More Upwind Newbie Stuff: Getting Enough Speed

[Rascal]

Kiting is a continuous challenge Ö you learn a bunch of things every time you get onto the water.

So my quest to get upwind continues ... but I learned something recently that seems completely obvious in hindsight.

I guess experienced riders do this automatically and unconsciously, but for us newbies, before you try to head up wind, you need to make sure you are moving fast enough. If you are not moving fast enough, and over dig your edge into the water to go up wind, you will lose speed, start to sink, and the kite will fly to the side of the window where it will lose power Ö

Crazy to realize this, but till recently, I thought the only thing that effected my kite was bar pressure, I am learning that your foot position/center of gravity also effects how the kite flies. Not sure why, but I will figure that out.

Speaking to experienced riders, Iím told that the solution is to flatten your board onto the water, kind of like pushing on the excellerator on a car, when you start to feel yourself slowing, and in this way, you can regulate your speed Ö so that you are constantly regulating the angle of your board and adjusting it

Best of luck,
Rascal

[robertovillate]

IMHO the efficiency of your board is CRITICAL.

I have recently been using a Spleen 159 for teaching and my own personal riding. This board allows my students to be ripping upwind in 2 or 3 days.

Read more about it at http://www.airpadrekiteboarding.com/for ... ic.php?t=4

[wjb]

Is there any online information on this board? I did a search and came up with a couple of euro websites.

[Fassn8]

I'm a newbie as well and just started going up wind. Here's the 2 things that helped me:

1) Speed control - use your body weight to dig the board in. Choosing the right angle takes some practice. You don't have to be going super fast.

2) Sheet out a little - I was told that the single biggest mistake by newbies is over sheeting when trying to go up wind.

[robertovillate]

I'm a newbie as well and just started going up wind. Here's the 2 things that helped me:

1) Speed control - use your body weight to dig the board in. Choosing the right angle takes some practice. You don't have to be going super fast.

2) Sheet out a little - I was told that the single biggest mistake by newbies is over sheeting when trying to go up wind.

#1 In light wind you may slow yourself down too much if you edge too hard. It is important to try to generate some headway to heelp maintain apparent wind. Maintaining planing speed is a must. Bear off and work the kite if neccessary to get your board speed back and then gently edge. As in sailboat racing, my path is sometimes a subtle link of "s" turns, or scallops. Rememebr also that the wind velocity and direction is always changing and you need to compensate for that as well.

#2 Good point here, Sheeting out allows the kite to fly further forward and thus you point upwind more.

Is there any online information on this board? I did a search and came up with a couple of euro websites.

http://spleene.com/

[Proparoo]

I too am just going upwind,

Last weekend it all "clicked"

To me the singel biggest thing was to finally find that "Fine Line" between kite placement and board pressure...

It's kind of like a dance, one won't work without the other being in sync.

Try this...

Start out going strait, then turn your board downwind, then turn it up wind,

Move the kite up to 11, then down low, feel everything.... then hopefully it will clic for you too...

Boy it's great when it all works..

[Bulldog]

I'm guessing that you guys don't do snowsports, but if you do:

Edging is the same in kiting as in snowboarding/skiing; it slows you down. Pointing the board towards the kite (bearing off downwind) is the same as pointing your board/skis downhill; you speed up. If you have enough speed, you can go upwind edging on the water just like you can go uphill edging on snowboard/skis.

Once you have the back and forth of this down and you are consistently going upwind, the comparison with snow becomes less useful. For instance, when you are overpowered, edging can actually make you accelerate and going straight downwind can slow you down (at least momentarily).

[elli]

IMHO the efficiency of your board is CRITICAL.

I have recently been using a Spleen 159 for teaching and my own personal riding. This board allows my students to be ripping upwind in 2 or 3 days.

Totally with you on that. Flat rocker boards are a cheat. Ride can be little harsh though.

[robertovillate]

The Spleene 159 has 1" of rocker. The ride is so smooth you wouldn't believe it until you tried it.

Nothing harsh about this board (some may think the price is harsh?...but it is well worth it...when you consider how much your QUALITY riding time is worth???)

[elli]

You talk about the 05 or the 06 with the flexible tips?

How is the session, as good as the bigger ones?