Took the Speed3 21 out to the estuary park to check it out post-wash ... everything seems fine, no broken lines - it's looking increasingly like either I had the bar backwards or there was water in the wing and I was too sissy to pull the bar hard. Or there was a tangle in the bridle I couldn't see.
Anyway, running backwards across the field three times before I got enough air in the kite to get it in the very not much wind (2 knots?) and put it through a few turns and whatnot ... went flawlessly.
Now waiting for the replacement bridle parts to arrive ...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Just enough!
Sam promised a cracking session ... didn't live up to it :( just enough wind to ride around for bit, holding ground on the big Xbow (hadn't test-flown the Speed3) so when Brendan couldn't relaunch 10m Switchblade, I went out to try to give him a hand.
Man, fast little kite! Offered my 13 or 16 but he declined so we had a chat ... then the wind came up! So I did some more riding - just me and Sam.
A few nice big jumps and some good rotations and transitions ... chatted with Sam as he packed up and enjoyed the sunset. Nice guy!
Moment of the Day was the guys laughing at my 16m then getting skunked fnar-fnar!
Weather was not very much indeed ... maybe 15 knots? Very flat water though!
What I learned today ...
• Flat water makes a huge difference!
• Weather is supposed to turn tomorrow - rain and no wind :(
Man, fast little kite! Offered my 13 or 16 but he declined so we had a chat ... then the wind came up! So I did some more riding - just me and Sam.
A few nice big jumps and some good rotations and transitions ... chatted with Sam as he packed up and enjoyed the sunset. Nice guy!
Moment of the Day was the guys laughing at my 16m then getting skunked fnar-fnar!
Weather was not very much indeed ... maybe 15 knots? Very flat water though!
What I learned today ...
• Flat water makes a huge difference!
• Weather is supposed to turn tomorrow - rain and no wind :(
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Light wind love then let down
Late tide tonight - think we got it sussed so I arrived at 5:30pm then set up ... got on the water about 6. Started on the Flyradical but the wind was dropping ... all the guys on 10s got off the water and I tried to ride my Flydoor but it wasn't happening.
Asked around, Sam though the wind would keep dropping so I pulled out the really freakin' big guns - good ol' Relentless. Had a chat with the guy who I would come to know as Brendan - he's learning and was desperate for a ride so set up anyway ... Fixed the bridle, put it in the air to many "OMG that's hooj kite!" type comments.
Powered! on the 'radical. Boosting to the moon! Front-spins, back-spins, transitions no worries! Wind is still dropping and jumps cost me too much ground upwind so I get back on the 'door. More big jumps then ... in the middle of a transition, something goes "sproing!" and the bar flies out of my hands ... I pull it in and check the CL - all seems well ... huh, maybe I popped it off when over-sheeting or something. Kite is soggy and tangled, I untangle it but it seems LE heavy and doesn't want to relaunch. I get it in the air and it arcs across to the RHS and I *think* there's something wrong up there, so I release to safety and self-rescue ... oh nuts I'm way the hell across the other side of the estuary from the car park and launch beach and downwind is the road that's only a meter or so from the water - can't go that way ... I'm in for a lo-ooong walk ...
No wait - Brendan has come to my rescue! We haul the kite on the curb, tie it up and he gives me a lift back to the carpark - cheers dude! "I so want one of them!" he says!
Check the kite - nothing seems wrong ... WTH did I just cause all that hassle cos I had the bar in my hands backwards or what?!?!?! Fu-uuuuu ...
Got back to the wife 90 minutes later than I was supposed to ... she was worried :D
Moment of the Day were all the people me watching me riding and playing in "no wind at all" :) FSer wins! Flawless victory! Except for the erm ...
Weather was SFA. Probably 10 knots when I messed up.
What I learned today ...
• Self-rescue with the big foil is fine - sure you have bridles floating around ... but I'd have the same problem on the Crossbows anyway. And it floats just fine. Too bloody well, in fact - if it had deflated at all, it would have been much easier to handle LOL
• Arriving 2 hours before the tide turns is perfect.
• Take yer bloody cell phone with you, jackass!
Asked around, Sam though the wind would keep dropping so I pulled out the really freakin' big guns - good ol' Relentless. Had a chat with the guy who I would come to know as Brendan - he's learning and was desperate for a ride so set up anyway ... Fixed the bridle, put it in the air to many "OMG that's hooj kite!" type comments.
Powered! on the 'radical. Boosting to the moon! Front-spins, back-spins, transitions no worries! Wind is still dropping and jumps cost me too much ground upwind so I get back on the 'door. More big jumps then ... in the middle of a transition, something goes "sproing!" and the bar flies out of my hands ... I pull it in and check the CL - all seems well ... huh, maybe I popped it off when over-sheeting or something. Kite is soggy and tangled, I untangle it but it seems LE heavy and doesn't want to relaunch. I get it in the air and it arcs across to the RHS and I *think* there's something wrong up there, so I release to safety and self-rescue ... oh nuts I'm way the hell across the other side of the estuary from the car park and launch beach and downwind is the road that's only a meter or so from the water - can't go that way ... I'm in for a lo-ooong walk ...
No wait - Brendan has come to my rescue! We haul the kite on the curb, tie it up and he gives me a lift back to the carpark - cheers dude! "I so want one of them!" he says!
Check the kite - nothing seems wrong ... WTH did I just cause all that hassle cos I had the bar in my hands backwards or what?!?!?! Fu-uuuuu ...
Got back to the wife 90 minutes later than I was supposed to ... she was worried :D
Moment of the Day were all the people me watching me riding and playing in "no wind at all" :) FSer wins! Flawless victory! Except for the erm ...
Weather was SFA. Probably 10 knots when I messed up.
What I learned today ...
• Self-rescue with the big foil is fine - sure you have bridles floating around ... but I'd have the same problem on the Crossbows anyway. And it floats just fine. Too bloody well, in fact - if it had deflated at all, it would have been much easier to handle LOL
• Arriving 2 hours before the tide turns is perfect.
• Take yer bloody cell phone with you, jackass!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Boxing Day blast!
Headed out to the estuary early to figure out the tides ... peak was due at 6:40pm and we arrived about 4. The lads went out on the water early though, in only a few inches of water. I waited patiently until the water had reached the shore then set up my 13m. Big wind! Didn't even bother with taking the Flydoor to the edge of the water :)
Bit gusty, from a tad underpowered to overpowered but big fun all the same. Lots of nice big jumps, some rotations and a lot of wipe-outs ... epic!
Moment of the Day was getting some long toe-side runs in ... so hard to do in a seat harness though! That was good, but the back-spins that got a bit of height on them take the win!
Weather was lots. Probably 25 to 30 knots I reckon but still, almost no chop!!!
What I learned today ...
• The Flyradical works best with the foot straps in the center position - it's just a whole lot less twitchy!
• Should have brought my 10 ... wasn't jumping that well because the kite was so depowered.
• Estuary is pretty bloody good!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Xmas on the ocean
In between opening Crimbo pressies and Xmas dinner, went to the beach to take advantage of low tide ... well that was the only time I could get out of the house and the tide was out and the estuary is closed so well, what can you do?
There was a bit of wind and I know that the sea breezes pick up later so I went for the Crossbow 16 and Flydoor. Pumped up on the grass area at the North Beach Surf Club and then locked the car and dragged it all down the beach.
Wind was a bit light, bit tough doing anything but holding ground for a long time; riding the flat water between waves and then trying hard to get upwind.
Then I dumped the kite in the surf and had to walk in to shore cos it had inverted then folded in half and refused to pop back into shape ... could've recovered that easy if it was a foil!
Took the opportunity to change the settings on the bridle - moved it to the 'faster steering' setting ... I like it. A tad faster steering, a little more bar pressure for turning but less for sheeting in.
Wind has picked up so I'm having more fun, jumping, crashing, splashing around ... nice day!
Bumped into the guy with the hair from Groundswell, who tried to have a windsurf - no good for him as the wind was all 'up' above wave height ...
Moment of the Day was discovering the different bridle settings were worth landing the kite for.
Weather was guessing again ... I would have said it was about 15 knots when I got there and got up to about 20 when I got off, but the guy with the hair said it was more like 10 to 15 at most ... I got the feeling that there was quite a gradient though!
What I learned today...
• Steering settings are better on "light" ... so far.
• Ocean is a whole other kettle of fish here - wind drives up much bigger waves than Machiya - more like Hamamatsu but they break further from shore.
• Seems that the Xbow likes to be turned as fast as possible and the dived up or down the whipped back around. Medium speed turns just bleed power but very slow sines are ok. How about that then.
• One application of sunblock is not enough :(
There was a bit of wind and I know that the sea breezes pick up later so I went for the Crossbow 16 and Flydoor. Pumped up on the grass area at the North Beach Surf Club and then locked the car and dragged it all down the beach.
Wind was a bit light, bit tough doing anything but holding ground for a long time; riding the flat water between waves and then trying hard to get upwind.
Then I dumped the kite in the surf and had to walk in to shore cos it had inverted then folded in half and refused to pop back into shape ... could've recovered that easy if it was a foil!
Took the opportunity to change the settings on the bridle - moved it to the 'faster steering' setting ... I like it. A tad faster steering, a little more bar pressure for turning but less for sheeting in.
Wind has picked up so I'm having more fun, jumping, crashing, splashing around ... nice day!
Bumped into the guy with the hair from Groundswell, who tried to have a windsurf - no good for him as the wind was all 'up' above wave height ...
Moment of the Day was discovering the different bridle settings were worth landing the kite for.
Weather was guessing again ... I would have said it was about 15 knots when I got there and got up to about 20 when I got off, but the guy with the hair said it was more like 10 to 15 at most ... I got the feeling that there was quite a gradient though!
What I learned today...
• Steering settings are better on "light" ... so far.
