Onshore wave riding

[chalks]

Thanks all for your replies.

Peter, you are quite right that the wind is much more onshore than in the Switch video. Those look like dream conditions for me! Just trying to get my head around your suggestion, which is a good one. The only problem is that the wave breaks to the right, looking at it coming in to the beach, so that I would be only hitting white water, that is if I have got what you are saying correctly.

I am still struggling with the idea of looping the kite- wouldn't that just pull me off my feet or is it just a case of technique?

[jwoodunlv]

We get dead onshore wind a lot here and if it's windy then it's best to move the kite very little. In those conditions I will steer the kite between 2 and 12 if I'm going right and 10 and 12 going left. If catching the wave heelside I turn the kite to 2 right before dropping in and keep it there while I gain speed. I will turn it to 12 right before doing a top turn and immediately turn it back hard on the drop. If it's windy enough the kite should back up as you drop in. I usually trim the kite so it backstalls when the bar is pulled all the way in. This helps it "back up" while dropping in. If the wind is too light to do that, a downloop can help on the drop in but the kite can stall very easily. In these conditions I don't turn as much and try to just ride the wave without a lot of vertical top turns. I tried some of the kite positioning in that switch video the last time I rode in side on and it definitely helps. I wasn't turning the kite enough on my bottom turns and wasn't pulling hard enough to set the kite up for my top turns. His technique allows you to get much more vertical going up the face.

[Peter_Frank]

I know exactly what you mean chalks.

Well, I do it almost opposite of what everybody is saying here.

Looping the kite is an option, but not a very good one, as it has more downsides than advantages, as you have to follow some predetermined patterns during the turns and can not change course and power "freely" IMO

When the wind is onshore, riding backside towards the shore, and then doing a full bottom turn, to hit the wave and cut back - is really awesome, although requires a lot more timing than when sideshore.

Fly the kite low when you want to carve around, REALLY low when heading in.
This is essential

Then you yank the kite for a pivot turn - and almost simultaneosly you carve around in the bottom turn.

Doing it this way, you will keep tension in the lines and also avoid it shooting up.

When you approach the wave/lip for the cutback, you have to fly the kite up and around a tiny bit beforehand - this will grow naturally so you dont ever think about it no more (basics, I know you know that, so no need to tell you...)

Of course you can never hit the wave as vertical/perpendicular as when side or sideon, but with practice it can be really fun, and AWESOME practice as more difficult.
You can ride both port and starboard tack when onshore, great, and use the "odd" waves that now and then are not straight to get an even better cutback, and both frontside and backside on the cutbacks - both are fun and actually sometimes better with the backside cutback (opposed to when sideshore)

But as said, with a 10.5m2 and onshore, fly the kite low and keep it low during the bottom turn (except for the very last part), to keep tension and ability to turn it back really fast

Most will call this "follow the kite" - but this is not true actually, not even in sideshore conditions - but that is another topic I wont get into here

Hope this is useful !

Peter

[foam-n-fibre]

Hi Chalks, yes, you're right, I was assuming that you were dealing wit wind waves also coming from the same direction, so they would be peeling to the left when looking out. If the waves are close together, like wind waves, and if not huge, I'd do like I say maybe hitting it once before it breaks, then another hit on the lip then if you can carve back toward it and pop over the white water maybe you can do it all over again on the next wave. But, if you have a long space between and a specific reef where it always breaks, this won't work so well. It is better for sandbar conditions with breaking waves across a wide beach.

Peter

[lobodomar]

Assuming medium rider weight, a 10.5 is used in ligther winds. If a decent sized wall is pushing the rider towards the kite in lighter winds, even the most agressive dingle-dangle won't work.

Throwing the kite around is standard for side-on, or onshore with stronger winds and small swell.

Of course small / decent / big swell is something subjective, and different people may have very different perceptions about it.

Looping the kite is an option, but not a very good one, as it has more downsides than advantages, as you have to follow some predetermined patterns during the turns and can not change course and power "freely" IMO

It's all about looping with slack lines for a less "puppet on a string" feeling. Done right it should actually allow for more bottom turn freedom.

[chalks]

Peter and Peter, thanks, very helpful.

Lobodomar, I have to admit that I still struggling a bit to imagine the looping scenario but that is probably inexperience- I have been kiting for three years now but tend only to be able to get out at weekends, so not a huge amount of time on the water.

Also, if it helps, I weigh 69 kilos.

So, in the typical conditions that I experience, I would be coming in port tack towards the beach with the wind cross on from my left with the kite typically at about 9. I can see a bit of a small wave on my right, downwind of me. In that scenario are you saying that I should bring the kite up to 12 then loop it down to 4 as I turn towards it? After that, won't it want to go back up to 1 ish as I want to turn on the (mushy) wave and head back the way I came from ie towards 9? Won't the kite be pulling me in the opposite direction to the one I want to go in?

Sorry for all the questions but I am having difficulty in getting my head round it! And yes, I will often be on my 10.5 trying to do this.

[chalks]

jwoodunluv, sorry missed your post- again, v helpful, thanks.

[lobodomar]

So, in the typical conditions that I experience, I would be coming in port tack towards the beach with the wind cross on from my left with the kite typically at about 9. I can see a bit of a small wave on my right, downwind of me. In that scenario are you saying that I should bring the kite up to 12 then loop it down to 4 as I turn towards it? After that, won't it want to go back up to 1 ish as I want to turn on the (mushy) wave and head back the way I came from ie towards 9? Won't the kite be pulling me in the opposite direction to the one I want to go

No need to bring it up to 12 before the loop, a bit more than 45 dg should be enough.

Yes the kite will go up after the loop, how fast will be up to you as you reengage your lines setting up for the top turn, trying to go as vertical as possible. Then you should yank the bar to the left before the top turn to throw it low to the other side, timing it so that the main pull arrives at the harness immediately after the top turn. After that, you can either continue to the left or, if the section stays open to the right, raise the kite a bit, drop downwind again and link another bottom turn + downloop.

Maybe practice in flat water first till you get the hang of it?

But, if the waves are small and the wind is more side-on than on, looping may not be really required.

[toddalbinson]

Get a Switch Element V4! Its not just Felix's technique in the above video. The kite makes onshore wave riding super fun. Guys on the beach are always complaining when its onshore wind and i'm like"dident even notice." Switch has made a wave destroyer in the V4 Element in any conditions!

[plummet]

On a side note. Its real cool in an on shore to punt off the wave do a jump then land back on the same wave. I really enjoy that!