i try and give you a more detailled instruction on how to restart:

step one: the kite dropped. it is lying fronttube down, exactly downwind of ya and pulling downwind like a sail. this is where we start.

step two: flipping the kite:
now you grab the depower-lines,
give them a hard pull and then release. the kite is pulled towards you and then has suddenly the possibility to travel downwind again. this will cause him to flip on its back. tips facing skyward.

step three: getting it to one side:
now, the kite lying like this, you pull one of the brakelines (located left and right @ the bar) for about 2m.
when the kite is lying there, you can see how it reacts - if nothing happens, try the other line. the kite now starts to travel into starting position. don't swim against it, just let yourself float. when the kite reaches 90° to the wind, one of the tips will rise on its own and the kite will start.

sometimes it may happen that the kite wants to start earlier - this mostly leads directly to step 1 ... if it's @ 90° to the wind, it will just rise sideways like it does when the guy at the beach helps you starting.



ok ?

this should work in 3-4bft

Thanks Murdoc..
I'll give that a try.. Im heading to lake for the weekend.. Think wind for me...YOu know as you describe the kite beeing tube down in the water I've used a diffrent technique by pulling both out side lines... This would launch kite backwords and rotate it to leading edge up... Check out http://www.KITESNOWBOARD.COM there is a small vidio clip there... I normally wont launch the kite out of air like it show's.. Id just let it flip and come back down.. And then go from there... but getting the kite to the side of the window I have not tried.. So I will let you guys know how it went next tuesday... By the way is it not safe to launch the way this vidio clip shows?
SKY HIGH
Steve

well ... if you do that with an airblast 10.0 in 6bft, you know it
it's a good sollution for low wind.
but most people fly the airblast 8.4 in a windrange of 5.5 to 7 bft - where you surely don't want to launch a kite directly in the powerzone!

Hi Murdoc. You say :

<< now you grab the depower-lines, give them a hard pull and then release. the kite is pulled towards you and then has suddenly the possibility to travel downwind again. this will cause him to flip on its back. tips facing skyward. >>

I've been trying that with my 18m2, but frankly, after I pulled the lines and let go, I systematically found myself back in situation "step-1" (tube down, kite pulling me downwind).

The story is much different with the 12m2, where some left/right pulling and swimming towards the kite eventually brings me into your "Step-3", followed by restart.
What would you recommend to do with the "big" kites (except *avoid* to let it down )

Thanks,
j.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jido on 2002-05-28 03:33 ]</font>

i personally would use a 5th line to restart the kite backwards.

if the kite won't flip - try a bit - like pulling the lines a few meters towards you, then give em a hard one ans suddenly release, swimming downwind as fast as possible WITHOUT
getting yourself into some bondage-action

if the kite won't flip over then - you got a problem ...

the bigger the kite and less wind you have to pull in more and more. But be carefull, since they lines can easily wrap around you.

Maybe atthe begining when you drop the kite more, use a 5th line. With it the restart is no problem and the line is not in the way at all.

Toby

This routine of pulling the center lines to flip it over also works for the 15.1

You should always wear a life-jacket when doing this as a beginner!!!

A friend of mine was pulling in the lines, and they tangled around one leg, then around the other leg, and then also around one arm. So he was in deep water having only one arm free. It took him more than an hour to get back to the beach that way. He said that having the life-jacket on saved his life.

Greg

if you have a safety leash going to one of the front lines.... wipika/takoon/x2 style then pull on this because it puts tension on only one of the front lines (depower lines) whilst swimming to the right (if leash is attached to left depower line. this flips the kite onto its back/side more easily.