• Ocean is a whole other kettle of fish here - wind drives up much bigger waves than Machiya - more like Hamamatsu but they break further from shore.
• Seems that the Xbow likes to be turned as fast as possible and the dived up or down the whipped back around. Medium speed turns just bleed power but very slow sines are ok. How about that then.
• One application of sunblock is not enough :(
Friday, December 23, 2011
Shaken, not stirred!
Landed in Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday about 5pm ... went to the in-laws and crashed.
Got up the next morning and did a little business in the morning, then picked up the rental car. I went out to the beach alone to check it out - Estuary park looks awesome, nice grass area to set & launch and maybe landboard - then came home and started loading some gear into the car.
I'd just started rustling up the wife to come with me when the first earthquake hit - 5.8 on the Richter and 20km away to the NE and 8km deep. A good 'un! We had a few after-shocks but we jumped in the car anyway and headed back to the estuary - flat water awaits!
Got to the estuary and the tide wasn't properly in. Wind was cold and well up - I hadn't brought either my smaller Xbow or my wetsuit. As we were talking to another couple, another quake hit - 6.0 and only 10km away, 6km deep! Very violent, both the wife and the other couple got thrown to the ground ... I managed to keep my feet though - boarder skillz!
Had tons of daylight left and although I had to drive across the city, it takes very little time thanks to good drivers and road design. So we went home and got the 13m Xbow and wetsuit ...
Lots of liquifaction around the eastern suburbs, water and mud welling up ... gonna be heartbreaks out there today.
Got back to the estuary at 6pm and hit the water with the 13 and the Flydoor. Nicely powered, just comfy and having fun! A bit rusty - some messy jumps and rotations. Tried out the Flyradical but not enough wind. Go back to the 'door ...
Good session, I had fun and LOVED the flat-water! So nice to ride ... must get in some practice on toe-side while I can!!! Bit short, I could have done with another hour I think ...
Went home, had a souvlaki on the way and then enjoyed more quakes throughout the night ...
EDIT: Plummet gave me a link to a good weather site here - http://www.swellmap.com/surfing/new-zealand/new-brighton-beach
Moment of the Day was the flat-water riding! So smooth, so easy ...
Weather was I don't know. Felt like 15 to 20 knots. Probably 20°C but the wind was quite cold. I was comfortable in the wetsuit - until I had to take it off :o
What I learned today ...
• Flat-water is great! Easier to build up speed and hold it working the kite (duh!) but still not a magic pill for being a fattie ... everyone else was on 10's or 11's, and I was on a 13m bow kite and a huge board :(
• Shallow water is a bit freaky ... especially when the tide goes out :o
• And when the tide is out, it's time to stop - or the bottom will grab your board and stop you.
• Mud is just nasty.
• It gets everywhere and is hard to wash off.
• It's both easier and harder to boost off flat-water cos there are no waves-as-launch-ramps but there are no waves-as-brakes either ...
• I think I'm right in saying that shallow water runs smooth when there's nothing on the bottom ... those were the spots my fins touched down first!
• I hate Macs.
Got up the next morning and did a little business in the morning, then picked up the rental car. I went out to the beach alone to check it out - Estuary park looks awesome, nice grass area to set & launch and maybe landboard - then came home and started loading some gear into the car.
I'd just started rustling up the wife to come with me when the first earthquake hit - 5.8 on the Richter and 20km away to the NE and 8km deep. A good 'un! We had a few after-shocks but we jumped in the car anyway and headed back to the estuary - flat water awaits!
Got to the estuary and the tide wasn't properly in. Wind was cold and well up - I hadn't brought either my smaller Xbow or my wetsuit. As we were talking to another couple, another quake hit - 6.0 and only 10km away, 6km deep! Very violent, both the wife and the other couple got thrown to the ground ... I managed to keep my feet though - boarder skillz!
Had tons of daylight left and although I had to drive across the city, it takes very little time thanks to good drivers and road design. So we went home and got the 13m Xbow and wetsuit ...
Lots of liquifaction around the eastern suburbs, water and mud welling up ... gonna be heartbreaks out there today.
Got back to the estuary at 6pm and hit the water with the 13 and the Flydoor. Nicely powered, just comfy and having fun! A bit rusty - some messy jumps and rotations. Tried out the Flyradical but not enough wind. Go back to the 'door ...
Good session, I had fun and LOVED the flat-water! So nice to ride ... must get in some practice on toe-side while I can!!! Bit short, I could have done with another hour I think ...
Went home, had a souvlaki on the way and then enjoyed more quakes throughout the night ...
EDIT: Plummet gave me a link to a good weather site here - http://www.swellmap.com/surfing/new-zealand/new-brighton-beach
Moment of the Day was the flat-water riding! So smooth, so easy ...
Weather was I don't know. Felt like 15 to 20 knots. Probably 20°C but the wind was quite cold. I was comfortable in the wetsuit - until I had to take it off :o
What I learned today ...
• Flat-water is great! Easier to build up speed and hold it working the kite (duh!) but still not a magic pill for being a fattie ... everyone else was on 10's or 11's, and I was on a 13m bow kite and a huge board :(
• Shallow water is a bit freaky ... especially when the tide goes out :o
• And when the tide is out, it's time to stop - or the bottom will grab your board and stop you.
• Mud is just nasty.
• It gets everywhere and is hard to wash off.
• It's both easier and harder to boost off flat-water cos there are no waves-as-launch-ramps but there are no waves-as-brakes either ...
• I think I'm right in saying that shallow water runs smooth when there's nothing on the bottom ... those were the spots my fins touched down first!
• I hate Macs.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
No joy
Forecast looked great ... wind failed to deliver :(
Got literally 2 tacks out then it all packed in. I gave up and went and stood by the fire on the beach ...
Got literally 2 tacks out then it all packed in. I gave up and went and stood by the fire on the beach ...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Ride 'em cowboy!
zOMG the northerlies all wind stopped on Saturday but—praise Allah!—picked up with a vengeance on Sunday! I skip lunch and hit the beach at 12 …
Can't get a handle on the wind—looks fierce and we're supposed to get up to 20 knots. I take the Speed3 12 and Crossbow 16 to the lake beach, and of course both boards. Seems there's a Slingshot dealer here today—hauling a heap of kites and boards. I bet he doesn't ask if I'd like to try them :D
Set up the Speed3 12 and do some little jumps on the beach—easily powered! Get in the water … can't get up on a plane and worse, I can't hardly body-drag back to the beach :o WTF?!?!
Stand around a bit, glaring at the horizon … then pump up the 16. Rig it, get a launch from—I suspect—a newbie who, when I look down to walk around The Mistress of Disaster's kite, does something odd and I look back up to see him getting lobbed over my Speed3 :o he missed it and didn't hurt himself … a feat he repeated later in the day when I happened to see him ride into the beach and wipe-out on the sand!!!
So I get the kite in the air and check the trim—hmm, massively over-sheeting, the tips are bending in! I trim it out totally but it's still bad. I land the kite to reset it but now the wind is way back up so I give up and go out on the Speed3 12 and the Flydoor.
Better. Powered now and making jumps and giving myself a beat-down—can't time them right with this small, fast kite. There's massive chop on the lake and you have to ride out through it, almost directly into it—it's like riding the whoops in the moto-x :o Tough to do any tricks or jumps though cos the waves're short period but tall and there's not a lot of flat water around.
Man this kite is fast—and likes to back-stall :( tough job working it through the lulls … occasionally over-powered and I switch back to the Flyradical but it's too hard to keep it moving. After a big lull, I go back to the Flydoor for the rest of the session. Back-spins and jumps only!
Problems of the day (a new section?) are the fruits on directionals who carve and slash the waves—but never look behind them. I try to give them a wide berth but they make it difficult—and equally tough is when you're hurting for power! So that's annoying … worse is Uncle Never-Relaunch who rides directly at me with his kite at 45° and wont move it—if I stop and zenith my kite, he'll cut my lines; if i cut upwind, we'll probably bodily collide and fuck-knows what'll happen to the kites; if I cut downwind, I'll probably hit the beach cos I'll be super-powered with the kite near the water; and if we hold our courses and with kite raised or lowered, we'll probably still collide. Wanker.
So I send the kite back hard the other direction, can't ride it out and end up submarining for a bit. Uncle never noticed :-/ Solution? Dunno, I need to check the angles next time it happens :o
… at least The Mistress of Disaster stayed outa my hair—silly bitch couldn't get off the beach and spent all day walking back'n'forth :D
It was quite a long session but I (mostly) enjoyed it. Packing up 2 kites sucked though … I was the last one on the beach, in the dark.
Moment of the Day was—you guessed it—the jump that I popped a bit earlier than usual and then went all big and floaty … and under control.
Weather data got laid down thusly … at 12pm we had 15knots at 16°C/72% and it dropped to 13knots at 14°C/65% around 3 before coming back up to 15knots again. Peak gust was 32knots around 5pm … seems pretty close to me—I did measure it as 10m/s before I tried to ride the first time. I labelled the wind as 'crappy' cos it was up and down and spent a lot of time pissing me off—although I did get some riding in.
What I learned today …
• I'm leaving the water too late … I had to hurry things along in front of a wave and jumped before the kite had got to the top of the zenith and I went higher and longer and more controlled than ever. I guess "when you feel the upward pull" doesn't mean "leave the pop til the kite is overhead" … of course, it could have been a fluke :D I'll keep testing …
• I'm in dire need of a haircut … filthy hippie. Wet hair in the eyes sux0rz.
• Starting to prefer the 'radical over the 'door … more fun to ride and I'm adapting to the position better. Bouncing over chop is a bit tough though. Mako should be interesting!
• Speed3 12 is an interesting beast—you can work the ass off and not really get anything out of it. Seems to have to carefully milk it until it's really got some speed in it … or maybe I just need flat water!
