How do you handle sea weed ?

[Peter_Frank]

If you change to swept fins, your performance and ability to foil will be so bad, that nobody seem to do this on full raceboards (I've talked to some of the best kite racers here who confirms this).

So when you got loads of sea weed for an event - how do you cope with that ?

Just let the kite plow through ?
Jumping and trying to get rid of it in the air ?
Dropping backwards in the water and just wait ?
Dropping backwards in the water and turn the board or clear the fins with your hand ?
Or ?

Peter Frank

PS: On freerace boards it is very different, and anti sea weed fins are used - but that is not the question here....

[lander]

Well you came with all the answers yourself

Seaweed sucks on a raceboard. It is very hard for the legs to stand against it, and you cant really trust the board.

So just try to avoid it, or try the different solutions like you mentioned, and be happy that you are on the water instead of watching tv.

An event with seaweed would not be the best choice of location but at least equal for everyone...

[gmb13]

If you change to swept fins, your performance and ability to foil will be so bad, that nobody seem to do this on full raceboards (I've talked to some of the best kite racers here who confirms this).

So when you got loads of sea weed for an event - how do you cope with that ?

Just let the kite plow through ?
Jumping and trying to get rid of it in the air ?
Dropping backwards in the water and just wait ?
Dropping backwards in the water and turn the board or clear the fins with your hand ?
Or ?

Peter Frank

PS: On freerace boards it is very different, and anti sea weed fins are used - but that is not the question here....

Yes. Seeweed is the bane of my existence and cost me the 2011 German Championship.

There is nothing much you can do about it. Try to avoid the thicker patches if you can identify where they are.

If you do have weeds hanging off your fins, you can try to jump, tack early or in worst case if it really is a big bunch stop and remove them by hand.

--
Gunnar

[Hawaiis]

I usually have them with sesame oil and soy sauce.

[KristianE]

This is something where rules could make sense. Just ban fins with a rake angle smaller than 40 degrees for competitions in areas with weed !

Does it make sense to replace a three-fin setup with a dual weed setup? That is the extra area and backward center of lift characteristic for weed fins could compensate for the lack of a rear fin?

[Adam S]

This is something where rules could make sense. Just ban fins with a rake angle smaller than 40 degrees for competitions in areas with weed !

Does it make sense to replace a three-fin setup with a dual weed setup? That is the extra area and backward center of lift characteristic for weed fins could compensate for the lack of a rear fin?

No it doesn't,. It doesn't work with raceboards.