Lightwind gybing

[Flyboy]

I'm using 3 strut wave kites. My largest kite, an 11m, will get me going well in pretty light wind - perhaps 9 - 10 knots. The problem comes with gybing. It's very hard to keep the kite from stalling during the gybe. I'm not sure that speed of the kite through the turn isn't more important than the weight of the kite. How is gybing a high aspect foil kite, which obviously turns very slowly? What about low aspect strut less or single strut kites?

[davesails7]

What type of jibe are you doing now? Do you downloop? Do you switch your feet?

I don't think turning speed of large foil kites is an issue for jibing. I have no problem downlooping my 18m VMG on 15m lines through a jibe in wind where i can barely get up on foil.

[Flyboy]

I'm doing a gybe kind of a jibe.

Gybing both heel to toe & toe to heel. I'm not downlooping, so that may be my problem.

I like to power into a gybe (especially toe to heel) with the kite low & carving hard. This obviously does not work in light wind where I have to bring the kite up, but turning it through the apex & bringing it down successfully is hit or miss in light wind as you start moving towards the kite. I have no reason to downloop in stronger wind ... & reluctant to try in light wind because I know I'll end up dropping the kite. I guess I need to practice in stronger wind. Any tips for how to initiate the carve in conjunction with the downloop?

[Kamikuza]

Bring the kite up as you edge upwind a little, then gybe as you dive/redirect the kite.

When you downloop, let the kite run across the bottom of the window to build speed then sheet in...

Something like this works for me: start about 20 seconds in

[Peter_Frank]

Not sure I understand your definitions?

When you say heel to toe, do you mean you carve from heelside around to toeside, and switch feet to make a jibe?

You dont need to downloop, in fact it is more risky in light wind, as you might ditch the kite if you get slack lines.

Has been discussed many times before, if you search you will find many threads.

Doesnt matter if a tube kite or foil kite.

Or a heavier or lighter tube kite.

My take on it, is still:

Use longer lines 28 to 30 meter.

Keep kite low before the carve, and quite hard upwind.

Then fly the kite up and around, while you in sync carve around downwind, as tight as possible so lines dont go slack.
The longer lines will keep lines tight for much longer during the turn and arc.

When you are on the new tack, the kite should have passed 12 and be on its way down in the new direction, so giving power.

You can now switch your feet with a tad of help from the kite pull, easy.

Peter

[bragnouff]

Downlooping always helps with a turn as gravity works with the kite instead of against it. And you end up with a longer powerstroke out of your turn. If you're proficient in downlooping on surfboards or TT, there won't be much mystery to doing it on the foil.
If anything, heel to toe is slightly more sensitive than toe to heel, as it is arguably a bit less natural to turn tighter. So there's a greatest risk of riding towards the kite a bit too much or for a bit too long, and loosing steering while the kite is pointed down. It's probably better to exaggerate your steering so that the kite loops fully.
When it's light, you have to initiate the downloop with the kite pretty high, and you can use that preliminary phase of moving the kite up to do your foot switch.

[Kitetwin-1]

Lots of good advice, what works imo is pre jibe foot switch followed by a down loop. Once you get this down you will be amazed at how little wind you need

[TheJoe]

I find it easier to downloop the kite like everyone else is saying. But since your moving the kite overhead are you carving hard upwind before initiating the downwind turn of the board? This is important to place kite deeper in the wind window so it does not stall out by slacking out mid jibe.

I downloop most of the time. I only go over head with kite when I'm really powered up. I'm all so on a 3 strut kite but it is the new North Reach and the kite is very light in the air.

[Kamikuza]

I find it easier to downloop the kite like everyone else is saying. But since your moving the kite overhead are you carving hard upwind before initiating the downwind turn of the board? This is important to place kite deeper in the wind window so it does not stall out by slacking out mid jibe.

I downloop most of the time. I only go over head with kite when I'm really powered up. I'm all so on a 3 strut kite but it is the new North Reach and the kite is very light in the air.

It's about keeping enough tension in the lines. Bear upwind as much as you can without killing speed, but keeping the kite loaded.

[TheJoe]

I find it easier to downloop the kite like everyone else is saying. But since your moving the kite overhead are you carving hard upwind before initiating the downwind turn of the board? This is important to place kite deeper in the wind window so it does not stall out by slacking out mid jibe.

I downloop most of the time. I only go over head with kite when I'm really powered up. I'm all so on a 3 strut kite but it is the new North Reach and the kite is very light in the air.

It's about keeping enough tension in the lines. Bear upwind as much as you can without killing speed, but keeping the kite loaded.

Yeah I was struggling with this at first using my old Xr's which made it even worse of a problem. They fly so far forward in the window that I would never have anything in the kite when I got threw the turn.