Upwind riding tips for beginners.
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 10:27
Part of learning to kite better after a lesson I've seen many beginners having a tough time going up wind and edging. Here are a few easy steps to get you going upwind right away:
1) Being powered up with the right size and kind of kite is key. To often many newbies often put up or purchase a smaller kite than what they should be riding with. Ex: "I'm just gonna buy a small kite to learn on" WRONG this is the wrong idea. Use the right size kite that you will get the most use of for the local conditions.
2) Stance is the second if not first and most important part of learning to ride upwind. Your forward leg should be almost straight and your back leg should be bent shifting your weight towards the back part of your board depending on your direction. Either way you ride your feet should always be in front of you. If you are standing up straight with your rump sticking out like you are squatting to take a dump you will go over the board for a wipe out down wash out lane.
3) Turn your hips towards the direction you want to go after you have acheived a plane on the water just coming out of the starting position. Use your body weight (center of gravity) by leaning back allowing the kite to support you while keeping the board a bit ahead of your center of gravity.
4) Kite position is also a key factor and important part of the equation. If your kite is too high often as a beginner you will stand up straight on the board and allow yourself to get pulled off your edge and get pulled downwind. Often times when you have done this you are most definitely almost on the beach or shore line. Keep your kite at about 40-45 degrees initially and if the wind gets gusty bring it lower and point your board upwind lowering your center of gravity towards the water. This will prevent you from accelerating out of control downwind with your kite over head and taking out other kiters.
Hope this little bit of information helps all you new kiters go upwind better. If any of you need more coaching I am happy to book a lesson with you on any specific topic that you wish to cover. I offer clinic ala carte style clinics on tips to ride better. They are not the full cost of a lesson but are more specific for things you quite can't figure out.
If anyone is interested in booking a lesson or have a clinic topic that you are interested in give me a call:
Flight Factory Kite School
(781) 608-2020
email: learn2kitenow@yahoo.com
or you can just send me a PM
Share the stoke!
Wed, 05/27/2009 - 00:09
#1
Nice to see good material in a post!
Thank Skipper! Made me think though about the right size kite and I felt that way too. I would feel good with my 15m at first vs my 11m prior to my new quiver and having found lightwind options (skim and surf) then finally the lightwind board. http://www.masskiting.com/forum/light-wind-and-new-rider-board-option
Wed, 05/27/2009 - 08:53
#2
Thanks for the tip.
Some questions on riding up wind.
What type of angles of attack is acheivable?, typically comfortable? How much does the agle vary based on wind, kite, board, rider skill? I am just up and riding, day 4 on the board. I am able to ride moderately up wind going goofy footed (right foot leading) but not yet regular footed. I notice when trying to ride up wind regular footed I tend to stall the kite perhaps overdoing it, this causes me to bring the kite up and point down wind again to get back up on a plane.
Also, on a net basis I lose ground, this seems mostly because my transitions seem to cost me 20 - 50 meters. In a big enough area, I can run wide enough reaches to make up this ground but in a small area like Waquoit Bay I can't seem to make up these losses and find myself doing the walk back up the beach after 5 or so transitions. Any tips on making turns without restarting or losing as much ground would also be great.
I have been told that I will develop a feel for the right angles as well as more efficient turns with experience but any tips that can help accelerate the process would be greatly appreciated. If I can spend less time and energy walking, I can spend more of these riding.
Thanks
Pete
Wed, 05/27/2009 - 09:01
#3
Excellent info for newbie
Skipper,
Nice posting for the newbie's.. Since I was getting on my board this weekend thanks to "JZ" for allowing me to use his board all the tips you provided will help me for the next session..
Hope to see you soon on the water :_))
Den
Mon, 07/13/2009 - 12:11
#5
Thanks for the Tips
This post is great! I was able to get on the board thanks to you this week-end and can't wait to go back and try to apply these recommendation. Hope we will be able to have some good after-work session this week!
Cedric
Tue, 07/21/2009 - 11:01
#6
Cedric Keep at it
petitbatteur wrote:
This post is great! I was able to get on the board thanks to you this week-end and can't wait to go back and try to apply these recommendation. Hope we will be able to have some good after-work session this week!
Cedric
Hi Cedric,
It's me Skipper (Dave). Keep at it with your practice and am glad this post has helped you.
Mon, 07/13/2009 - 13:59
#7
Thanks for the tips
Thanks for the tips. I got a good dose of not being adequately powered up this weekend. I was at WB on saturday where I am sure the wind picked up after I left aroud 1800. Before then I was "riding" in 5 to 10 knot winds out of the south.
It was a tough day to try and find the balance between stalling the kite and riding up wind as I was barely getting up and staying on the board.
I suppose I learned something along with the walking back up the shore.
Some questions on riding up wind.
"What type of angles of attack is acheivable?, typically comfortable? How much does the agle vary based on wind, kite, board, rider skill? I am just up and riding, day 4 on the board. I am able to ride moderately up wind going goofy footed (right foot leading) but not yet regular footed. I notice when trying to ride up wind regular footed I tend to stall the kite perhaps overdoing it, this causes me to bring the kite up and point down wind again to get back up on a plane."
Okay for the first part you are stalling the kite riding regular footed...means that you are trying too much to go upwind where the wind and kite won't permit it. You are choking your kite too much. The key is gaining more speed which means head down wind to rebuild your board speed and then start to edge. If you stall again let your kite breathe which means straighten up your stance (stand up & point board down wind) to get speed and edge when you have more speed. It's a give and take but the key to going up wind in any direction when winds aren't quite enough is distance. You may have to go out further to tack to get back upwind. If those techniques don't work you are probably under powered with your kite. Power is the key for going up wind.
"Also, on a net basis I lose ground, this seems mostly because my transitions seem to cost me 20 - 50 meters. In a big enough area, I can run wide enough reaches to make up this ground but in a small area like Waquoit Bay I can't seem to make up these losses and find myself doing the walk back up the beach after 5 or so transitions. Any tips on making turns without restarting or losing as much ground would also be great."
To not loose too much ground in a transition I tend to point my board up wind as much as possible to the moment to where I stall but not the kite. You are taking too much time to match your kite and board in the same direction when your kite should follow your shift. I think you are just not shifting your hips to the direction you want to go right away. Shift your hips first then follow through with your kite. I think you are pointing your board down wind way too much. Try and be a little more aggressive in your hip shifting.
I" have been told that I will develop a feel for the right angles as well as more efficient turns with experience but any tips that can help accelerate the process would be greatly appreciated. If I can spend less time and energy walking, I can spend more of these riding."
Kiteboarding and riding up wind to transitions is a balancing act. You will develop your sense of balance with more practice and the right sized kite.
Skipper
Thanks
Pete
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