• Dive the kite, gradually sheet in and hold it sheeted as you redirect it back up and gradually sheet out—seems to stop the tips from tucking and (with the right amount of bar pressure) you can keep power in a very flat kite. Hmm, wonder if it'll work on the LEIs …
• Forgot to add—I also think I'm edging too hard and killing the kite. I think I been watching too many wakestyle videos or something!
Can't get a handle on the wind—looks fierce and we're supposed to get up to 20 knots. I take the Speed3 12 and Crossbow 16 to the lake beach, and of course both boards. Seems there's a Slingshot dealer here today—hauling a heap of kites and boards. I bet he doesn't ask if I'd like to try them :D
Set up the Speed3 12 and do some little jumps on the beach—easily powered! Get in the water … can't get up on a plane and worse, I can't hardly body-drag back to the beach :o WTF?!?!
Stand around a bit, glaring at the horizon … then pump up the 16. Rig it, get a launch from—I suspect—a newbie who, when I look down to walk around The Mistress of Disaster's kite, does something odd and I look back up to see him getting lobbed over my Speed3 :o he missed it and didn't hurt himself … a feat he repeated later in the day when I happened to see him ride into the beach and wipe-out on the sand!!!
So I get the kite in the air and check the trim—hmm, massively over-sheeting, the tips are bending in! I trim it out totally but it's still bad. I land the kite to reset it but now the wind is way back up so I give up and go out on the Speed3 12 and the Flydoor.
Better. Powered now and making jumps and giving myself a beat-down—can't time them right with this small, fast kite. There's massive chop on the lake and you have to ride out through it, almost directly into it—it's like riding the whoops in the moto-x :o Tough to do any tricks or jumps though cos the waves're short period but tall and there's not a lot of flat water around.
Man this kite is fast—and likes to back-stall :( tough job working it through the lulls … occasionally over-powered and I switch back to the Flyradical but it's too hard to keep it moving. After a big lull, I go back to the Flydoor for the rest of the session. Back-spins and jumps only!
Problems of the day (a new section?) are the fruits on directionals who carve and slash the waves—but never look behind them. I try to give them a wide berth but they make it difficult—and equally tough is when you're hurting for power! So that's annoying … worse is Uncle Never-Relaunch who rides directly at me with his kite at 45° and wont move it—if I stop and zenith my kite, he'll cut my lines; if i cut upwind, we'll probably bodily collide and fuck-knows what'll happen to the kites; if I cut downwind, I'll probably hit the beach cos I'll be super-powered with the kite near the water; and if we hold our courses and with kite raised or lowered, we'll probably still collide. Wanker.
So I send the kite back hard the other direction, can't ride it out and end up submarining for a bit. Uncle never noticed :-/ Solution? Dunno, I need to check the angles next time it happens :o
… at least The Mistress of Disaster stayed outa my hair—silly bitch couldn't get off the beach and spent all day walking back'n'forth :D
It was quite a long session but I (mostly) enjoyed it. Packing up 2 kites sucked though … I was the last one on the beach, in the dark.
Moment of the Day was—you guessed it—the jump that I popped a bit earlier than usual and then went all big and floaty … and under control.
Weather data got laid down thusly … at 12pm we had 15knots at 16°C/72% and it dropped to 13knots at 14°C/65% around 3 before coming back up to 15knots again. Peak gust was 32knots around 5pm … seems pretty close to me—I did measure it as 10m/s before I tried to ride the first time. I labelled the wind as 'crappy' cos it was up and down and spent a lot of time pissing me off—although I did get some riding in.
What I learned today …
• I'm leaving the water too late … I had to hurry things along in front of a wave and jumped before the kite had got to the top of the zenith and I went higher and longer and more controlled than ever. I guess "when you feel the upward pull" doesn't mean "leave the pop til the kite is overhead" … of course, it could have been a fluke :D I'll keep testing …
• I'm in dire need of a haircut … filthy hippie. Wet hair in the eyes sux0rz.
• Starting to prefer the 'radical over the 'door … more fun to ride and I'm adapting to the position better. Bouncing over chop is a bit tough though. Mako should be interesting!
• Speed3 12 is an interesting beast—you can work the ass off and not really get anything out of it. Seems to have to carefully milk it until it's really got some speed in it … or maybe I just need flat water!
• Dive the kite, gradually sheet in and hold it sheeted as you redirect it back up and gradually sheet out—seems to stop the tips from tucking and (with the right amount of bar pressure) you can keep power in a very flat kite. Hmm, wonder if it'll work on the LEIs …
• Forgot to add—I also think I'm edging too hard and killing the kite. I think I been watching too many wakestyle videos or something!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Frustrated? Not me!
Sunday means I've got all day to kite ... started out the morning with a quick blast on the newly repaired Duke - back to full power, smooth-running and no stalling! - and eyed up the webcam and forecast for the P.M. ... hmm, just enough time to nip out for a nice lunch. Hurried the wife up through desert when the wind picked up around 1pm and headed off to the lake.
We got white-caps! But there are guys on their big kites and they only just look powered ... both boards and Ol' Relentless go across to the beach. After I put on the new straps from Flysurfer ...
You'll remember the straps broke on the Flydoor? I took pics, sent them to FSer and 2 days later I got an email not from the guy I sent them to, but from someone else who explained he was on holiday. And I still got a response within 2 days! Gave them my address, and 2 days later they shipped out new straps. A few days after that, they arrived in Japan.
Customer service win! Good on you, Flysurfer!
A brief review ...
The new straps are the 2012 FSer design - still pulling a strap to adjust but there's a different buckle in there so it moves easily and freely. The older straps seem a bit more plush but the newer ones are MUCH easier to fit better against your foot ... in fact, when I took my feet out of the straps at the end of my session, they were dry - and warm!
Like I said, very easy to adjust, even on the move.
The only problem I had was the doohicky inside got flopped around the wrong way or something, and the strap wouldn't hold its position ... quick fiddle on the water and sorted. Hmm, better watch that ...
Anyway. Set up the 21 ... urk, looks a bit grubby :( laid it out for a side launch but bloody Soh has run his lines out right next to the kite - I can't unwind my lines until he launches. Him, or Uncle Junkie. I use the free time to pre-inflate the kite ... I get it so pre-inflated that I don't even remember waiting for it to completely fill :D when I finally get to launch, that is ...
Hit the water with the Flydoor although I think there's enough power to get 'radical. Oh wait no there's not ... enough to ride but I'm fighting to get upwind. Wind slowly picks up though and although it's lully, I'm jumping and having fun, in between working it upwind away from the beach.
A brief rant ...
Mistress of Disaster at it again. Why does she insist on riding a 9m kite and using a wake-style board in less than 10 knots? It's not like she can land the handle-passes she's trying to do within 2 feet of the shore anyway. So she rides out from the shore into me, forcing me to stop dead and zenith my kite. Later, I'm riding out 30m behind but maybe 10m upwind of her when just stops dead in the water - I turn downwind to ride under her kite but EVEN THOUGH SHE SEES MY KITE she still dives her kite to change direction - FFS you moronic bitch.
Denace the Menace is at it again. Drop that bloody kite on my Speed3 and I'll chop it up. If you can't fly a kite without being told when you need to sheet-out or -in, perhaps you need more lessons :o
Ok I'm done.
Wind still drops off so much that even I have to walk ... wait for the wind to come back as I can see the "blow line" off in the distance. I does, so I ride again. This time on the Flyradical cos the winds up. Then the winds down so I ride out the rest of the day on the 'door.
Legs are getting sore - I guess it's been a 3-hour ride! - body is getting tired so I call it a day, even though we got maybe another 30 minutes of day light ... I've had a great session! But when I bump into Soh in the carpark, he says that he was frustrated today.
Dude ... get yourself a Speed3 ;)
Moment of the Day is starting to fall into a pattern ... either the nice massive jump, totally under control and with perfect redirection for extended float with the super-smooth and totally controlled landing ... or riding past all the suckers walking back up the beach ;)
Weather data for the session has got to be total hogwash - 2 to 7 knots? No way. Peak gust of 15 knots at 6:30pm ... I'm betting it was 6 to 12 knots, average around 10 with the good wind at 14.
What I learned today ...
• Dunno if it's correct, but send the kite and, when you feel you've reached the peak of the jump, redirect with a slight sheet-out then hold the kite there at 1 or 11 - you'll feel extra float - then as you start to drop, redirect the kite to ride away smooth.
• Even Uncle Junkie on the Turbine and directional gives up a few knots of low-end to me and the 'door/21 combo ... nobody else comes close except for Uncle with the Slingshots ... man, he must weigh about 15kg - he's the light-wind master!
We got white-caps! But there are guys on their big kites and they only just look powered ... both boards and Ol' Relentless go across to the beach. After I put on the new straps from Flysurfer ...
You'll remember the straps broke on the Flydoor? I took pics, sent them to FSer and 2 days later I got an email not from the guy I sent them to, but from someone else who explained he was on holiday. And I still got a response within 2 days! Gave them my address, and 2 days later they shipped out new straps. A few days after that, they arrived in Japan.
Customer service win! Good on you, Flysurfer!
A brief review ...
The new straps are the 2012 FSer design - still pulling a strap to adjust but there's a different buckle in there so it moves easily and freely. The older straps seem a bit more plush but the newer ones are MUCH easier to fit better against your foot ... in fact, when I took my feet out of the straps at the end of my session, they were dry - and warm!
Like I said, very easy to adjust, even on the move.
The only problem I had was the doohicky inside got flopped around the wrong way or something, and the strap wouldn't hold its position ... quick fiddle on the water and sorted. Hmm, better watch that ...
Anyway. Set up the 21 ... urk, looks a bit grubby :( laid it out for a side launch but bloody Soh has run his lines out right next to the kite - I can't unwind my lines until he launches. Him, or Uncle Junkie. I use the free time to pre-inflate the kite ... I get it so pre-inflated that I don't even remember waiting for it to completely fill :D when I finally get to launch, that is ...
