A kiting log

G2 Attempt #4

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 02:01:57 GMT

I decided to go to the beach tonight. I stopped at the kite shop and after talking to Jeanne for 45 minutes or so I made it out to Seaside.

I knew as soon as I opened the door to the car that there was too much wind. But, the last 3 times I tried to fly there was too little... so too much wasn't going to stop me until I'd tried it. Still terrified though...

The beach was deserted... just the way I like it. I love fall, I need to go out there a lot more and take advantage of the space!

Anyway, I laid the kite out near the dunes and it filled right up like it's supposed to. I laid out the lines and realized why people like the velcro on the zipper mod... my downwind lines kept getting stuck under the kite as it flapped on the sand. But I decided I could tuck that edge under and hold it with some sand too and that worked out ok.

I pulled on the bar and up she went. I got dragged about 15 feet and never did reach the zenith. It wasn't an out of control drag... but it was strong and fast and I was a bit nervous. If I had had someone with me to grab my harness it would have been fine. But since I've never flow this kite before and didn't know what to expect I decided to land it.

Well, when I went to land it got all twisted up. It basically bow-tied itself.... one end did loops while the other end didn't.... strange! A foil kite with a harness can't do that so easily I guess.

I released it to the leash and let go of the bar... no problem, it flapped like a flag and then landed as it's supposed to. I manged to walk hand-over-hand to get to it and let the air out.

While I was unfastening the strings I realized that I had probably set it up wrong. There are 3 'pigtails' to fasten to on each end... one for the trailing edge lines, the brake lines... and two different positions for the leading edge... one says 'more bar pressure' and one says 'less bar pressure.' I think that I did the left side on 'more' and the right side on 'less.' That would explain the flipflopping!

Anyway... I didn't have too much trouble untangling the lines.. but it did kill an hour just with that one attempted launch and then putting things away.

I got the 26 SkyTiger out and flew it for a while... Plenty of wind for skudding... but with a North wind you can drag down the beach without worrying about the dunes. It's nice... but tiring.. and it was starting to get dark.

I had one guy walk up and ask me about my kite... I like when people come talk and ask questions. Usually they are just worried that I'll be blown away. :)

Went kite skating today...

Sun, 25 Jul 2004 02:53:08 GMT

The wind was gusty and lessened as the afternoon went on. Not enough to fill my G2 ... and the Hi-60 wasn't fast? enough to keep me moving on my skates. I'd get a good run (tack) here and there, but then I'd try to go upwind too much and stop.

Ohwell, still fun.

( More pictures )

Can kitesurfers start their own party?

Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:44:08 GMT

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator John Kerry kite surfs off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, July 20, 2004. Kerry has stayed for several days on the small island of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. REUTERS/Brian Snyder US ELECTION

(From here)

First day with Guerilla 2

Tue, 20 Jul 2004 01:07:36 GMT

Well the wind was just right for flying on the bay side of the island tonight... at least it would have been if I'd been able to get the kite full and up off the ground. It was probably barely blowing 5 mph (I need an aneometer!).

There isn't much beach to be found in Seaside Park.. so we headed up to the park in Lavallette. Unfortunately, the parking is permit only and we got a ticket for $31. I wonder how much a permit costs... For the future, I think launching from pedals and paddles might be possible if the wind isn't blowing towards the bridge. I don't know.... I hope I get to go out when other kite surfers are out so I can watch them.

So I spread out the kite and laid out my lines along the shore. Long story short, there wasn't enough wind to inflate the kite. If my helper hadn't held it upside down and gotten a bunch of water and wet sand into the leading edge air intake meshes it might have flown... I'm not sure. It was a learning experience.

Of course as I was packing everything up (Yikes, Sandy!) the wind picked up some and the kite was trying to prove it Could fly... but since it was sunset I didn't expect the wind to stay up anyway.

(Some pictures from the back yard)

(G2 Review with Pictures)

(Guerilla 2 photo gallery)

Hearing "Take lessons" is only so helpful

Sun, 18 Jul 2004 11:15:47 GMT

I've signed up for the ksurfschool yahoo group as well as the ksurf group... but thus far I haven't gotten very good advice from anyone there... They seem to be stuck on the mantra of "take lessons."

Fine. Lessons are indeed a good idea... But really, every time I post I feel like I have to mention that I AM taking lessons... I just want to discuss things with other kiters between lessons. And the internet is a good place for that.

It's starting to get annoying.

I got it

Sun, 18 Jul 2004 00:35:54 GMT

Its huge! 13 sq meters... With a wingspan of approximately 25 feet. Yikes!

But actually, big is safer because it means I can go out in lighter winds to start out with. If you have a kite that's too small then you'll risk have struggle in winds too strong and gusty for your experience level.

Anyway... Im hoping to get out this coming week some afternoon. Maybe up in Sea Girt near the field... There is a section of beach there that nobody uses for swimming.

