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Originally Posted by jim
I am working on my waterstarts. I usually can get up on a plane with the first dive I make of the kite but then I fall off the plane because I cant seem to keep the kite powered up. Watching people who know what they are doing it seems like the kite dives to get you out of the water, and then it is just held somewhat stationary at a certain angle and the rider is locked in and planing.
I am not sure when to sheet in or out to keep the kite powered up, or when to keep diving it to keep power. Any help would be great. Thanks.
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Here are some things that helped me through this stage.
1. Make sure you let the kite pull you up by the harness and you are not pulling in with your arms.
2. Don't worry about going upwind until you've got enough speed to keep planing.
3. Anticipate taking the kite back up after the first power stroke. What I mean by this is once you made the kite travel through the wind window on the downward stroke try steering the kite to go back up before it hits the lowest point you want it to go. This way you will generate a certain amount of lift that will keep you from stopping from planing and dropping back into the water.
4. It is only after you are planing that you can start to think about parking the kite at a particular position in the wind window and not have to move it. Depending on the wind, kite size you are using and your weight, you may have to keep the kite moving to keep going. I had several sessions where this was the case. This is not a bad thing either. It gives you a margin of safety if the winds pick up.
Keep trying - I know for me this was the hardest part of getting going. It all clicked in a session when I worked on these things. You also might try to ask a more experienced kiter if they see you doing any of these things.