Yeah. untill you start really getting into waves a slower kite isn't a problem.

I just adjust my style according to the kite. Was flying my 13m edge recently in the waves. Thats a boost and float monster. I find cutting back hard when your looseing line tension is cool and also makes for a good manuvour. Also downlooping onto the wave face works too.

The positive side to a boost/glide kite in the waves is you can get sweet sweet jumps on the way out off the wave lips. for me going out is equally as much fun as coming in.

Try a transition loop off a wave lip. i'm really liking those at the moment.

I also like to scream in behind a wave jump a big floaty jump and land on the wave face. I don't pull it off very often but when i do.... thats the wholy grail for me.

Also boosting on the way out. if i can time my jump off one wave lip and jump over and land on the next that is also sweeeeeet....

In summary. All sorts of fun can be had in waves on slower non wave boost style kites. it may be slightly different riding style to the hard core down the line kitesurfer. but none the less its still gives big grin factors.

Thanks plummet. Sounds like your way more advanced than I am. But thanks for the goals, I'm just getting into it. Sounds dick already.

Quick question though (may sound really dumb). I though that it own good for the kite surfboards to be jumped, I mean I know nothing is set in stone, but what's the deal? Any tips on how to care for my first directional?

Tnx

I was out in the same conditions you were yesterday, and I noticed I always turn my kite while i'm turning down the line. So when I'd first get on the wave and turn toward the bottom, I'm already pulling on my top hand to bring the kite to around 12 oclock. As I get to the bottom and want to turn back up, I bring the kite back down (the kite is slowly drifting down as well from the slightly slacked lines) and edge hard to get back up the face of the wave, and as I'm going up I just repeat and keep the kite moving. I've never had a problem with controlling my kite using this technique. I've never looped it on a wave either. Maybe if I wasnt turning back and forth up it I would need to, but that's boring anyway.

I don't think I even would have noticed this if you hadn't started the discussion, since it's just something I figured out while riding... I don't take wave riding seriously but sometimes that's all you can really do because there's no flat sections big enough to do freestyle anywhere haha.

I don't mind the work, but I though it just took so much effort in keeping this going all the time, that there must've been something wrong in either my setup, or technique, but I guess is just all part of learning. But with a few tips from this thread, I put to use some good info, and my last sesh was much better, I guess is about understanding what the kite can do, and lowering expectations and demanding so much from the kite. We gotta do some of the work right? lol

I'm leaning more toward wave ridding, even though I'm not a surfer, I love how dynamic and unpredictable it all is in the waves, but not discarding some freestyle.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

i am usually ripping in the waves on my wave style twin tip. my surfboard is currently set up strapless So i'm not the man to comment on big air with surfboards. but tbh i don't use the surfboard that much. I prefer the TT. Its more my style.

but some of the local directional riders punch big airs on there surfboards. i don't see a problem if you can land it smoothly.

Land smoothly? lol. Definitely not me. I don't know why bug I tend to land hard a lit

maybe you are re-directing too soon? that will make you land hard and fast.

also if you release from the water too soon before the kite hits the zenith you fang downwind real fast.

check and adjust your line length!



http://gallery.cabrinhakites.com/video/122/cabrinha-2011-bar-tuning

Most of the guys here have good advice about tuning and technique. Many of the Cabrinha kites are slower than other manufacturers kites. The Best Waroo was a much faster kite for example. To turned faster and went through the wind window faster. There have been some great advancements in kite shapes and tuning. Lighter kites with wider wing tips tend to be faster turning and therefore better in waves. One of the fastest turning kites I have flown lately was the Airush One. In Florida we get a long season of light wind. The 15m is surprisingly fast for those conditions and it's size. I had a chance to fly the 12m a few days ago and it's very good. Most guys in the 200 pound range will not need more kite if the wind is in the mid teens or more. It's also very simple. I like simple. There is less to go wrong, it's easier to set up and if you ever had to fix it that's easy too. There is no need for one pump systems with one only one strut. I know they don't look "right" but, they sure do work right.

Thanks Plummet, I know I have to work on my jumps, I usually either land hot, or just kinda drop out of the sky, I've improved this a bit by doing the one hand thing, keeping the front hand only on the bar, and I know I shouldn't, but looking up at my kite recently really helped get an idea of what the kite is doing and where's at, just to verify what I'm feeling through the bar, i know i know i shouldn't, but is helping.


I've tweaked my lines recently actually no more than a couple of week ago, they didn't need much fixing, but got them just right according to the video. Thanks.


Well being a noob and all I feel silly having an opinion about kite speed, but that's why I was curious about my kite speed and started this thread, cause I've only flown one other brand (Flexifoil), I learned on an Ion3, and it felt much quicker, seemed that when I pulled on the bar it just turned, and I just found out recently that longer lines help with power but decrease turning speed, well the Ion3 has 25m lines, compared to the 22m/18.5m combo from cabrinha.

My brother is just getting into the sport, and he got himself some Ion's, so Now, I'll really be able to ride both and to compare what I like and don't of each.