Hi folks, summer is coming on and the next few months are notorious for light winds on the great lakes. This is where I've been struggling a bit with larger kites (e.g., 14m).

On starting, I dive the kite through the power zone, get up on the board, and then proceed to turn the kite back up in order to sine it again through the power zone and keep my speed....BUT, with the 14m, it turns and rises too slowly and I lose too much speed to keep planing. This has been typical for me.

I know I should let the bar out a little to keep the kite from stalling out, and have been doing so at the bottom of the power stroke. But how much should I let the bar out and when?

Any tips for keeping that kite moving quickly, turning and rising back up through the power zone after a big dive...are much appreciated!!!

loop it

Try starting with the kite low and sending it hard to zenith...that will get you up. Then jsut bring it down as you need for power and away you go.

Stan

reasons for your slow kite moves are:

-you are too heavy weight for your 14sqm kite
-your 14sqm kite has too low profile for your weight, thus has poor low end and unnecessary good high end (kite made by and for too lite riders)

so find suitable kite for your weight and enjoy your kiting!

much easier to suggest the solution when riders weight and conditions are known.

Great lakes=fresh water=less buoyancy=more drag+summer=weaker wind for the same speed

If after a "big dive" properly done you cannot keep planing on the upstroke it probably means.....

Wind ain't strong enough but if this is not the case then you need a twin-tip with more surface area

A bit longer board will help BUT a wider board is "one" key to keep you planing as you "sine"

14M is not that big but it is cheaper to get yourself a wider summer board than bigger kite

Some kites can be "sined" faster than others in LW....so is your kite even "fast" in medium winds?

3 meter extensions will "not make you sine faster" but will power you more while "sining"

Also when you dive you could be diving too deep (meaning all the way to the edge of window)
Try not too dive too deep by keeping the kite a bit higher above the water & into the powerzone
By doing so you will accelerate the kite's sining and keep you more "afloat"

Hope this helps a bit ..........................

as above, don't wait till it's "at the bottom" to turn it up
& don't edge when you send it up (if you are)
When at minimum power, the kite is sining, and the board is too, because you flatten it and head off wind a bit while the kite is climbing, or you may choke the kite, depending on the kite....
One more thing, it may actually help in this situation to pull an inch of trim, same reason, avoid choking the kite.

Also, remember when you sine your kite back UP, do so at an angle. If you fly it straight up in the air the weight of the kite is going to slow it down and it may stall on you, or at least drop the power. Keep it going at 45 degrees up and down....more wind moving over the canopy and you'll spend more time in the power zone.

Also, some kites are just slower than others. My prior two 14 and than 15 meter kites were both much slower than my current delta 14M, which is fast and fun even in light air.

Good tips

+1 gentle sines - you can concentrate on keeping the kite flying through the turns and making power.

I've found that kites usually have a sweet spot for sheeting in or out, to make the best power through the turns or to keep flying smoothly. And some kites are simply more effective at making power through turns ...

If you get desperate but don't want to loop, sine your kite back into the power zone. Pulls downwind though ...

great question. forget about the gear for a moment and let's assume you have good gear, kite sizes, etc, but you are right on the edge of planning, etc.

in light winds, small subtle movements are needed.

1) sheet in and out slightly. any big movement with the bar and you'll loose the wind on the kite and have to start over.

2) a simple way to think of when to sheet in and sheet out is to think of sheeting in only when you need to turn the kite, so at the top of bottom you pull in a little to make the kite turn quicker and in between you sheet out slightly and the kite will rise quicker.

3) small subtle edge changes with the board to keep tension on the lines. When the kite is higher in the sky, you'll usually have less edging and when lower, more edging.

4) try this if you haven't already. ride in a reverse C position where you ride with your back arched in towards the bar instead of your ass close to the water. this helps a lot in lulls and lighter winds and keep the kite higher if doing this. it let's you hike against the pull, and edge less so to keep up your speed.

hope this helps,

bob
www.kiteridersllc.com

all good stuff
something else that seems to help is to make sure your hand on the up side of the bar is farther out towards the end of the bar to increase the leverage of the turn force and not allow sheeting in as easily when pulling the kite upward