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Side shore wind and waves - What is your kite doing?

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:46 pm
by tswierkocki
Although there is some surf footage out there you rarely get to see what the kite is doing. I’m riding the same size board I would normally paddle surf (6’2” X 18.5) and using the smallest kite possible to get back upwind. My goal is to stay in the pocket of the wave and do a similar bottom turn and off the lip as I would without a kite. The kite gets me into the wave, allows me to pass sections, and ride waves I would normally pass on if I didn’t have a kite. Best of all I can get an amazing amount of waves in a single session.

So here is the question. Wind is side shore and you drop in and pull off a nice off the lip. Setting up for the next one the wind lulls as you pick up board speed and your lines slack as you ride towards the kite. You want to stay in the pocket of the wave but don’t have enough time to whip the kite back.

What would you do????

(Down loop the kite, ride into the flats, wait for the next section, go for it and drop your kite?)

I’m interested to hear about technique not equipment.

Thanks,

Tom

Re: Side shore wind and waves - What is your kite doing?

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:05 am
by trxdude
2009 huh, any changes on your perspective here? Guessing these days you'd make your next maneuver and not worry about your kite, because it's "drifting"... Since you seem to have a good grasp of small kites, surfing side-on, unhooked, wakeskating, and a plethora of other useful information, would you go with the Noise 8 or Fuel 9 as a wakestyle small wave surfing kite, i.e. surfing small waves, or skating the flats and small waves, 23-33 kt at 90 kg?

:bye:
Donavan

Re: Side shore wind and waves - What is your kite doing?

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 2:00 am
by tswierkocki
Probably posted that before I picked up a 7.5M Best Kahoona and 7M EH Ovando. Two completely different kites.

The Ovando was super fast and had about 2M more power than anything out there. Was so fast you could always get the kite to complete the turn before your surfboard. If you slacked the lines at all the kite was in the water. Not really an issue since you could steer it out of anything. A kite you had to chase down the line. Couldn't tether launch it so I eventually sold it.

The Kahoona was slower, really grunty, and would drift even with all four lines slack. Never liked the Kahoona on a twin tip but it cranked upwind on surfboard in very little wind and you could completely forget about the kite since it drifted so well. I would just let the kite hang out there and go for the turn. I picked up an 11.5 Kahoona and hated the kite. Always thought the 7.5 went upwind almost as we'll as the 11.5 in the same wind on a surfboard. The Kahoona didn't jump very well so I sold that one after a while.

These days I'm on 7M, 9M, and 13M 2010 Ozone C4s with the same board I would surf without a kite. They drift well, turn pretty quick, and jump very well when there are no waves. Keeps things really simple to have a kite that is fun on a wave and in flat water.

Never rode a Noise or Fuel so I can't comment on them.

-Tom