Hit the water with the Flydoor although I think there's enough power to get 'radical. Oh wait no there's not ... enough to ride but I'm fighting to get upwind. Wind slowly picks up though and although it's lully, I'm jumping and having fun, in between working it upwind away from the beach.
A brief rant ...
Mistress of Disaster at it again. Why does she insist on riding a 9m kite and using a wake-style board in less than 10 knots? It's not like she can land the handle-passes she's trying to do within 2 feet of the shore anyway. So she rides out from the shore into me, forcing me to stop dead and zenith my kite. Later, I'm riding out 30m behind but maybe 10m upwind of her when just stops dead in the water - I turn downwind to ride under her kite but EVEN THOUGH SHE SEES MY KITE she still dives her kite to change direction - FFS you moronic bitch.
Denace the Menace is at it again. Drop that bloody kite on my Speed3 and I'll chop it up. If you can't fly a kite without being told when you need to sheet-out or -in, perhaps you need more lessons :o
Ok I'm done.
Wind still drops off so much that even I have to walk ... wait for the wind to come back as I can see the "blow line" off in the distance. I does, so I ride again. This time on the Flyradical cos the winds up. Then the winds down so I ride out the rest of the day on the 'door.
Legs are getting sore - I guess it's been a 3-hour ride! - body is getting tired so I call it a day, even though we got maybe another 30 minutes of day light ... I've had a great session! But when I bump into Soh in the carpark, he says that he was frustrated today.
Dude ... get yourself a Speed3 ;)
Moment of the Day is starting to fall into a pattern ... either the nice massive jump, totally under control and with perfect redirection for extended float with the super-smooth and totally controlled landing ... or riding past all the suckers walking back up the beach ;)
Weather data for the session has got to be total hogwash - 2 to 7 knots? No way. Peak gust of 15 knots at 6:30pm ... I'm betting it was 6 to 12 knots, average around 10 with the good wind at 14.
What I learned today ...
• Dunno if it's correct, but send the kite and, when you feel you've reached the peak of the jump, redirect with a slight sheet-out then hold the kite there at 1 or 11 - you'll feel extra float - then as you start to drop, redirect the kite to ride away smooth.
• Even Uncle Junkie on the Turbine and directional gives up a few knots of low-end to me and the 'door/21 combo ... nobody else comes close except for Uncle with the Slingshots ... man, he must weigh about 15kg - he's the light-wind master!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Semi-skunked
Had to work right up until the buzzer today, but thought I'd hit the lake anyway to see if it's worth it any more - sun is setting really early now, winter is on its way.
Got to the lake about 4:30pm and ran across with the Speed3 21 and the 2 Flyboards ... sun was touching the hills when I'd finished setting up :( wind seemed ok, hit the water with the 'radical. A couple of tacks, but I don't have the power. Onto the 'door.
A little better, do some spins and jumps but the wind is dying right off ... wait a bit, ride a bit ... give up, pack up.
Moment of the Day was getting riding at all ... it was pretty light. The jumps and spins were the icing.
Weather data for the session was listed as 12 falling to 9 knots at 14°C and 60% humidity. Sounds about right, although I'd guess the wind lulled to around 6 knots ... a few slogs back into shore, barely on the water.
What I learned today ...
• Starting to get cold ... my feet were chilly for the first minute or so until I had to do some work.
• Probably still got enough light for an hour's worth of riding, packing up in the dark - if the wind co-operates.
• Thrust-bearing works fine on the 21 ... doesn't unspin as easily as the 12, guessing cos it's under more load - will keep a closer eye on it.
• Packing the big Speed up in the dark is annoying ... bloody thing likes to spit its bridles out all over the place. Wish the bag was longer too.
• I should be less anal-retentive about packing my gear up :D
Got to the lake about 4:30pm and ran across with the Speed3 21 and the 2 Flyboards ... sun was touching the hills when I'd finished setting up :( wind seemed ok, hit the water with the 'radical. A couple of tacks, but I don't have the power. Onto the 'door.
A little better, do some spins and jumps but the wind is dying right off ... wait a bit, ride a bit ... give up, pack up.
Moment of the Day was getting riding at all ... it was pretty light. The jumps and spins were the icing.
Weather data for the session was listed as 12 falling to 9 knots at 14°C and 60% humidity. Sounds about right, although I'd guess the wind lulled to around 6 knots ... a few slogs back into shore, barely on the water.
What I learned today ...
• Starting to get cold ... my feet were chilly for the first minute or so until I had to do some work.
• Probably still got enough light for an hour's worth of riding, packing up in the dark - if the wind co-operates.
• Thrust-bearing works fine on the 21 ... doesn't unspin as easily as the 12, guessing cos it's under more load - will keep a closer eye on it.
• Packing the big Speed up in the dark is annoying ... bloody thing likes to spit its bridles out all over the place. Wish the bag was longer too.
• I should be less anal-retentive about packing my gear up :D
Monday, November 7, 2011
Every day is a kite day!
Miyachi had promised after the skunkage on Sunday, that the weekdays would be great. And I have to work ... took an hour off work and headed down to the lake at 3pm. Wind looked good all the way down, I asked Grandpa what he thought I should ride, he said my biggest kite. I looked at the enthusiastically flapping flag and took my 16m Crossbow over to the beach.
Pumped up like a mad-man, jumped in the water and ... Precious! Walkies! Soh was barely riding upwind and Uncle No-relaunch was packing up and The Other Uncle on the surfboard was underpowered and Mr Too Cool for School was standing on the beach trying to keep his too cool teeny kite in the air. I stood around for a while, waiting for the gusts to come in but they never did.
It was sort of spitting, but it stopped so I checked the sun (couldn't see it behind the clouds) but figured I had another ½ hour or so ... Bring out ol' Relentless!
Oof, barely moving at first but after a few close encounters with the shore, the wind picks up just a tad and I'm off having fun! Throw some desperate back-spins to test out the thrust-bearing mod on the S3 21 bar - perfect again! - then I get a little more wind so I'm trying to jump. Neato! Bit of a lully patch, then as the sun starts to set, the wind really picks up and I'm having great fun! Is getting dark though ... better think about heading in ... try one last back-spin but land on the side of my face - schLAP! ow.
Packed up in the dark - 2 kites, that sucked - but the low clouds were glowing with the lights of the endless cities so I could actually see better than the nights that have been clear!
Moment of the Day was the big fat jump while the little guy with the 9m LEI couldn't even keep it in the air neener-neener ... the best thing about it was going up, swing in front of it, redirecting it and feeling it lift me again, then a perfectly timed dived when I came it to land ... but-tah!
Weather data for the session recorded the wind as 12 to 16 knots at 16°C and 77% humidity. Which is total horse-hockey cos I couldn't even get planing on the 21 at some points. It may have picked up to those in the gusts, but it was lulling to less. By the time I packed up, it was solidly 16 - but too dark to ride :(
What I learned today ...
• You can still back-spin in light wind if you REALLY put the effort into leaping and spinning.
• I'm getting better at feeling and timing my jumps. Maybe.
• Farting in a wetsuit is just as nasty as peeing in one. Perhaps nastier, cos it's an unpleasant surprise when you unzip the suit.
• Grandpa is pretty spot-on with his wind/kite observations for me ...
Pumped up like a mad-man, jumped in the water and ... Precious! Walkies! Soh was barely riding upwind and Uncle No-relaunch was packing up and The Other Uncle on the surfboard was underpowered and Mr Too Cool for School was standing on the beach trying to keep his too cool teeny kite in the air. I stood around for a while, waiting for the gusts to come in but they never did.
It was sort of spitting, but it stopped so I checked the sun (couldn't see it behind the clouds) but figured I had another ½ hour or so ... Bring out ol' Relentless!
Oof, barely moving at first but after a few close encounters with the shore, the wind picks up just a tad and I'm off having fun! Throw some desperate back-spins to test out the thrust-bearing mod on the S3 21 bar - perfect again! - then I get a little more wind so I'm trying to jump. Neato! Bit of a lully patch, then as the sun starts to set, the wind really picks up and I'm having great fun! Is getting dark though ... better think about heading in ... try one last back-spin but land on the side of my face - schLAP! ow.
Packed up in the dark - 2 kites, that sucked - but the low clouds were glowing with the lights of the endless cities so I could actually see better than the nights that have been clear!
Moment of the Day was the big fat jump while the little guy with the 9m LEI couldn't even keep it in the air neener-neener ... the best thing about it was going up, swing in front of it, redirecting it and feeling it lift me again, then a perfectly timed dived when I came it to land ... but-tah!
Weather data for the session recorded the wind as 12 to 16 knots at 16°C and 77% humidity. Which is total horse-hockey cos I couldn't even get planing on the 21 at some points. It may have picked up to those in the gusts, but it was lulling to less. By the time I packed up, it was solidly 16 - but too dark to ride :(
What I learned today ...
• You can still back-spin in light wind if you REALLY put the effort into leaping and spinning.
• I'm getting better at feeling and timing my jumps. Maybe.
• Farting in a wetsuit is just as nasty as peeing in one. Perhaps nastier, cos it's an unpleasant surprise when you unzip the suit.
• Grandpa is pretty spot-on with his wind/kite observations for me ...
Friday, November 4, 2011
A small update
Slow day at work - went through and added sizes to all the kites I've used in the tag cloud ... should prove to be more interesting. For me, at least.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Summer 2011 - The Movie!
And just in case YouTube screws my awesome soundtrack, here's the Vimeo link - http://vimeo.com/31545138
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
DIY - Infinity bar pimpin'
Also known as the thrust-bearing mod. The following video from 10 seconds on shows the goal of what we want to achieve ...
Stock bar uses a big brass washer (BBW) and then a jam nut on a nyloc nut to hold it all together. The problem with this is that it doesn't rotate very freely so although the bar is cleverly designed so that, after a rotation, you untwist the flying lines by spinning the bar then untwist the double depower rope when you sheet in. Unfortunately, the tension on the BBW et al is such that the depower rope gets chewed up - if you use it in the appropriate method. You can untwist by hand but that sucks.
