to get my first session in this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown and now the beaches are open (with care) the winds have been far too strong, so hoping for lighter winds very soon.

[Herman]

Breze

Thanks for a great post. I have learnt a lot about foil handling since this thread started but I am still searching for the best way to gather the leaders and brake balls prior to backstalling down to a landing. Ideally I would like to be able to do this under power while landboarding but I am struggling to find a method that doesn't put in unwanted kite steering inputs. Maybe it is not possible and I will just have to ride at the kite or stop to kill the power and minimise the effect of unwanted steering inputs.

I would be interested to know your preferred way of gathering the leaders prior to a backstall landing and any suggestions you have for doing it powered on the move? Thanks again for the post.

Regards Herman

PS Apologies for wandering a bit off topic!

[BillyGoatGruff]

I've always wondered, with the smaller flysurfers (8m & 9m) do they get damaged pretty easily when self landing on pebbley or shingle beaches ? I kite in the UK and we have beaches huge clean sandy beaches, but also a fair few with shell fragments, muddy sand and shingle. I imagine with the kite flapping around full of air on landing this is riped for them to get torn and perforated ?

Notice how all the Flysurfer promo videos are taken on wide clean sandy beaches. Who has a regular spot that's far from ideal for foil kites ?