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Help with new kites

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BigSky
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Help with new kites

Postby BigSky » Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:45 am

Hi. I made the plunge and bought a quiver of FS Souls with SK Shapes bars. I"m super excited to get out on the water. I ent to the beach yesterday and the set up is very intimidating. One kite, a 6m, I bought used. It feels like the bridle may be a little screwed up but I'm not sure. How can I tell? I've searched for a video on first connecting the bar etc but can't find anything. Foil kites are non-existent around here so there isn't anyone I can ask or pay unless I drive several hours away. Any ideas? If there is anyone with experience in the Boston area I'm happy to pay. Thanks. BS
Last edited by BigSky on Sat Mar 30, 2019 2:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby Adventure Logs » Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:47 am

BigSky wrote:
Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:45 am
Hi. I made the plunge and bought a quiver of FS Souls with SK Shapes bars. I"m super excited to get out on the water. I ent to the beach yesterday and the set up is very intimidating. One kite, a 6m, I bought used. It feels like the bridle may be a little screwed up but sure. How can I tell? I've searched for a video on first connecting the bar etc but can't find anything. Foil kites are non-existent around here so there isn't anyone I can ask or pay unless I drive several hours away. Any ideas? If there is anyone with experience in the Boston area I'm happy to pay. Thanks. BS
Why do you feel the bridle is a little screwed up? A mixer test would verify that. I’m unfamiliar with SK bars but the front the rear lines should be equal(on the Souls, the rear lines can be a couple cm shorter as long as you aren’t getting backstall) when the bar is sheeted in and trimmed for full power. Then you hook the two centerline lines to the gray, and steering lines to their green/red side.

There’s good YouTube vids out there to help you along. Unfortunately, last time I kited in the Boston area, I don’t remember a good spot where you can practice in shallow water on relaunching and handling.

Good tip for later. If you have enough bars, leave them attached to the kite.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby foilholio » Sat Mar 30, 2019 12:11 pm

Yes Foil kites are a little intimidating when new to them.

There is the Flysurfer manual for the Soul https://flysurfer.com/downloads/downloa ... l-english/ and the Flysurfer line plans. This is the Soul 6m one https://flysurfer.com/downloads/downloa ... -soul-6-0//

The line plans are not drawn exactly to scale but will help you see how things are meant to be connected. There is measurements for each individual bridle. You can use them to check things if you are questioning if something is wrong, which is unlikely. It is most likely that you just have some bridles tangled up, in which case just look at the line plan diagram and try to get all the rows clear of each other with none crossing.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby BigSky » Sat Mar 30, 2019 2:06 pm

Thanks guys. I'm going to go fly it today. I tried yesterday but couldn't get it launched. It's so weird to feel like a newbie. I ended up launching my cloud and had a great session but I want to use the foil kites. It was a crazy investment. I know I will love them but need a little help to get started. I've looked at the mixer test but don't totally get it.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby elguapo » Sat Mar 30, 2019 6:42 pm

BigSky wrote:
Sat Mar 30, 2019 2:06 pm
Thanks guys. I'm going to go fly it today. I tried yesterday but couldn't get it launched. It's so weird to feel like a newbie. I ended up launching my cloud and had a great session but I want to use the foil kites. It was a crazy investment. I know I will love them but need a little help to get started. I've looked at the mixer test but don't totally get it.



there are some talented watermen and kiters on this forum...but i'm not one of them.
the soul was also my first foil kite...but i did have experiened foil riders on the beach my first few times.
(and i also primarily rode clouds before discovering foil kites)
maybe the brindle setup is common sense to most folks....but was a void of info between the manual and what you find on youtube.
so i'll do my best to relay what what helped me..and maybe someone better experienced can give some more pearls of wisdom


#1 kitesurfer makes it super easy... the brindle lines are already labeled.
look for the A/B/Z(i think)
is super simple..
make sure no lines are going around the leading edge/back of kite
find the "A"...basically make sure no other lines are sitting on top of it
then the "B".. nothing but "A" on top of it..
...and then etc.
after the 1st time it is very simple... and you dont really need the labels.

for actually launching.. there are pretty good videos onlibe from flysurfer and ozone.
also adventurelogs has a video launching an 8m..


i'm probably a wimpy launcher..
but i set lines at 45 degrees to kite....walk fast backwards...then like keep kite backstalled to "form a wall" while kite inflates. (then launch slowly)
souls are relatively easy to launch...and are well trimmed right out of the bag
Last edited by elguapo on Sat Mar 30, 2019 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby jakemoore » Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:36 pm

If you come to Corpus Christi I’ll help you out for a change to ride the 6 soul. Guaranteed wind this time of year.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby TomW » Mon Apr 01, 2019 6:48 pm

Bigsky,
Lay kite out, one tip into wind, bridels up and sand it well.

Hopefully your bar is connected to the bridels. If not, I recommend you do below at home or on grass or beach on a calm day, no stress.
Shake out the bridles and make sure A set is on top and clear, hold A up with one hand and lift B to clear, put A and B in one hand and lift, clear out C, then A,B,C in one hand and lift and clear Z.
The do reverse and put Z towards tip( rear line) and A towards middle ( front line).
H
Repeat other side.

If it's first time, I'd lay out lines from bar and totally untwist them.

Then do the 45 degree angle launch. Look at Gunnars videos of Ozone kites.
It's kinda scary first few times.
I actually did what's called lightwind hot launch with TE towards the wind ( sanded) at first. Made sure I didn't have too much wind.
One common error is not keeping kite sheeted in and stalled until it's inflated. Then it's fairly easy to sheet out slowly and bring kite up in control.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby grigorib » Mon Apr 01, 2019 7:41 pm

Early version of small Souls was required to be pre-inflated to fly safely.

BigSky
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Re: Help with new kites

Postby BigSky » Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:39 am

Update. I've laid the kites out several times and attached the bars and now feel I know what I'm looking for so I'm more comfortable. I've flown the 10m and 6m and I'm really loving the kites especially how much less stuff I need to bring. I'm getting better at solo launching and I have to solo land. I don't love flagging out but its really not a huge deal. Overall very pleased and I imagine it can only get better. Sold my clouds so I'm all in. Thanks for your help and comments.

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Re: Help with new kites

Postby joriws » Mon Apr 08, 2019 11:32 am

BigSky wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:39 am
I don't love flagging out but its really not a huge deal.
You could start practising towards "backstall & walking rear-lines flagging self-landing" if your beach allows that.

Basic idea is on this video:


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