Here's an exploded view of Holden's needle bearing mod. It shows the setup nicely. The CL is connected to the black thing, the red hat and spring go onto the T-tube that has the double depower line looped around it.
Melting candle wax into the line (more on that at a later date, perhaps) helps keep it slippery; grease or other gunk down there is an option too but washes away and perversely attracts gunk and grit. IMHO the best option is simply to make the bar spin more freely.
Various teflon washer, ceramic or needle-bearings have been suggested but the greatest results have been obtained from using thrust bearings such as the MTBS-816 from here http://torquetrans.com/thrust-bearings/ss-metric-thrust-bearings.mgi ... be aware that they ONLY use UPS and shipping 1lbs (454g) of 8 sets to Japan was going to cost me $85 :D For $12, I got them to ship to a buddy in the US (thanks stetson!) and he sent them here ... for $2.59.
The problem - kinda - comes in putting it all together ... I went a bit mad with my digital calipers trying to work it all out.
Originally, the BBW + jam nut + nyloc nut = very close to 15mm. Breaking it down, the BBW is 0.75mm, jam nut is 6mm and the nyloc nut is 7.5mm.
The thrust-bearing stack (washer-bearing-washer) is 5mm tall. If you try to use the original stainless steel nyloc nut, you have to find a 1.5mm jam nut! Obviously no good.
You can't ditch the BBW cos it covers the pin that holds in the CL. And it's an odd diameter, something like 23mm so if you wish to drop a washer from the bearing stack and use a big stainless washer, then you - or rather, I - have to grind down a big stainless steel washer (BSSW) of 25mm diameter and bore a hole in the middle for the M8 thread of the bar doohickey. I wrecked a drill bit and over-heated and warped the washer I was experimenting on ... oops. So that bit is possible, at any rate. That leaves you with having to find only a 4mm jam nut ... get busy with a vise and file!
Solution 1 : grind and drill your own BSSW, use bearing-washer, file down a stainless nut to 4mm and use the OEM nyloc nut.
Less demanding of elbow grease is the option I tested the other day ... I bought the only little bag of nyloc nuts I could find in hardware stores in Japan and simply bolted it onto the stack above the BBW. The nyloc nut though is not (or does not look like) stainless steel, maybe zinc coated or something. It's also taller than the OEM nyloc nut at 9mm and the lip at the top where the nylon ring is, is taller than the OEM nyloc nut - if you wanted to file this down, you'd end up with a very slim hex part.
Solution 2 : keep the BBW, use the full thrust-bearing stack, add the M8 non-stainless nyloc nut ... and some thread-locking compound.
Those are the two options that most appeal to me - you could also use 2 short M8 stainless nuts or file them down a bit ...
Solution 3 : BSSW, 2/3 thrust-bearing stack, 2x filed down M8 nuts.
I'm of the opinion that so long as the thrust-bearing is doing its job and spinning freely the torque on the solitary nyloc nut is minimal and easily secures the rig ... and some thread-lock for paranoia! So I'm of the opinion that for ease of install and use, Solution 2 is the best option. Only time will tell if the components hold up to the water and work-out ...
Also, I prefer a nyloc nut on the end of the stack because, as you can almost make out in the pictures below, tightening the T-tube doohickey so the end of the thread stays in the nylon ring should stop it eating up the FLS line. One other thing to note too is at the other end of the CL and QR gubbins ... with the original setup, there's a bit of slack in there - the black CL holder has free-play on the T-tube. I think this is necessary because the welds on the stopper for the spring stand proud, and if it was all tightened up snug the black CL holder couldn't spin freely. It's also handy because it'll let the holder move around and should enable grit to be washed out of the bearing stack.
Someone put a thrust bearing at the end of the black tube but that's totally necessary I reckon as when the CL is under load, it's pulling the CL holder down and the kite is pulling the T-tube up - the only stress will be ... exactly where the thrust bearing is!
Here are the pics of what I've got. Crappy cell phone cos I can't find memory cards/chargers/batteries for the cameras at home that can do a proper macro.
After all that I bet you want to know how it all works? Well, it's bloody sweet! Spins perfectly, very smooth. Easy to untwist lines - too easy in fact! My first few uses, the bar spun so easily that my reactions hadn't accounted for the smoothness and I'd grabbed the bar backwards ... PLOP drove the kite into the water!
What pretty much happens is that the depower line simply untwists itself when you spin the bar to untwist the lines. An added bonus is that the bits rotate with the bar, so the CL stays square on your harness while the bar moves around ... neato! Well worth all the hassle involved of getting the bits ...!
UPDATE : 10th of April, 2012
Should've gotten to this sooner...
When I got back from NZ (and using the 21 in the salt water) I had with me some stainless steel nyloc nuts. I got around to replacing the zinc ones finally...
Actually, that's not true at all. I bought some SS nylocs in NZ but couldn't find them. So I went to the excruciating process of ordering some here in Japan... When they arrived, they were taller again than the zinc ones (???) at about 12mm.
Eventually - after replacing all the zinc ones with the new Japan-bought SS nuts - I found the ones I bought in NZ... in a ziploc bag of camera chargers and cables :-/ Murphy, you bugger.
So again, I replaced all the Japan-SS nuts with the NZ-SS nuts - which were shorter than all the other ones :o more like the original FSer ones.
Le sigh.
So the big news was that the zinc nut corroded like crap in the salt water. It looked furry and nasty and left a rust stain on the SS washer and green gunk on the brass one. The rust and gunk all wiped off easily though and the bearing itself was still super-sweet!
Despite having only one nut, it hasn't shifted at all... and I don't expect it to - so long as the bearing spins :)
Stock bar uses a big brass washer (BBW) and then a jam nut on a nyloc nut to hold it all together. The problem with this is that it doesn't rotate very freely so although the bar is cleverly designed so that, after a rotation, you untwist the flying lines by spinning the bar then untwist the double depower rope when you sheet in. Unfortunately, the tension on the BBW et al is such that the depower rope gets chewed up - if you use it in the appropriate method. You can untwist by hand but that sucks.
Here's an exploded view of Holden's needle bearing mod. It shows the setup nicely. The CL is connected to the black thing, the red hat and spring go onto the T-tube that has the double depower line looped around it.
Melting candle wax into the line (more on that at a later date, perhaps) helps keep it slippery; grease or other gunk down there is an option too but washes away and perversely attracts gunk and grit. IMHO the best option is simply to make the bar spin more freely.
Various teflon washer, ceramic or needle-bearings have been suggested but the greatest results have been obtained from using thrust bearings such as the MTBS-816 from here http://torquetrans.com/thrust-bearings/ss-metric-thrust-bearings.mgi ... be aware that they ONLY use UPS and shipping 1lbs (454g) of 8 sets to Japan was going to cost me $85 :D For $12, I got them to ship to a buddy in the US (thanks stetson!) and he sent them here ... for $2.59.
The problem - kinda - comes in putting it all together ... I went a bit mad with my digital calipers trying to work it all out.
Originally, the BBW + jam nut + nyloc nut = very close to 15mm. Breaking it down, the BBW is 0.75mm, jam nut is 6mm and the nyloc nut is 7.5mm.
The thrust-bearing stack (washer-bearing-washer) is 5mm tall. If you try to use the original stainless steel nyloc nut, you have to find a 1.5mm jam nut! Obviously no good.
You can't ditch the BBW cos it covers the pin that holds in the CL. And it's an odd diameter, something like 23mm so if you wish to drop a washer from the bearing stack and use a big stainless washer, then you - or rather, I - have to grind down a big stainless steel washer (BSSW) of 25mm diameter and bore a hole in the middle for the M8 thread of the bar doohickey. I wrecked a drill bit and over-heated and warped the washer I was experimenting on ... oops. So that bit is possible, at any rate. That leaves you with having to find only a 4mm jam nut ... get busy with a vise and file!
Solution 1 : grind and drill your own BSSW, use bearing-washer, file down a stainless nut to 4mm and use the OEM nyloc nut.
Less demanding of elbow grease is the option I tested the other day ... I bought the only little bag of nyloc nuts I could find in hardware stores in Japan and simply bolted it onto the stack above the BBW. The nyloc nut though is not (or does not look like) stainless steel, maybe zinc coated or something. It's also taller than the OEM nyloc nut at 9mm and the lip at the top where the nylon ring is, is taller than the OEM nyloc nut - if you wanted to file this down, you'd end up with a very slim hex part.
Solution 2 : keep the BBW, use the full thrust-bearing stack, add the M8 non-stainless nyloc nut ... and some thread-locking compound.
Those are the two options that most appeal to me - you could also use 2 short M8 stainless nuts or file them down a bit ...
Solution 3 : BSSW, 2/3 thrust-bearing stack, 2x filed down M8 nuts.
I'm of the opinion that so long as the thrust-bearing is doing its job and spinning freely the torque on the solitary nyloc nut is minimal and easily secures the rig ... and some thread-lock for paranoia! So I'm of the opinion that for ease of install and use, Solution 2 is the best option. Only time will tell if the components hold up to the water and work-out ...
Also, I prefer a nyloc nut on the end of the stack because, as you can almost make out in the pictures below, tightening the T-tube doohickey so the end of the thread stays in the nylon ring should stop it eating up the FLS line. One other thing to note too is at the other end of the CL and QR gubbins ... with the original setup, there's a bit of slack in there - the black CL holder has free-play on the T-tube. I think this is necessary because the welds on the stopper for the spring stand proud, and if it was all tightened up snug the black CL holder couldn't spin freely. It's also handy because it'll let the holder move around and should enable grit to be washed out of the bearing stack.
