Slowing Upwind

[MRob]

Hoping to get a little advice. I'm just picking up kiteboarding, I'm on the board and riding and just starting holding my own going upwind. The problem I have is that I have a hard time slowing down while riding upwind. I get cranking and just can't seem to get the edge dug in enough and then have to bail off the board. What do I need to be doing differently?

[wjb]

You are probably bending forward at the waist and not able to get enough leverage against the rail of your board

[windhorny]

Normally when you are overpowered and want to slow down, you over edge upwind while flying the kite really low to help keep your edge. So something doesn't make sense. Maybe you aren't going upwind but more a strong beam reach. Assuming you have wind, the fastest point of sail is just that. You are resisting the kite which keeps tension in the lines and actually helps you go faster and faster.

So my answer is, either veer off downwind, or really try and push that back foot down to stall out the board more. Normally beginners do this, they try to go upwind too much and end up stalling teh kite and board. So if going too fast is your problem, you got it made!

Learning to jump is also another way to feel comfortable going too fast as you just jump and you will come to a nice halt when you hit the water.

Maybe that helps?

[NewBkiter]

I just pictured coming to a halt like slamming into a brick wall. ](*,) OOF!

Amusing in a cartoony way but I sure hope thats not the case when I first have lift off!

[adamrod]

obvious question: have you considered letting the bar OUT? (a lot of beginners grab the bar with a deathgrip and sheet in all the way and forget when they want to slow down that they can, you know, sheet out). also, you can often point higher upwind with the kite sheeted out a bit as well.

also, how much do you weigh and what size board are you on? a lot of beginners start on a really big boards but once they're edging, they can't hold their edge. but i really doubt that's the issue...

my final suggestion is just to man up and edge harder. really stomp on that back foot. you'll slow down just fine.

[Bulldog]

Along the lines of Adam's post, and maybe a logical progression, is that you may be ready to shift down a kite size for the wind you are riding in. While learning to go upwind there is a tendency to want to bigger kite (MORE POWER!) but eventually too much kite will be counterproductive in several different possible ways.

If you are sheeted all the way out then this would be the next logical step.

Go Smaller!