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Old 10-07-2011, 10:27 PM
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tking3 tking3 is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Tampa
Posts: 10
Default Tips To Save Your Session and Undue Frustration

Save your kite session:

Following safety guidelines and using best practices proven through years of research and hard lessons, kite boarding is generally a safe water sport. These tips although not published or taught in the IKO or PASA Instructor Training Programs have proven to be key skills for keeping kiter’s on the water longer and saving undue frustrations.

#5: Look upwind
For a number of reasons this may not seem normal for many kiter’s. The kite is downwind and that’s the focus to get from point A to B. However, no matter the level of the kiter turning and looking upwind makes that task easier. When you look upwind you want to be cognizant of two important things a) differences in pressure in the area your riding and b) visible shifts in the breeze.
Looking upwind allows you to be able to begin to anticipate differences in pressure rather than just react when you’re staring downwind at the kite. For kiter’s there’s never enough wind so turn and look over your shoulder, find those spots that look dark on the water and ride towards them.

#4: Make friends before you leave the beach
Having friends on the beach is more important than just being social! New kiter’s should make connections and friends on the beach before heading out. Your more likely to get help when you really need if you’ve made a good impression as a person who is interested in being a good steward to the kiting community. Always look for an opportunity to lend a hand at the venue, even if just to ask a kiter who looks like they have a bit on at the moment “how you doing, is everything alright”.
In addition, on the days when you feel like your session was tough or you didn’t have such a good go, you’ll learn the most from talking it over with your peers. So kite safe, kite smart, kite friendly and you’ll progress quickly!

#3: Stay alert
Kite accidents are not only a function of a lack of experience in high winds, but also when the conditions are in the extremes. Extreme temperatures, long sessions and fatigue from lack of proper hydration and food increase the likely hood that you’re not at peak performance. Inhibited judgment due to the elements is more of a liability than going out when the breeze and surf is at its biggest!
It’s best to take breaks, go over your sessions throughout the day and re evaluate your ability to continue to kite safe. Drink, eat and rest! Before a big day eat right and get more sleep than you think! It’s that important!

These last two points are best practiced before the conditions get hairy. They are most often used in the extremes when kiting is at its toughest: It’s become apart of normal discussions and lessons for Florida Boarder Kite boarding Instructors to introduce these skills to students.

#2: What to do when your kite inverts on the water
First and foremost make sure that you’re attached to your Center Line Safety System (CCS). If the kite is in the air, bring it down to the water and activate the CCS. Most times, the kite will un-invert itself.
However, sometimes more often than not when you go to re-launch your kite the inside and steering lines will have a cross in them. No biggie!
Safely land your kite on the beach. Before you re-run your lines think can this be fixed any other way? When you left the beach the kite was correctly rigged, any crosses that happened due to the kite inverting can be reversed at the bar. Correct!
Grab a hold of a steering line and a centerline. Determine which way you have to pass the steering line through the centerline to get the lines straight. Once you have a good grasp on that, pass the entire bar through the centerlines. It may take a couple of tries to see exactly how to get them straight. Take your time and if it doesn’t look right just reverse what you did and repeat.
Once straight, twist the bar as if it were the throttle to a motorcycle. The chicken loop and centerlines below the bar will now be unwrapped from the bar. This will be the final step to get you back to base and riding!
It’ important to take your time when you’re doing this! If your on the water you want to be very comfortable with the kite, as you’ll have to unhook and control the kite with only your hands. It’s of the utmost importance that the kite is depowered and at the edge of the wind window.

#1: How to do the reverse launch
This last tip is used when the breeze dies and its impossible to get the to re-launch from the water. When the kite lands leading edge down grab a hold of the steering lines about arms length from the bar when it fully eased. Use both hands to pull together. Create apparent wind to get the kite to generate lift, if you do properly the kite will begin to fly backwards off the water. Release one steering line and fly the kite up to 12 o clock. Keep the kite moving and you should be able to make it back to the beach without too much trouble.

Ride safe, ride smart, ride friendly and your sessions will be productive and free of frustrations!
http://www.floridaboarder.com
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