Someone put a thrust bearing at the end of the black tube but that's totally necessary I reckon as when the CL is under load, it's pulling the CL holder down and the kite is pulling the T-tube up - the only stress will be ... exactly where the thrust bearing is!
Here are the pics of what I've got. Crappy cell phone cos I can't find memory cards/chargers/batteries for the cameras at home that can do a proper macro.
After all that I bet you want to know how it all works? Well, it's bloody sweet! Spins perfectly, very smooth. Easy to untwist lines - too easy in fact! My first few uses, the bar spun so easily that my reactions hadn't accounted for the smoothness and I'd grabbed the bar backwards ... PLOP drove the kite into the water!
What pretty much happens is that the depower line simply untwists itself when you spin the bar to untwist the lines. An added bonus is that the bits rotate with the bar, so the CL stays square on your harness while the bar moves around ... neato! Well worth all the hassle involved of getting the bits ...!
UPDATE : 10th of April, 2012
Should've gotten to this sooner...
When I got back from NZ (and using the 21 in the salt water) I had with me some stainless steel nyloc nuts. I got around to replacing the zinc ones finally...
Actually, that's not true at all. I bought some SS nylocs in NZ but couldn't find them. So I went to the excruciating process of ordering some here in Japan... When they arrived, they were taller again than the zinc ones (???) at about 12mm.
Eventually - after replacing all the zinc ones with the new Japan-bought SS nuts - I found the ones I bought in NZ... in a ziploc bag of camera chargers and cables :-/ Murphy, you bugger.
So again, I replaced all the Japan-SS nuts with the NZ-SS nuts - which were shorter than all the other ones :o more like the original FSer ones.
Le sigh.
So the big news was that the zinc nut corroded like crap in the salt water. It looked furry and nasty and left a rust stain on the SS washer and green gunk on the brass one. The rust and gunk all wiped off easily though and the bearing itself was still super-sweet!
Despite having only one nut, it hasn't shifted at all... and I don't expect it to - so long as the bearing spins :)
Monday, October 31, 2011
Showing off on Halloween
Winds up, I'm off to the lake - left work at 3pm. Forecast was good all day but the hourly data wasn't up to much. So it was a good thing I left early cos I got a half-hour of nicely powered riding, then maybe another 40 minutes of grabbing it in snatches ...
Started out on the Flyradical with the Speed3 12, partly because there was enough wind and primarily because I wanted to test out my thrust bearing mod. So I was having a great time. Still very back-stally, bit of trim sorted that ... must still be the bottom end of it's range. Having good fun though, works ok to keep planing.
There's a couple taking photos on the shore ... we all start hamming it up for them :D pity we won't get to see the pics!
Soh has arrived and coincedentally I'm sure, the wind has dropped off so I get onto the Flydoor. Have more success working the kite through the lulls but it's still not really enough wind. Soh keeps riding but he's not doing much either, even though he's on his Havoc 14 - he said afterwards that he bought his 7! I guess the weather didn't live up to it's promises at all ...!
I packed up just before sunset.
Moment of the Day was the first big jump on the Speed3 12! That didn't result in me being dropped like a stone :o
Weather data for the session; recorded wind strength was 18 knots at 19.5ºC & 68%, falling to 10 knots at 18.3ºC & 73% from the NNW. Gusts to 26 knots at 3:30pm.
What I learned today ...
• The 12 is a back-stalling ho when the wind drops. I'm thinking that cos the kite is small, it's easy to over-power it at the bar ... have to see if what I remember as being the same on the LEIs is accurate.
• Also, you need to be easy on the sheeting when riding and jumping - especially careful on the redirect or you get dropped like a rock.
• I think the S3 12 will start working for me from about 16 knots with the Flydoor and I'll be well powered by 20. So I'm guessing the range for me will be 16 to maybe 30 with a sweet spot at about 22.
• That means I DO need a 15!
• Bearing mod - works great! More later ...
• CrazyFly straps are ok but not as supremely comfortable as the FSer ones ... no reply yet on my moan to them.
• Keeping the kite moving rather than just sheeting in and hanging on make the best jumps - send it, redirect it properly, drop it hard for a touch-down.
• More wind needed. I think the Speed3 12 will do to replace my Crossbow 13 easily and is probably more akin to a 14m LEI ...
Started out on the Flyradical with the Speed3 12, partly because there was enough wind and primarily because I wanted to test out my thrust bearing mod. So I was having a great time. Still very back-stally, bit of trim sorted that ... must still be the bottom end of it's range. Having good fun though, works ok to keep planing.
There's a couple taking photos on the shore ... we all start hamming it up for them :D pity we won't get to see the pics!
Soh has arrived and coincedentally I'm sure, the wind has dropped off so I get onto the Flydoor. Have more success working the kite through the lulls but it's still not really enough wind. Soh keeps riding but he's not doing much either, even though he's on his Havoc 14 - he said afterwards that he bought his 7! I guess the weather didn't live up to it's promises at all ...!
I packed up just before sunset.
Moment of the Day was the first big jump on the Speed3 12! That didn't result in me being dropped like a stone :o
Weather data for the session; recorded wind strength was 18 knots at 19.5ºC & 68%, falling to 10 knots at 18.3ºC & 73% from the NNW. Gusts to 26 knots at 3:30pm.
What I learned today ...
• The 12 is a back-stalling ho when the wind drops. I'm thinking that cos the kite is small, it's easy to over-power it at the bar ... have to see if what I remember as being the same on the LEIs is accurate.
• Also, you need to be easy on the sheeting when riding and jumping - especially careful on the redirect or you get dropped like a rock.
• I think the S3 12 will start working for me from about 16 knots with the Flydoor and I'll be well powered by 20. So I'm guessing the range for me will be 16 to maybe 30 with a sweet spot at about 22.
• That means I DO need a 15!
• Bearing mod - works great! More later ...
• CrazyFly straps are ok but not as supremely comfortable as the FSer ones ... no reply yet on my moan to them.
• Keeping the kite moving rather than just sheeting in and hanging on make the best jumps - send it, redirect it properly, drop it hard for a touch-down.
• More wind needed. I think the Speed3 12 will do to replace my Crossbow 13 easily and is probably more akin to a 14m LEI ...
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Gusty again
Similar forecast as yesterday but it looked consistent all day, sitting at 8m/s ...
It's mah birthday so I left work early, at 3pm and hit the lake. Apparently, it wasn't early enough cos everyone told me that it was better before I arrived :(
Thought I'd play it safe and set up the Crossbow 13. Initially it was a good choice, I was having fun on the Flyradical but the big jumps were tiddlers and then the wind dropped so I got the Flydoor. Then the wind started gusting again like a mad man, up and down ...
And then I had to ride in strapless again o_0 goddam Flyboards footstrap broke again, this time permanently. I wasn't going to moan about the cosmetic breakages but this is becoming a trend! All I was doing was riding along when I felt it loosen up ... then when I went to tighten it, the buckle was already outside the cover :(
Got the Flyradical again and tried to go out, but it just wasn't working ... I might have had more luck with the Crossbow 16, I think :( oh well, next time.
Packed up early and came home before the sun had set :o not often that happens!
Moment of the Day was easily doing back-roll down-loop transistions. Of a sort ...
Wind strength was recorded as 15 falling to 12 knots ... yeah that explains it!
What I learned today ...
• If Fujii-san is powered on his 10, I need my 13. If he's not powered but still riding, I need my 16. If he's not riding, I need my 21. If he's doing all three in the same session, I need to give up and go home :D
• Buckle/pull straps on the Flyboards suck ... velcro is the only good idea IMHO. Because they're easier to adjust should be enough but as they require less force to do their thing, there's less option of being ripped off ...
EDIT : here's a pic of what happened to the strap. It could be fixed, but FSer is sending me a new one. Nice one!
It's mah birthday so I left work early, at 3pm and hit the lake. Apparently, it wasn't early enough cos everyone told me that it was better before I arrived :(
Thought I'd play it safe and set up the Crossbow 13. Initially it was a good choice, I was having fun on the Flyradical but the big jumps were tiddlers and then the wind dropped so I got the Flydoor. Then the wind started gusting again like a mad man, up and down ...
And then I had to ride in strapless again o_0 goddam Flyboards footstrap broke again, this time permanently. I wasn't going to moan about the cosmetic breakages but this is becoming a trend! All I was doing was riding along when I felt it loosen up ... then when I went to tighten it, the buckle was already outside the cover :(
Got the Flyradical again and tried to go out, but it just wasn't working ... I might have had more luck with the Crossbow 16, I think :( oh well, next time.
Packed up early and came home before the sun had set :o not often that happens!
Moment of the Day was easily doing back-roll down-loop transistions. Of a sort ...
Wind strength was recorded as 15 falling to 12 knots ... yeah that explains it!
What I learned today ...
• If Fujii-san is powered on his 10, I need my 13. If he's not powered but still riding, I need my 16. If he's not riding, I need my 21. If he's doing all three in the same session, I need to give up and go home :D
• Buckle/pull straps on the Flyboards suck ... velcro is the only good idea IMHO. Because they're easier to adjust should be enough but as they require less force to do their thing, there's less option of being ripped off ...
EDIT : here's a pic of what happened to the strap. It could be fixed, but FSer is sending me a new one. Nice one!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Ok lets not do that again!
Note to self ... pay more attention to weather maps.
Forecast looked groovy in the morning so I got to work early so I could leave early ... kinda have to this time of year. Got to the lake and it was borked - 6 knots. We're supposed to have 16. So I wait around to see if it picked up ... it didn't so I launched the 21.
Murphy's Law, it picked up right after that.
And how! It was gusty as hell too, from not enough for a fully powered Speed3 21 to too much for a fully depowered kite ... so basically, the whole wind range of the kite - and more! - in a single session!
I tried some jumps - they were massive ... but it was like the wind was playing with a kitten and a length of yarn, and I was on the end of the yarn - herky-jerky, up and down ... plop! Got to the stage where I could ride along barely moving, send the kite and go skyward like a rocket :D couldn't land them though ...
