wahoo waroo - a beginner's review

[FlyinElvis]

you asked for it, here it is. You don't get any more beginner than me. I took lessons and made it up to a 4m LEI last summer. Lots of time on a foil kite over the winter. This winter, I bought a 12m waroo. Today was my first flight.

I need to thank Kinsley for posting all that he has on these. And all of the Best crew too. It helps (though I would still like to see a video/manual -- i'll get to that).

The first flight, I rigged the rear bridle at the 2nd knot from the end. I figured this would lenghten the rear lines and offer less power to the kite. In addition, I rigged the depower strap to have basically no power. When I launched, the kite didn't want to fly easily. I worked it up, and then tuned the depower strap to have a little more mmmph. I liked it where the kite would fully depower at about 1/2-3/4 of the way out with the bar. I know this isn't optimal, but it removed the fear for me. I went out and body dragged just to get a good feel for the response of the kite, etc. Got cold, came back in.

The second flight, I moved the rear bridle lines to the 3rd knot from the end (where kinsley recommended). When I launched, the kite had a lot more power and seemed quicker. I had to play with the depower strap again until I got it to a comfortable place. At first, there was too much power for me, but I finally got it tuned to about the same place...about 1/2-3/4 release of the bar shut the kite down. This allowed me to just relax my arms a bit to begin slowing the kite down, and yet have plenty of power with the bar pulled all the way in. I took my board out the 2nd time and actually cruised a bit out. I have a directional board, so rather than messing with turning the board around, I stopped at a reasonable distance, then board drug/walked back in and did it again.

I crashed the kite twice the 2nd time out. Both times, I was messing with getting in the board. Each time, by the time I faced the kite, it was sitting on one edge waiting to be launched. I rocked the bar a little bit to free the water off of the edge, and it lifted gently in the sky. Easier to relaunch than my foil kite.

My 2nd time out, I could park the kite and just let it pulll me. I felt like I had it adjusted perfectly for the wind, which had picked up a bit on the 2nd time out.

I have to say, this is a great kite/bar combination. I don't have a lot of experience (none) with any other brands, but it was so easy for me to grasp.

A manual would be great for all the settings there are. There are 6 knots on the rear bridle. Does it get quicker/more power the further up you go? How far is too far? What about the knots on the rear line at the handle? If I lengthen, does the kite get slower? What about the depower strap? Where is optimal? etc... I don't really feel like these are necessarily "beginner" questions, though I could be wrong. It's more of how to get the most out of the kite.

the Waroo rocks. I mean it really rocks. I'm stoked.
-brett

[ryansurf1]

brett....welcome to the addiction...whatever kite you fly.

As for the knots. Here is the concept. Learn it, live it, love it. They are just knots! There only purpose is to lengthn or shorten the lines. Simple as that. If you attach the rear lines at the knots further up the leader lines (away from the bar) the line length becomes longer relative to the front lines. Same goes for the knots at the kite. Same thing for the front lines. What you are doing is modifying the relative line lengths for the front and rear lines....relative to each other. That is what the depower strap does also.

ie. when you hooked your lines at a differnt knot (second or third) on the rear of the kite, it didn't matter as you then adjusted the depower strap more or less to get the same 1/2 to 3/4 off switch for power. This is a critcal concept to learn no matter what level you are. All kites, models, bars, lines are different. Master this simple concept and it is all good.

The kite will turn quicker with more tension on the rear lines.

This being said. I am not very familiar with the Waroo setup, but i do understand that the rear attachment has a type of V attachment with knots on the rear of the kite. Where you attach on this kite also determines how the kite turns. Talk to Kinsley for a better explanation.

Also turn that damn board around! You will have to do it eventually. enjoy.

[vinnya42]

Brett I am brand new beginner and found my 9m Waroo has so much power that I was setting the bar to depower at about 3/4 of the way out.

It handles so smoothly and I found it sitting the edge of the power window waiting for me aswell.

Good luck and be safe!

Vince

[sq225917]

thats about where it should be. a couple of inches shy of the bottom of the strap.