Sat DP?

[Unimog Bob]

OK Scott,
could you read the tea leaves again and say if it will be doable at the skyway in the AM? How's the old temperature gradient lookin?

Bob

[Skyway Scott]

As Tom pointed out to me today, I have gained command over predicting the SENSOR, but pssibly not the true wind!
It wasn't blowing jack shit at the SW today, despite the ikite saying 17.
So, I did do a bang up job of nailing that sensor spike!!
However, in reality when Raul and I got there, it was 6 knots.

Good thing I am only 4 minutes away or that would get under my skin.
It did blow solid ten for about 40 minutes. I was actually quite powered up then. :P :P

Seriously though, I have noticed when the morning low and the high are 20 degrees apart, it greatly increases the odds of a decent east.
We will see.

I did get to test the low end on my new kite, though. I think its as low as any kite I have ridden (upwind no problem in 7 knots just parking the kite, on a Glide).
It's amazing how effiecient and powerful kites are these days.

Its blowing about 14 now, so lets just hope :)

[tomstock]

It just jumped to 20. If it stays past midnight, I am betting on a DP.

Strange thing is, I walked outside and it's not windy!?

hmmmmm.....maybe a pelican farted on the sensor.

[BigR]

still looks good :D :o :mrgreen:

[Skyway Scott]

Raul,

What was it at 5 45? It says 14 now. Thing is, I am planning on that ramp up again (and I am a perpetual chaser) so I am going out again, either way.

I am just curious if it said 20 a half hour ago.

[BigR]

the highest it got to was 18-21 NE 1/2 hour ago

http://ompl.marine.usf.edu/PORTS/m01010/gm01010.html

I'm going, maya is too , Lori is writng the big book :oops: :cry:

Skyway :D

[Skyway Scott]

Okay,

Thanks.

[Skyway Scott]

Sweetnees Ka Peetness :D
Great morning. Nice to see everyone out there.
Tom, Bruce, Raul and me were there early. Reminded me of 3 years ago.
Then more people kept coming as it filled in. Pretty cool. :wink:

It's just sick how good kites are getting these days.
What's really blowing my mind is that Donna and I can both ride the same light wind kite LITT in 13 knots and then another medium sized kite in 20 knots by tuning it, with both of us LITT as we trade off. She by the way, is dialed in litt, not overpowered, and me the same.

That was simply not possible 2 years ago.
Pretty cool stuff.

Also, today's 15m kites are crazy powerful and effecient. Ten knots now is actually plain fun with a good board! :P and you can ride that same power machine up to about 18 or 20. Unreal.

Hopefully we will have the same tomorrow. That'd be super sweet.

[toby wilson]

How about Amber and I put that theory to the test!?!?!? :lol:

[BigR]

Also, today's 15m kites are crazy powerful and effecient. Ten knots now is actually plain fun with a good board!


who actually ever had any fun on a 18+M kite?

[Skyway Scott]

Kites bigger than 18 suck a$$

Well, it was better than not riding, but now I am really having fun in solid 11 knots with a 15m and the right board and it actually feels pretty sweet! :D

[tomstock]

I agree... I went out on my 21m... really not having fun.. pulling like a pig and turning so slow I could barely jump it.

Went in and rigged my 15M. Was just 'ok' on my light wind board, and definately underpowered on my regular board.

Then out of nowhere Scott starts throwing 10ft jumps with no effort on his 15M Red RRD. WTF!!! I need to try that kite I am thinking to myself. So finally Scott offers and I climb into the red wagon. I was underpowered for about 5 seconds until I hit the power band of that kite (which is all up top). WHAM I am now lit out of my mind... completely overpowered :shock:

Only problem was, when I slowed down, I was underpowered again. Seemed I couldn't find the middle ground...either sinking or dragging my butt trying to slow the beast down so that I could hold an edge. I'm not kidding.. I did a jump and came in to the beach so fast that I didn't think I was going to be able to stop!

I am completely stumped by that kite.

Anyway, I went back out on my 15m and lightwind board and spent some time learning F16s. I finally started landing them when the wind came down and the water got too shallow to ride. Wow was I happy.

Overall a good day. I am thinking about buying a 15M RRD and selling my 15m, 18m, and 21m... I am assuming by Scott's riding that I would eventually get the power band figured out. I really liked the way it flew.. but it seemed like once it started pulling, pushing out the bar didn't depower it? I am also considering a waroo but am not sure of the top end.

[Skyway Scott]

It's definitely an interesting kite. Donna rode it in solid 15+ and simply had a blast on it. I thought she was gonna get whacked for sure considering it's power, but I wanted to see, so I kinda lied and told her I wasn't concerned. I was surprised how easily she handled it.

I think the trick to this kite is to do minimal sheeting on it while riding. Sheeting in only 2 inches increases the power tremendously (I stopper ball it). Alot of SLEs have huge throws (more than a foot) This kite has the smallest throw from depowered to amped of any kite I have ridden.
Even tho sheeting in increases the power a ton, the bar pressure is minimal when powered.
Donna rode it at about 40 percent power.
I think you had it AMPED, Tom!
Did you sheet out more than 3 inches?

Also, the kite really wants to go upwind, so edging it to the edge of the window is basically how to control it's power. If you bear off in (even slightly) in 13 knots while the kite is powered, you will get amped outta yo' MIND! :shock:

It's not a kite for everyone, no doubt.

[tomstock]

Yeah that was basically it... if I didn't "hold it down" and man handle it when it kicked in, it would take over and I was in for a fight with it. I think maybe the stopper was set too low. I did try to move it but it wouldn't budge? Seemed like once there is tension on the CL that stopper thing didn't want to move. Maybe I needed to get some slack in the lines before moving it.

Anyway, I'm impressed. I know the kite could have been tuned better for my weight and been perfect... wish I had messed with it. The bar pressure was almost nothing. It felt similar to the 9m Waroo... about 5 times less bar pressure than the crossbow.

Too bad they cost so darn much :(

[Skyway Scott]

To move that stopper, pull the bar in about an inch away and then push the stopper ball ---- hard.
The SS link and TD bars are much easier to move the stopper while riding.
It's still easier than locking down a thumb screw or something though.

Pray for wind tomorrow, there was zip tonight.