Didn't even bother with rotations or transitions. When I gave up on the jumps, I started riding the waves which was fun. Until one of them lobbed the board I had just fallen off into the back of my head :-/ saw it coming but couldn't do anything. CLONK!
Miyachi was on a lesson, so I waited till he was heading back up the beach and I went it to get him to land me ... fully trimmed, fully sheeted out and right at the edge of the window, I was fighting to keep the keep from dragging me down the beach.
Phew! Real "survival mode" riding!
Moment of the Day was making it back to shore alive and unbroken ... ok no it wasn't it was the MONSTER jump with 3 weeks of hang-time then the guy coming up to me afterwards and saying "Wow! Big jumps today!" \m/
Wind strength was recorded as 14 knots at 4pm, 20 knots at 5pm and 17 knots at 6pm ... with a peak gust to 30knots at 5:30 o_0
What I learned today ...
• The Speed3 has MOUNTAINS of depower!
• But it's best not to push your luck.
• However, it's good to know that I can survive almost anything the lake can throw at me.
• Board to the head hurts - wear a helmet.
• Current helmet doesn't fit so well - but a new helmet.
• Jumps need board speed to work properly.
Forecast looked groovy in the morning so I got to work early so I could leave early ... kinda have to this time of year. Got to the lake and it was borked - 6 knots. We're supposed to have 16. So I wait around to see if it picked up ... it didn't so I launched the 21.
Murphy's Law, it picked up right after that.
And how! It was gusty as hell too, from not enough for a fully powered Speed3 21 to too much for a fully depowered kite ... so basically, the whole wind range of the kite - and more! - in a single session!
I tried some jumps - they were massive ... but it was like the wind was playing with a kitten and a length of yarn, and I was on the end of the yarn - herky-jerky, up and down ... plop! Got to the stage where I could ride along barely moving, send the kite and go skyward like a rocket :D couldn't land them though ...
Didn't even bother with rotations or transitions. When I gave up on the jumps, I started riding the waves which was fun. Until one of them lobbed the board I had just fallen off into the back of my head :-/ saw it coming but couldn't do anything. CLONK!
Miyachi was on a lesson, so I waited till he was heading back up the beach and I went it to get him to land me ... fully trimmed, fully sheeted out and right at the edge of the window, I was fighting to keep the keep from dragging me down the beach.
Phew! Real "survival mode" riding!
Moment of the Day was making it back to shore alive and unbroken ... ok no it wasn't it was the MONSTER jump with 3 weeks of hang-time then the guy coming up to me afterwards and saying "Wow! Big jumps today!" \m/
Wind strength was recorded as 14 knots at 4pm, 20 knots at 5pm and 17 knots at 6pm ... with a peak gust to 30knots at 5:30 o_0
What I learned today ...
• The Speed3 has MOUNTAINS of depower!
• But it's best not to push your luck.
• However, it's good to know that I can survive almost anything the lake can throw at me.
• Board to the head hurts - wear a helmet.
• Current helmet doesn't fit so well - but a new helmet.
• Jumps need board speed to work properly.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
This one's for Marco
Noticed yesterday the forecast looked good so I thought I'd skip Mie and hold out for Locus today. Worked out fine! Wind was supposed to arrive at 3pm and it obliged for a change.
Took the 12 and 21 Speed3's across to the beach and started out with the 12 up ... wind was up and down right on the bottom end, so I could get up for a bit but couldn't get riding. I wasn't alone. Then it started raining so I kept the kite up to dry it out once it stopped raining but it didn't happen. I pulled out the 21 instead.
For about 15 minutes I'll nicely powered with the Flyradical then the wind picks up and I just have to depower the monster foil. I've done something to the tip bridle on the LHS (knot) so it looks a bit odd. I play with the trim a bit today but basically, I'm consistently over-powered :D not a bad thing!
Make out with some jumps and rotations, all easy and fine. Get comfy, try some big jumps ... leaving the kite behind me works better - you can feel the rotation around the kite and feel when you need to redirect better. I reckon. Still got dunked a lot though!
Repeat ad infinitum. Rode on till dark. Had to hang around waiting for Miyachi to land me cos the beach was full of kites (two of 'em) and the wind was well up - sheeting-in meant I'd go for a hover :o
Moment of the Day was boosting that "big" jump and feeling what's going on up there and doing the right thing at the right time.
Wind strength was recorded as only 10 to 12 knots. That's ain't right!
What I learned today ...
• You can't carry your Speed3 down the beach by a wing tip - now I have to untangle it :(
• Don't listen to anybody else - decide on your kite size on your own.
• Speed3 21 has fantastic wind range. For me, anyway.
• The 12 is very fast across the window and makes some easy jumps ... it's going to be a monster!
• I need a 15 :D
Took the 12 and 21 Speed3's across to the beach and started out with the 12 up ... wind was up and down right on the bottom end, so I could get up for a bit but couldn't get riding. I wasn't alone. Then it started raining so I kept the kite up to dry it out once it stopped raining but it didn't happen. I pulled out the 21 instead.
For about 15 minutes I'll nicely powered with the Flyradical then the wind picks up and I just have to depower the monster foil. I've done something to the tip bridle on the LHS (knot) so it looks a bit odd. I play with the trim a bit today but basically, I'm consistently over-powered :D not a bad thing!
Make out with some jumps and rotations, all easy and fine. Get comfy, try some big jumps ... leaving the kite behind me works better - you can feel the rotation around the kite and feel when you need to redirect better. I reckon. Still got dunked a lot though!
Repeat ad infinitum. Rode on till dark. Had to hang around waiting for Miyachi to land me cos the beach was full of kites (two of 'em) and the wind was well up - sheeting-in meant I'd go for a hover :o
Moment of the Day was boosting that "big" jump and feeling what's going on up there and doing the right thing at the right time.
Wind strength was recorded as only 10 to 12 knots. That's ain't right!
What I learned today ...
• You can't carry your Speed3 down the beach by a wing tip - now I have to untangle it :(
• Don't listen to anybody else - decide on your kite size on your own.
• Speed3 21 has fantastic wind range. For me, anyway.
• The 12 is very fast across the window and makes some easy jumps ... it's going to be a monster!
• I need a 15 :D
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
An experiment
Supposed to be pretty good wind tonight and when I got to the lake, it looked like it was cranking so I thought I'd try out the 19m Charger, figuring it'd be about like my 16m Crossbow. Kinda.
Naturally, the wind fell away just as I arrived at the beach 0_o Mr Fujii was on his 10m SB but he was floudering, same with Soh on his 12m Havoc. Nuts.
Inflate the Charger easily, then launch ... huh. No tip clapping but it lurks about halfway up the window until I trim the front lines. Guess it needs more then ...
I try to ride in what I know is too light wind ... I reckon it's maybe 10-12 knots. I struggle to get up, slog downwind and walk back. Repeat ...
Everyone else gives up. Gusts are getting more on and off, they come through stronger though and finally I'm riding them out, throwing a few jumps and even a couple of back-rolls.
Daylight is fading but the wind is right up and I'm riding upwind ok, parking and riding some too. Charger works real nice when it's powered but for a 19 and me, that seems to be 16 knots plus. I'm betting the butter zone will be 18 to 26 knots.
I had a nice time, got to try the Charger finally and was happy enough with that!
Thoughts on bar pressure ...
This has been coming for a while.
I find that my 2011 Crossbow 13m is just right - not too heavy, not too light and I don't have stiff elbows or forearms at the end of a big session. Taking that as a base line ... add in some arbitrary numbers! :D
Let's consider the 2010 Xbow 16m which is a frightful thing. Bar pressure for turning is very light compared to sheeting in - it always reminds me of balancing a broom upright in the palm of your hand ... as soon as it's off-center, it's going. The kite happily whips around a turn but doesn't take much bar pressure to do so. Sheeting in when riding though - sweet baby Jesus wrapped in bacon strips! Forearm pumps, blisters, callouses ... like a teenager boy's palms! Let's call it sheeting pressure +7 and turning pressure +1 versus the 13. I can ride it for hours but I'm hurting the follow the day/week.
The Charger 19 has only slightly higher pressure for sheeting in but is easily held with one hand when trimmed right; even when it's not trimmed well, it's still pretty easy to hold. There's more pressure when initiating turns (naturally), kind of a springy feel and the amount of time you need to hold it is short - Charger turns faster than my Crossbows - but it would wear on you, if you had to work it all day. Let's say sheeting pressure +2 and turning pressure +3, compared to the very comfy 13m Xbow. I seem to remember the 15 being the same ... but the Synergy series having say, sheeting pressure +2 and turning pressure +4.
Flysurfer Speed3 21 is a big kite with a big bar that pulls like a big bad thing. But it's surprisingly nippy unless you insist on muscling it around like a over-steroided post-lobotomy rugby-player (is there any other type of rubgy player?). Bar pressure for sheeting is not too bad and neither is turning, although you have to hold it in the turn longer which gets tiring ... I'll assign sheeting pressure +1 and turning pressure +2 so long as you don't fight the kite - and yes, both the Charger and the Speed can be flown one-handed while riding. Speed2 19 I remember being just a touch more than the Speed3 - say +0.5 for each. Unity 12 I found to be the same as the big Speed3.
Ok nerd-fest over ...
Moment of the Day was simply parking and riding then launching jumps. And not getting pissed when I had to walk ... guess I was just in the right mood!
Wind strength was recorded as 10 to 12 knots with gusts to 20 - I guess that was when I was having fun with the park'n'ride ...
What I learned today ...
• Charger needs a lot of wind to pull easily :(
• You can whip it around but it doesn't help much if you're sinking.
• You CAN whip it around really fast but it's better to be smoother with it.