Today would have been perfect, an onshore wind and not too strong... But I didn't get set up soon enough to go out before dark... And weekends are hard because So many people go to the beach.

I still have to figure out the harness. Maybe I want to send Sam's back and get a seat harness. Or get the seat harness too.

No Kite Yet!

Fri, 16 Jul 2004 19:36:38 GMT

About 2 weeks ago I finally saved up enough cash to mail a money order to Sam in WV.

He contacted me after I lost an ebay auction for the kite and offered to sell me another for the price I'd bid. I asked if I could think about it some more while I did some research and he said sure.

I ended up ordering the kite and a waist harness designed for it from him.

I mailed the check and he got it but he hadn't shipped the kite until last Wednesday or Thursday since he had to get the kite from his distributer in California.

Anyway, he says he shipped it through the post office... No tracking number.

I am quite annoyed by that... I hope nothing happens. I was paranoid enough to check Sam's feedback on ebay... The guy who won the original auction left positive feedback saying he got his kite and all was great.

I keep saying "maybe tomorrow!"

Hopefully tomorrow!

Julie's Jive

Fri, 09 Jul 2004 15:34:12 GMT

http://www.wetdawg.com/pages/wind/kiteboarding_julies_jive/column1_wd.php

Kite surfer at Seaside Heights

Thu, 08 Jul 2004 19:30:26 GMT

As Joe and I headed to "Kite Nite" in Seaside Park I saw an inflatable kite flying near the beach a few blocks North of our usual area. Joe dropped me off and I told him I'd walk up to where the rest of the group was, I wanted to check out the kite surfer.

Turned out to be an older guy (no offense to anyone), I'd say around 35-40 years old. He was flying a blue 16 sq-meter slingshot inflatable. The wind was from the South, but on-shore enough to be safe for ocean play. He was going just coming back to the beach when I saw him. He stopped and came to shore and started walking back upwind.

I caught him and walked with him for 5 minutes or so. He had a helmet on, and a PFD (yay!). Not sure what kind of board he was using, but it looked narrower than I'd expected. He said he hadn't been out in a while, so he was just practicing. He wished he had a chase boat so he wouldn't have to worry so much. As it was, he spent a lot more time walking than riding, but he was having fun.

I watched him do a water start... just arrange the board on his feet, drop the kite into the power zone, and take off. I'm sure it takes practice, but looks a lot like water skiing, or snowboarding even. I should be able to do that. :)

I wish I'd asked him what his name was... oh well, maybe he'll be out there again.

I'm going to try to set up a lesson with Dan at Extreme Windsurfing on Saturday.

Making your own kites, Foil kites, Kite Surf Travel

Sun, 16 May 2004 23:38:28 GMT

Hmmm... I need to find people who want to make stuff with me so I can get motivated to finish some of the projects I've already started....

http://web.media.mit.edu/~saul/zeroprestige/nofuture8pt5/index.html
http://web.media.mit.edu/~saul/zeroprestige/menu.htm

http://www.kitesurfari.com/store/airtimele.html - bladder source

foil kites:
http://www.gobigkahuna.com/guerilla.html
http://www.kitesurfari.com/store/kites-flysurfer-titan.html

auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3193121804

Brazil?
http://www.cumbuco.nl/Activities/Activities%20Surfing.htm

Travel
http://www.kitesurftravel.net/

Gear Wishlist

Sun, 16 May 2004 17:53:06 GMT

Litewave Designs board
(i've decided on this brand, not sure what length. they only seem to sell one style for this year)

Harness: http://www.kitesurfari.com/store/134007xx.html ?

kites kites kites: http://www.kite-surf.com has reviews

Cool pants: http://store.yahoo.com/offdal/02-skp0000.html
Litewave Designs Superlace Sandals: http://store.yahoo.com/offdal/01-lwdslce.html

Sunglasses

Another SkyTiger on eBay

Sun, 16 May 2004 14:05:48 GMT

A SkyTiger 40! Whee! No reserve either. I hope it isn't more popular than the 26 I won last week. :)

Does anyone want a 26? I will soon have 2.

Maybe I should be saving my money for kite surfing stuff... but I love my SkyTigers. Especially when they're 1/3 what they cost new! Hope I get so lucky with the water stuff.

I don't want to wait 6 days!

Day 1 - PASA lesson block 2

Sun, 16 May 2004 03:15:12 GMT

I learned how to run the lines and self-launch the 5 meter kite next. Like I said before, flying with a bar is quite a bit different when you're used to being able to 'let go with your pinkies' and have your kite float straight up. Now, I'm locked into one position so it takes a little more work. Not hard though.

After playing with the kite on land we went into the water. It was warm and shallow. I kept my hearing aids in for the first part where Ben taught me about relaunching after a crash.

