juandesooka wrote:Nicely said FT. That's about the same for me ... kite seems more fun when lit, but then there's some fear involved on launch/landing. And then when lit out there, also that feeling of "this is super fun, but if it increases 5kts more, I'm screwed". Overpowered conditions for me lead to "survival kiting", which I don't find much fun...exciting yes, but not really what I'd call "fun". So, in choosing the right kite, the question for me is optimal/safe for launch/land but maybe a little underpowered, or lit and super fun but maybe having some worries.
There's always the QR, and if you run into a problem or you need to land and it's lofting you, the QR solves the problem. I remember the last time I went out on my 16 and was racing to get to shore right in front of a squall line, and I didn't have time to get back to the beach, and in waist deep water I jumped off the board and I kinda did a little involuntary jesus walking with the kite parked right overhead... Threw the QR and I was standing on the seafloor again, right as the front hit. I just covered my face with the board and left the kite flagged to the front lines, and when it blew over, I grabbed the bar and went back to it.
I think the point made about the safety factor of launching and landing a really good one. If I'm in the mood, I too prefer to be be lit, which is most of the time. I'd rather let the wind do the work and to tap into its energy with deft touch. Actually the monk has let me move into the category your are talking about. But you are right on the money man, its the point when you are launching there is a slight tension like you get beforehand say a big grand final in your sport or you are about to go on stage
Exactly, stagefright, pre-performance jitters. You feel better when you get out on the water, or rather,
over it.
If the wind goes up when I am out there, and I don't think I can hold the sideways pull on the kite long enough to bring it over to someone to land it, I'll just point myself towards the shore and throw the QR at speed. If I time it right, and head towards the kite as it noses in, the kite lands straight downwind of me as nice as you please, and I glide on momentum into the shallows, like a boss. Then just handwalk the front lines to bring in the kite. That might not work for all kites, but all the ones I have will flag to the front lines. This is not a wise idea on a C or a kite that flags to a wingtip.