tips on getting up.
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 18:42
Ineed help getting up. I dive the kite down and get up out of the water for 10 yards or so but as I steer the kite back up I loose speed and sink back in the water. Im not sure if I'm not going down wind enough or cutting upwind soon enough. Or if I'm not bringing the kite up soon enough
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 18:57
#1
It depends a lot on how much
It depends a lot on how much wind you"ve got. If your a beginner, getting up in wind where you have to pump the kite numerous times will be much more difficult. But If you have more than enough power usually one stroke and sheeting in does it for me. If you do have to pump the kite and you sink in to the water when your trying to do so, try choking out to either ends of the bar and do much more dramatic movements with the kite. If your in wind where you have to pump it a lot, you can really over pump it, be agressive if your having difficuty getting up to speed, then keep more weight on your back foot and point your board to go up wind.
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 19:09
#2
Sounds like you are stalling
Sounds like you are stalling the kite by trying to carve upwind to hard before you are moving. Try not pulling the bar in as far (or letting it out a bit as the kite climbs), and bear downwind till you build up some speed.
More wind or a bigger kite would help too.
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 19:30
#3
Make sure
Make sure your initial power stroke is strong and goes all the way down. I've seen many people learning hesitate and not dive the kite hard enough. As others said, watch how hard your edge. As you bring your kite up, go down wind until you build up enough speed to hold a good edge.
What size kite are you flying?
How big is your board?
How much do you weigh and how strong was the wind?
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 20:28
#4
No easy answer, just keep practicing.
No easy answer but my guess is that you just need to practice. One idea is to practice the kite motion you need without the board, just in a down wind body drag in order to get muscle memory.
All of that said, my guess is that if you are getting up you are very close and will get it on your next outing or at worst one after that. Then you will be asking about (1) how to control your speed because you are going down wind or (b) keeping your speed up and not stalling because you are edging too hard up wind.
I have found the learning curve to be more like a step function, things are hard until they are easy and then you move on to the next skill.
Thu, 08/05/2010 - 08:08
#5
I know exactly what you are doing wrong
Point your board downwind more before you start and stop trying to go upwind right away. Get your board speed up before you start leaning back to point your board up wind.
Thu, 08/05/2010 - 09:28
#6
wind direction
I agree with Skipper - from my limited experience I've found that stalling out after a waterstart usually happens because I'm heading upwind. Make sure you note the wind direction and think about which way would be downwind vs. upwind & once you get planed up on the water keep up your speed by heading towards the kite. At this point your kite is low in the window so push out the bar to send it up again and keep up apparent wind and speed, and turn your board perpendicular to the wind.
Thu, 08/05/2010 - 13:52
#8
short learning curve
You have only been out two times, one of those ( 14 mph ) in marginal conditions. Be patient with it, you will get it. A second day with good conditions and you will be up and riding.
Thu, 08/05/2010 - 14:10
#9
I'm dealing with the exact
I'm dealing with the exact same situation as you; I've taken a couple of lessons, but at best have basically stood up and sunk back down. I'm actually working on setting up a lesson with Skipper sometime in the next week. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll both be up and riding soon! 
I have gone out 2 times so far with not much luck. I am probably not going down wind enough. The first time was about 14mph on my 15m (I'm about 200lbs) the other day was 20mph winds on my 12m.
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