Normally, the kite lands leading edge down, so it looks like a crown floating on the water. From this position you let the kite float downwind of you. Then you give it a yank and immediately walk a few steps forward to slacken the line and let the kite tip over onto its back. From this position you can bring one end up out of the water so the kite will stand on its side.

What happens next still confuses me a bit. The kite starts downwind of you, but once its on its side it will "walk" along the top of the water until it reachs the edge of the wind window. Then it will just lift right back into the air. Really neat.

When Ben was trying to teach me to relaunch we couldn't get the kite to stay in the water at all. It just wanted to go back up again. Not really a bad thing... Just made it hard to practice :)

Next was body dragging.

Its just how it sounds. You let the kite drag you through the water. Hearing aids out for this one.

I was worried at first that my neck would get really stiff since I thought I'd have to work to not sink... But in actuality, its just like dragging behind the sailboat.

Super fun. I could do that all day I think. :)

Only problem I had was when Ben told me to fly one handed and I forgot that you can't do that unless you're hooked in. I lost control and let go of the bar... Which is fine, there's a safety system.

That was one thing I understand better now, the safety wrist strap. When you drop the bar, the right line goes out but the left line is attached to your wrist. The kite loses the wind that was trapped, its shape flattens and it flutters back down.

Of course, then your lines are a bit twisted, but better to drop the bar than to get pulled into a bad situation.

Anyway, that was my lesson. Body dragging and getting good at flying the kite. Next time I'll get to try adding the board... That should be a bit more challenging.

Day 1 - Equipment

Sun, 16 May 2004 03:03:00 GMT

After Andrew finished his first lesson (he got as far as running left and right while flying the 3 meter kite), Ben asked me when I wanted to do mine. I told him Next Friday.

He said "what about this afternoon?"

I didn't hesitate too long, afterall I'd brought my wetsuit and a change of clothes, so why not?

He said hed be there all afternoon so Joe and I went to get some lunch. He took me to the famous White House Subs... Real good, but sorry, not as good as DiBella's. *sigh*

Anyway, I met Ben again and Joe took off.

We put the harness on me and did some land based stuff. I flew the 2 line 3 meter kite (Airush) for a bit and got used to the bar (my kite flying up til today has been with handles and not a bar) and used to "hooking in" with the harness.

The harness is just like windsurfers... or, a lot like that of a rock climber, but with a big metal hook on the front. I hope I don't have to shop around too hard to find one that fits... But I tried 2 today. The first was too small to reach around my hips... The second was big enough there but had no more adjustment around my thighs... But it fit a lot better wet than waddling on land. Makes sense.

The 4 line kite surfing kites are different than my 4 line SkyTiger kites are. In several ways too. Most water relaunchable kites are "inflatable" the leading edge is pumped fill of air. And there are several struts that go from the leading edge to the trailing edge to help give the kite its shape. So when it lands in the water you can get it back up again because it floats.

The lines attach differently. With 2 handles you use the top lines to steer and the bottom lines for braking or controlling the angle of attack. How much wind the kite holds. With a bar, the top lines attach to the middle and are fixed at a certain angle. The bottoms lines are for steering. You can adjust the angle of attack by making the center lines longer or shorter, but you can't change it just by tilting the handle differently. So Now I understand better why people say you have more control with handles. You really do.

But, the bar is nice because I can fly with 1 hand. Its easy to do when you are hooked in and the majority of the pull of he kite is transferred to your body rather than your arms.

Day 1 - PASA Lesson Block 1

Sun, 16 May 2004 02:49:41 GMT

I woke up this morning and it was absolutely gorgeous out. I told Joe I wanted to go down to Atlantic City to Extreme Windsurfing. Hopefully I'd get the chance to a) Meet Petra and b) see the shop. Check things out.

Petra was scheduled to be doing a beginners clinic that covered safety and learning to fly a 2 line kite on land.

Well we got there around 10 and met Petra. Unfortunately for her she only had one student, Andrew.

So she talked to another instructor, Ben and he decided to take Andrew for his first private lesson.

I was invited to sit in and listen, so I did. Why not? It was a gorgeous day to be outsode, and I'd get my safety lesson for free. :)

They went through the wind window talk on a whiteboard, and setting up the lines. Then Andrew got to fly the 2m kite. Seriously,it looked so tiny compared to mine... And mine is really only 2.5 meters (26 sqft).

Kites are measured by surface area, but I am going to just say meter rather than meters squared because its simpler. :)

They practiced flying from 12 to 2 and 12 to 10... I think Ben could have emphasized that when you're flying a bigger kite you don't want to cross the middle of the window unless the kite is at 12 o'clock. Its fun to do that, generates lots of pull... But generally good to practice staying on one side at a time since that's what you do when you're moving on a board. I learned that from my skates. They have such a short turning radius that I can change direction quite fast. Not sure about the board doing that.