Hey guys, I've been kitting for almost a year now, so by no means I'm an expert, which is why I'm seeking some advice.

I kite on the south east coast of Florida, and we get some serious waves from time to time, today was nukkin (25-35 kts) and 6'-9' footers.

I can jump ok, and land, 7 out of 10, getting into some back loops, and trying unhooking a bit, I can pop fairly descent, I can ride toeside a little (you catch my drift, not braggin, just so ya'll get a sense of where I'm at technically) I'm OK on the water. I'm 5'9" and 200lbs, so being a heavier rider, I took my 10m Switchblade out today 92011), which I don't get to do often. I was getting worked a lot on the waves, cause the stupid kite isn't turning fast enough, so I noticed that my trim strap was completely in (depowered) so I powered up, still the same thing.

I'd carve to catch a wave, it seemed that no matter how hard I'd pull to turn, the kite wasn't responding as well as I'd hope. I learned on an 12.5m Ion3, and that thing was super quick, in compare to either my 10 or 12m SB. I know my bar is perfectly tuned, cause I tweaked them 2 weeks ago, according to the Cabrinha's website.

Any ideas? I'm enjoying the waves more than freestyle, although I don't want to completely give up FS, I'm getting more into the waves (I recently ordered my first directional, still waiting), but I want a kite that's not gona leave me hanging to get worked on the wave. Seems like it dies once I get some speed on the wave.

Again I ask, cause I still consider myself a noob, and don't know if I'm doing something wrong, or what the heck is going on.

Thanks in advanced.

It's no wave kite, its not made to be fast. As soon as youll start doing handlepasses youll understand why its slow.

You can try tieing the steering line to the inner pigtail, it will make it a bit faster but nothing like a wave kite.

Ok, I get that. But the reason I got the SB is cause EVERYONE (forums, ads, shops, etc..) said, this Kite is the shit, it does it all.



I only have 2 attachements, a wakestyle, and don't remember what the other one is called, but I'm on the farthest one, closest to the wing tip, that's what you mean right? case the inner one would make it turn a bit slower if anything. right?

i was riding my 9m all day today completely depowered and it was plenty fast and drifts fine. the 12m is a little slower but still good enough. theyre not wave kites but for me they work fine in our sorta-waves we get...

what year is it? i have 2012s but ive heard they sped them up and made them more direct this year

Mine are 2011. Again I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong then. Cause a lot of times I couldn't get it to respond when down the line.

Yup, thats the one.

are you sheeting in when you steer? bow kites don't turn at all when you're sheeted out, and when youre slacking the lines it's going to steer even less until it drifts back to where you have tension. thats just how pretty much every non wave specific kite is in my experience

Yeah, is the only way I can get the kite to do anything, really, I mean in these conditions anyways. I was keeping the lines tensioned, but not too much, One time I was trying things out, I was gona get destroyed by this wave, so I looped the kite, and yanked me completely off the wave, my board, my arms (lol)

I wonder if there's something wrong with my lines or something, maybe something got whacked. I'll check it again in a couple of days when the wind dies again. But I just tweaked the lines make sure, cause I was oversheeting the kite with the previous setup.

I was talking to one of my crew on the beach today, and he mentioned the perhaps I was going to fast down the line, not allowing the kite to catch up.

IDK what's going on. Being a noob and all, learning is great fun, just not when getting pounded by waves.

I haven't flown this kite. but it sounds to me the kite you have is not designed for riding down the line.

the higher aspect they are the worse they like to go down wind.

If you loosing line tension going down the line swing your kite about to keep line tension or even loop it.

my ozone edge steering goes all to shit and is complete crap going down the line. i switch out to my c4 and it puts big grins on my face.

so... sounds like you need a different, faster better wave riding kite.

Yeah I hear ya brother, the thing is that, I want to keep my life simple (the least amount of gear possible) that's why I quit windsurfing, too much gear, and don't want to have 4 kite, 2 for waves 2 for freestyle; trying to find a happy middle. I may just have to get busy pumping the kite some to keep more tension while riding down a wave. I don't plan to be a freestyler, but definitely want a kite that can hook me up with some tricks, not giving up my TT.

I tried looping the kite like 3 times, and got yanked the heck out, any tips?