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Flysurfer-specific training?

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Gyre
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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby Gyre » Wed Jun 20, 2018 3:11 am

A couple other lightwind tips I've found useful in addition to all the great info above:
- Shift your weight a bit more forward on the board, it helps keep a greater length of board on the water.
- Kite not lower than 45 degrees (unless you're sining), so you use some of its pull to keep you planing and steering lightly, instead of just edging.
- Shoulders behind hips = good edge control.

All that said, I'm still not doing as well as I'd like upwind. Think I over-camber'd my kite at first with the mixer adjustment (lower wing front stalled and kite bowtied), then I backed the mixer to neutral, now I'm creeping up the C-pulley again trying to find a sweet spot.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby foilonfoil » Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:50 pm

fernmanus wrote:
Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:26 pm
Foilonfoil,

I rarely use the trim strap, perhaps once every 20 sessions. For me I find enough trim just using my arms. One thing that helps is to not use a hook, I use a Mystic or Ride Engine harness with my chicken loop attached directly to the sliding rope. This gives me lots of adjustment trim. I am 6’2” tall with an arms pan equal to my height. So, perhaps my longer than normal arms help me in that regard.
I'm playing around with adding additional length to my bar so work in progress. I have already made the jump to a "chickenloop less" setup which has brought the bar several inches closer. I'm mostly there ;) My foil is fast and apparent wind speed builds quickly and need to trim appropriately.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby PostMan » Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:19 pm

I'm not the man to do this because I don't have the time for it, but I wish someone would create an online kite coaching business: have your student put a GoPro on his/her helmet and board and go for a sesh, then analyze the riding footage, provide feedback and points, repeat. I've found reviewing my regular riding footage has pointed out lots of little mistakes and bad habits to myself and helped me improve, so it would be useful I think to have an online kiting coach.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby FLandOBX » Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:43 pm

PostMan wrote:
Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:19 pm
I'm not the man to do this because I don't have the time for it, but I wish someone would create an online kite coaching business: have your student put a GoPro on his/her helmet and board and go for a sesh, then analyze the riding footage, provide feedback and points, repeat. I've found reviewing my regular riding footage has pointed out lots of little mistakes and bad habits to myself and helped me improve, so it would be useful I think to have an online kiting coach.
Interesting idea, PostMan. I think the challenge would be getting comprehensive video. When an instructor can see the rider's position, the kite's position, the movements/timing of both rider and kite, etc., then the likelihood of providing useful instruction increases. Most GoPro footage is limited in its coverage. It might work better with an independent, stand-alone camera that records kite and rider all at once. Either way, I like the idea. :thumb:

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby joriws » Fri Jun 22, 2018 8:49 pm

Well we have 360 camera on lines close to bar. You can see everything you want.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby kiteman54 » Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:38 pm

He guys, Lots of good stuff here. I fly lots of flysurfers and agree that trimming to avoid back stall will give more power. Bar in and stalled is not more power than bar out and the kite flying fast and free. Using the depower lets you get to a comfortable position. @fernmanus where do you kite in Utah? I live in Boston but go to Alta every few years. I love to kite ski on Lake Champlain and Lake Sunapee but would really like to try the mountains.

A different way of getting the most power in the lightest winds, around 8mph, is to add rope handles to the outside lines. I used to do this with the Psycho II 26 a few year ago. set up rope handles that you can reach with the bar all the way out. What this allows you to do is to pull in one side without letting out on the other. You can get the kite to turn faster and in less space to very low. When you let both lines out and send the kite across the window you generate the maximum amount of power. You can also lean back gently and straight up and down without having to lean over.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby foilholio » Sat Jun 23, 2018 11:34 pm

And then you have ,as I just posted, backstall on the bar needed for the most advanced foil flying techniques ...

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby fernmanus » Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:44 am

@fernmanus where do you kite in Utah? I live in Boston but go to Alta every few years. I love to kite ski on Lake Champlain and Lake Sunapee but would really like to try the mountains
I assume you are asking about the snow. Utah is a Mecca for snowkiting, no one makes a journey to Utah for our water kiting (it is not bad, but there are better spots). In the winter, Skyline which is located about 2 hours south of SLC has the most consistent wind and snow conditions. Strawberry is an even better place to ride, but has fewer rideable days. The best time to come is February or March. The nice thing about Utah is you can ride the resorts on days that are not good for snowkiting (snow days or windless days). The snow kiting is so good that I don’t ski the resorts anymore. On a powder day at Alta, you are lucky to get a few laps in on a bluebird powder day, while snowkiting you get pow all day long.

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby kiteman54 » Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:48 pm

Thanks Fernmanus. I will get in touch in February or March if I head to Alta? Can you send me a link to skyline and strawberry addresses?
George

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Re: Flysurfer-specific training?

Postby Regis-de-giens » Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:52 am

Gyre wrote:
Mon Jun 11, 2018 1:40 am
fernmanus: I think I'm the only one in town here with a 21m and several times I've also been the only person having a solid session on the water (though foil boards are cutting into that! ;) But my low end just doesn't feel low enough -- when it's blowing around 10 kts I know there should be power, but I'm doing something inefficient, and I just can't see what it is. Or, a couple more knots than that, and guys on 15m tubes will be beating me -- nothing against tube kites and I'm not competing, but the math on that just seems wrong.
My two cents to above good advices....
-Tubes will "beat you "on which phase ? Waterstart and just planning staying upwind ? or upwind angle and speed ?
-Well done for trying the MT setting with more camber (case 5)
-What is your line length ? IMO standard FS line length are a bit short for light wind. Line extension (like 4-5 meters on a TT) can help you for the first phase at least.

-Triming is a good idea to gain kite flight ability and speed. I always trim in light wind specially if you have a mini-chicken loop that allows you a punctual over sheeting-in stroke.

-And then you have to apply loops for waterstart (mainly backloops with rear hand pulled at the maximium , using one hand only and bar parallel to the depower rope during the loop). If not comfortabe with loops I recommend you to turn the bar 360 degree BEFORE you launch the loop (calmly with ass in the water ). This advice helped me and also some Loop-beginner-Friends. I still often make it because
You will gain bar driving accuracy at the end of the waterstart.

-Then during ride : sinusoids but ample and low, and slightly depowered (to let the kite keep the maximum flying speed).

Keep us posted ! Always interesting to get feedbacks.


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