So I am a new rider, with a used 2007/8 Slingshot TD2 14m. I am just getting up on the board, and have had a problem twice now with the kite inverting.
Situation was that I started planeing, and was distracted or whatever, I am new so a lot of things going on at once learning in surf. Take a hop, lose my balance and start to fall, in the process kite starts to loop. I try to follow through with the loop, kite depowered all the way, rather than hammer it down into the surf. Leading edge collapses and the center portion of the kite inverts wrapping the trailing edge around the leading edge in a sort of W shape that is not easily undone while inflated even once back on land, let alone in the water. I then threw my chicken loop, wrapped up the lines and had to kick back to shore for maybe 20 minutes. Could not self rescue due to the type of inversion.
I am fairly sure the kite is well inflated. I have seen people mention over inflating these older bow kites to 10psi to help prevent this issue. I am getting a gauge, but I had it really stiff, pump getting hard to push.
This kite has a 2:1 bar and pulleys, I have read they cause this sort of problem to be more likely to happen when depowering a fast moving kite.
The line length seem good stretch wise, but I have not seen much about tuning 2:1 kites. I am using the center knots on all lines, and not trimming the depower at all, leaving it full length (I have long arms).
Should I have let the kite crash rather than try to loop it?
Anyway, looking for any and all advice. I may go back to an instructor that will work with me while I use my own equipment, but I would like to hear what you all have to say as well.