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Ive heard training devices are supposed to be easy. I guess the exception is a kite. Ive never even flwn a regular kite before, so I went out today fully expecting to open'er up and let'er rip. No way.
First, the damn kite kept flying away while I tried to tie the lines. when I finally finished, the wind had died down. I tried to run with the kite to get it to go up but all that did was tangle the lines into one big knot. After about 15 min of untangling I tried again, the kite went about 4 feet high and crashed. I repeated this but with the same result.
1/2 hour later of this and I was that raging idiot screaming and kicking dirt because I couldnt even fly a damn kite! Basically what Im trying to say is Ill take that guide you offered mate, things are definately not as easy as they seem

PoppaSkiLove wrote:Ive heard training devices are supposed to be easy. I guess the exception is a kite. Ive never even flwn a regular kite before, so I went out today fully expecting to open'er up and let'er rip. No way.
First, the damn kite kept flying away while I tried to tie the lines. when I finally finished, the wind had died down. I tried to run with the kite to get it to go up but all that did was tangle the lines into one big knot. After about 15 min of untangling I tried again, the kite went about 4 feet high and crashed. I repeated this but with the same result.
1/2 hour later of this and I was that raging idiot screaming and kicking dirt because I couldnt even fly a damn kite! Basically what Im trying to say is Ill take that guide you offered mate, things are definately not as easy as they seem

It actually is pretty easy to fly the trainer - If you know all the little tricks that experience bestows upon you.

Here's one that didn't occur to me until I read your post & shame on me for not thinking of it earlier. My apologies. Here you go:


1. Get 2 or 3 Zip-Lok type sandwich bags and fill them with dirt, sand, gravel, etc. They doin't have to be heavy - 1/2 - 1lb will be more than enough.

2. When you take out the b2, hold it by the ends of the bridles and give it a little shake to open up the cells, then but it on the ground. It should be directly downwind from you and the trailing edge should pe perpendicular (squared off) to the direction of the wind.

3. Before connecting the lines, put the sand-filled baggies on the trailing edge of the kite. Make sure the baggies are VERY close to the trailing edge (Maybe even 1/2 off) and they are not laying on or caught in any of the bridal lines (Lay them on top). One in the middle & one near each wingtip should be fine.

4. Attach your lines & double check to make sure it is all straight.

5. When ready, walk back with bar in hand until the lines begin to get tight, then give the bar a little tug to free it from the weights. Once you get it in the air, that B2 should be cake to fly.


Don't worry about the downwind launch - That's how many many types of foils are designed to be launched. You can try a side launch (Something you'll have to learn if you fly an LEI type kite), but I'm not sure if it will work out.

I really hope this helps! Please let us know how you make out!


Sid sends

just do it!
quit worrying about shit.
repitition is the mother of skill.

Yo

Not sure if this is an issue with B2, but with other trainers I've flown you can get a headache with the bridal if you don't pack it up right. Basically, the brindal can get all tied up in knots. If you pack it right, then it never makes any "real" knots, and you can just shake it to untangle.

Two ways to pack it up
--> Pack it up with the lines still attached. (the lines attached to bridal and bar, with lines rolled up around the bar).

--> De-attach the lines from the bridal, and then tie-off the left bridal attachment point to one of the top left bridal lines (i.e. as close to the kite as you can get). Ditto on the right.

Second method is a little trickier, 'cause you want to use a knot that is easy to untie. If you don't know much about knots, then just use the first method.

Main thing, don't let the attachment points float free so that they can pass through other parts of the bridal and make knots.

Don't give up -- I had exact same experience with my first kite. No manual, just a buddie emailing ideas. I was pretty pissed at the end of my first session, but got it dialed soon enough.

window guy wrote:just do it!
quit worrying about shit.
repitition is the mother of skill.

What are you talking about?

Besides, you'll never be skillful at something if you do it incorectly over and over and over...

Well, perhaps you'll be skillful at screwing up (like me). Not something I'd suggest.


Sid sends

Thanks for the good word fellas. I went out again yesterday with a bud and as long as he was holding the kite, we got it airborne. Anyways, your right, once its in the air its wicked easy to control. I even did a few kite loops (i think). Is flying one of the big guys pretty similar to this training kite, just with more power? Thanks again for the help

Flying the little kites first definitely helps -- in fact, you would be a little bit nuts to start with a big kite. However, the big guys are pretty different. They are slower and have wayyy more power.

Fly the little guy until you're bloody bored with it, until you can fly it without hardly looking at it.

"I swear, you safety-nazis are just about useless. If everyone listened to this tripe, no one would kiteboard. Ugh. "

Everytime I hear something like this, I feel like I overdo the safety stuff when talking to newby's. Hell I learned all of this stuff on my own, with a big kite. I made a lot of mistakes, but I progressed pretty fast.

But then again, I ripped my right knee out when I fell over the front of my board and flew the kite up to "Neutral." It kept going up as my board went under water. 3/4 of me got T-bagged. The rest stayed in one of my foot straps.

And then there's the time when I used the leash that came with my board and I took a hit to the back of my head that gashed all the way down to the skull for about 3-4 inches in length. It almost knocked me out.

Yeah, you can be too conservative at some things. If you got through all of your learning phase without instruction and without serious injury, then great! But, considering that we are still killing experienced guys out there every month, I think it's best to err on the side of caution.

Shred hard, but live long to shred again.

PoppaSkiLove wrote:Thanks for the good word fellas. I went out again yesterday with a bud and as long as he was holding the kite, we got it airborne. Anyways, your right, once its in the air its wicked easy to control. I even did a few kite loops (i think). Is flying one of the big guys pretty similar to this training kite, just with more power? Thanks again for the help

The wee trainer kite is excellent for giving you an idea of how the kite flies, and building some muscle memory & reflexes.


As for differences between a trainer & a big kite

* The trainer is WAY faster!!! On a good, windy day those little kites MOVE! A traction kite will not be nearly as fast.

* The traction kite is WAY more powerful. I know this sounds hella obvious - But you may not really understand until you fly a big 'un. While the trainer may tug a little, a suitable traction kite will PULL. Be careful.

* You can expect similar stability (though less twitchy). There are exceptions - some LEIs are prone to 'hindenburg' (nose in - but they are getting better every year.). Peter Lynns fly themselves. etc.

* You will probably have the addition of the 'chicken loop' if you fly a 4-line traction kite. This will allow you to increase or dump power as needed. As you learn to use your kite, improved turning, stability, and jump height can all be obtained through good sheeting technique.


Hope this helps!

Sid sends