Why do I lose speed when.

[Air_Pharaoh]

When I switch from riding with 2 hands to holding the bar with 1. What can I be doing wrong? I don't feel like the kite is moving up to 12. I feel like i start losing tension in the lines a bit. Could it be my stance?? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[icebird]

Most likely because the bar pressure is something you get a feel for, and when you only have one hand, you ease out the bar to get the natural bar pressure. Then you loose power.

The other is that with one hand you have your hand closer to the center, thus have less leverage to steer the kite and you also only have the steering force of one hand. So it is easier for the kite to get away from you and you react slower because you apply the same steering force as before, when you had two hands to work for you. So the kite does not move the way you intuitively expect. With the kite running away upwards, you obviously loose forward traction.

Also with only the upper hand you may involuntarily be applying steering force upwards - in the kite stalling thread it was suggested that you remove the back hand during a jump to help steer the kite forward. Same principle at work here.

I should add that moving both hands to the center normally adds stability because it is more difficult to move the kite out of position during a trick, but in this case I think it delays response to a kite already on a mission and also adds unintended steering input.

In other words, you have to ride a bit longer with one hand to automatically compensate for these factors.

I'd say it is easier to have a good forward facing body position with only one hand on the bar, so that is probably not the main concern here.

Toside riding is normally done with one hand because of the twisted body position. And the issues you mention contribute to make toeside riding more difficult than normal heel side riding.

[plummet]

It could be that you are actively flying the kite with 2 hands and then move to parked when with one. Or let the bar out to much.
Or maybe you twist your body and angle too far upwind loose speed slow down and stop

[edt]

get someone to look at you, could be anything, riding downwind riding upwind because you are looking a the kite instead of where you're going, pulling in the bar letting the bar out losing your edge edging too hard

[toyletbowl]

This is one of my pet peeves of riders who always ride one handed. If you want to ride better, ride with 2 hands on the bar. You will ride better if riding with both hands on the bar most of the time. Trust me.

Let me explain. Riding one handed opens up your body to the direction you are going and it also let's you sheet out more because your shoulders just opened up, so the bar will be further away. So you end up riding too much upwind and slower.

If you put 2 hands on the bar, you'll ride a little more square and faster and learn to go upwind more with edging instead of just relying on the depower of the kite.

The only time I take my hand off the bar is if it's so overpowering that I have to slow down and just muddle upwind. Otherwise, both hands on the bar and I work on my stance, edging, etc. to get upwind.

Hope this helps,

Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com

[edt]

u'll never handle pass or board off if u dont minimum learn to fly the kite one handed. You can drive a car better too with hands at 10 and 2 o'clock and who does that?

[TommyDuotone]

Good luck on riding a wave with two hands on the bar all the time.

[plummet]

sure if your underpowered and need to sign the kite then yes 2 hands. But parked upwind blasting does not need 2 hands. In fact I quite enjoy an upwind one handed charge. You can get a good body position. good lean and good angle.

Plus its cooler to watch from the beach. Not many 1 handed poo stance riders.

[Air_Pharaoh]

Thank you all for the advice.

@toyletbowl: I usually ride with 2 hands but riding toeside you kind of need to use one hand.

[edt]

Thank you all for the advice.

@toyletbowl: I usually ride with 2 hands but riding toeside you kind of need to use one hand.

if you are riding one handed so you can ride toe side I can tell you what's wrong most beginners arent able to resist how the harness twists them loosen your harness so the spreader rotates around to the side