• The tendency for arcs to "flare" at the bottom of a tight turn is reduced with the Charger and Navigator combo but still occurs. It's more exaggerated on the side with the safety on it too, as the line slips through the ring ...
• Makes best power on the down stroke, close to the water and with pressure on the rear lines. Flies most consistently when levered around on the stopper ball.
• Jumps are more floaty than I remember with the Synergy, but that might just be that my technique has improved. The first one dropped me but the rest I redirected sooner and the landings were feather like. Only a couple of meters though :o
Naturally, the wind fell away just as I arrived at the beach 0_o Mr Fujii was on his 10m SB but he was floudering, same with Soh on his 12m Havoc. Nuts.
Inflate the Charger easily, then launch ... huh. No tip clapping but it lurks about halfway up the window until I trim the front lines. Guess it needs more then ...
I try to ride in what I know is too light wind ... I reckon it's maybe 10-12 knots. I struggle to get up, slog downwind and walk back. Repeat ...
Everyone else gives up. Gusts are getting more on and off, they come through stronger though and finally I'm riding them out, throwing a few jumps and even a couple of back-rolls.
Daylight is fading but the wind is right up and I'm riding upwind ok, parking and riding some too. Charger works real nice when it's powered but for a 19 and me, that seems to be 16 knots plus. I'm betting the butter zone will be 18 to 26 knots.
I had a nice time, got to try the Charger finally and was happy enough with that!
Thoughts on bar pressure ...
This has been coming for a while.
I find that my 2011 Crossbow 13m is just right - not too heavy, not too light and I don't have stiff elbows or forearms at the end of a big session. Taking that as a base line ... add in some arbitrary numbers! :D
Let's consider the 2010 Xbow 16m which is a frightful thing. Bar pressure for turning is very light compared to sheeting in - it always reminds me of balancing a broom upright in the palm of your hand ... as soon as it's off-center, it's going. The kite happily whips around a turn but doesn't take much bar pressure to do so. Sheeting in when riding though - sweet baby Jesus wrapped in bacon strips! Forearm pumps, blisters, callouses ... like a teenager boy's palms! Let's call it sheeting pressure +7 and turning pressure +1 versus the 13. I can ride it for hours but I'm hurting the follow the day/week.
The Charger 19 has only slightly higher pressure for sheeting in but is easily held with one hand when trimmed right; even when it's not trimmed well, it's still pretty easy to hold. There's more pressure when initiating turns (naturally), kind of a springy feel and the amount of time you need to hold it is short - Charger turns faster than my Crossbows - but it would wear on you, if you had to work it all day. Let's say sheeting pressure +2 and turning pressure +3, compared to the very comfy 13m Xbow. I seem to remember the 15 being the same ... but the Synergy series having say, sheeting pressure +2 and turning pressure +4.
Flysurfer Speed3 21 is a big kite with a big bar that pulls like a big bad thing. But it's surprisingly nippy unless you insist on muscling it around like a over-steroided post-lobotomy rugby-player (is there any other type of rubgy player?). Bar pressure for sheeting is not too bad and neither is turning, although you have to hold it in the turn longer which gets tiring ... I'll assign sheeting pressure +1 and turning pressure +2 so long as you don't fight the kite - and yes, both the Charger and the Speed can be flown one-handed while riding. Speed2 19 I remember being just a touch more than the Speed3 - say +0.5 for each. Unity 12 I found to be the same as the big Speed3.
Ok nerd-fest over ...
Moment of the Day was simply parking and riding then launching jumps. And not getting pissed when I had to walk ... guess I was just in the right mood!
Wind strength was recorded as 10 to 12 knots with gusts to 20 - I guess that was when I was having fun with the park'n'ride ...
What I learned today ...
• Charger needs a lot of wind to pull easily :(
• You can whip it around but it doesn't help much if you're sinking.
• You CAN whip it around really fast but it's better to be smoother with it.
• The tendency for arcs to "flare" at the bottom of a tight turn is reduced with the Charger and Navigator combo but still occurs. It's more exaggerated on the side with the safety on it too, as the line slips through the ring ...
• Makes best power on the down stroke, close to the water and with pressure on the rear lines. Flies most consistently when levered around on the stopper ball.
• Jumps are more floaty than I remember with the Synergy, but that might just be that my technique has improved. The first one dropped me but the rest I redirected sooner and the landings were feather like. Only a couple of meters though :o
Monday, October 17, 2011
We are the Night Riders
We got skunked yesterday big time, so was dubious of the forecast today but headed down to the lake - even though it looked crappy all the way along the lake shore road ... looked better when I arrived, and Junkie Sensei was getting in the water so I suited up.
If the wind lived up to the forecast, we were going to get 16 knots ... I thought I'd risk the 21 and took both boards over the road. Wind was good when I launched, the kite pre-filled quickly and pulled well at the zenith. I jumped straight onto the Flyradical ...
Nicely powered! After a few minutes the wind picked up a little more and I was riding upwind just fine! Started trying out the tricks ... using the board more than the kite like Miyachi was talking about the other day. Nope, that sucks - can't land them except on my ribs or ass, or slam down so hard I tweak my knee and ankles - I like the way I do it much better :D
Try out his technique for jumps and realize that it's what the "How to go big" video was talking about - I was just being lazy or enjoying the air time and not thinking about what I was doing ...
Miyachi is out on the lake, riding strapless with his 14m RPM and Uncle No-Relaunch is warming up on the beach. Wind drops a bit and I'm still riding the Flyradical but not powered enough to do anything. I come in to grab the 'door but Uncle is having issues with his kite so I rejoin the pattern until he clears the beach. Ah, much better on the 'door!
When I try to throw a back-roll though DANG that board is heavy - have been spoiled by the 'radical! Further tries result in feet slipping out of the straps and messy things like that. I give up and go back to trying to jump as high as I can.
It's getting dark and I'm hoping to get Miyachi to land my kite again for me - he's getting so good at handling the foil now :D - so I keep riding until he heads in. Meantime, Uncle has dropped his kite and guess what - he can't relaunch it until it drifts onto the shore ... is it just that he's crap or the Naish kites he use simply don't relaunch? Yikes ...
Great session, packed up in the dark again - got about 90 minutes riding though!
Moment of the Day was popping to toeside then carving the transition back to heelside - I managed to time it all perfectly (accident!) and it was super-cool ... unfortunately, I couldn't repeat it :D
Wind strength (thanks Peter Frank) was measured at 5 to 12 to 7 knots from 4 to 6pm, with a gust of 16 knots at 5. 12 knots sounds about right; seems like then up is good for the Flyradical ...
What I learned today ...
• Still need to use the kite for front rolls, waiting until it's over-head to start the loop and don't forget - pull with the front hand when you spot your landing!!!
• Keeping the kite in the air when your head is underwater ... getting good at that. Pulling on the back hand to keep it up.
• Looping the big FSer is very possible and makes for some interesting transitions, jumps etc cos it builds monster speed through the turn! I am the Downwind Rocketship.
• Sending the kite at its own pace produces bigger jumps than trying to force it around.
If the wind lived up to the forecast, we were going to get 16 knots ... I thought I'd risk the 21 and took both boards over the road. Wind was good when I launched, the kite pre-filled quickly and pulled well at the zenith. I jumped straight onto the Flyradical ...
Nicely powered! After a few minutes the wind picked up a little more and I was riding upwind just fine! Started trying out the tricks ... using the board more than the kite like Miyachi was talking about the other day. Nope, that sucks - can't land them except on my ribs or ass, or slam down so hard I tweak my knee and ankles - I like the way I do it much better :D
Try out his technique for jumps and realize that it's what the "How to go big" video was talking about - I was just being lazy or enjoying the air time and not thinking about what I was doing ...
Miyachi is out on the lake, riding strapless with his 14m RPM and Uncle No-Relaunch is warming up on the beach. Wind drops a bit and I'm still riding the Flyradical but not powered enough to do anything. I come in to grab the 'door but Uncle is having issues with his kite so I rejoin the pattern until he clears the beach. Ah, much better on the 'door!
When I try to throw a back-roll though DANG that board is heavy - have been spoiled by the 'radical! Further tries result in feet slipping out of the straps and messy things like that. I give up and go back to trying to jump as high as I can.
It's getting dark and I'm hoping to get Miyachi to land my kite again for me - he's getting so good at handling the foil now :D - so I keep riding until he heads in. Meantime, Uncle has dropped his kite and guess what - he can't relaunch it until it drifts onto the shore ... is it just that he's crap or the Naish kites he use simply don't relaunch? Yikes ...
Great session, packed up in the dark again - got about 90 minutes riding though!
Moment of the Day was popping to toeside then carving the transition back to heelside - I managed to time it all perfectly (accident!) and it was super-cool ... unfortunately, I couldn't repeat it :D
Wind strength (thanks Peter Frank) was measured at 5 to 12 to 7 knots from 4 to 6pm, with a gust of 16 knots at 5. 12 knots sounds about right; seems like then up is good for the Flyradical ...
What I learned today ...
• Still need to use the kite for front rolls, waiting until it's over-head to start the loop and don't forget - pull with the front hand when you spot your landing!!!
• Keeping the kite in the air when your head is underwater ... getting good at that. Pulling on the back hand to keep it up.
• Looping the big FSer is very possible and makes for some interesting transitions, jumps etc cos it builds monster speed through the turn! I am the Downwind Rocketship.
• Sending the kite at its own pace produces bigger jumps than trying to force it around.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Full moon sailing
Forecast looked good, webcam looked good - I motored on down to the lake! Traffic is light, I make good time and get there just before 4:30pm. Wind looks borderline; everyone seems to be humming and harring. I waver for a moment then think ah fuck it why not. It's Speed3 time baby yeah! Suit up, load up, waddle over to the lake ...
Set up to hot launch the 21 but the wind has picked up a touch - we've white caps on the lake just ever so slightly. Pre-inflate ol' Relentless, grab the Flydoor and hit the water. Well powered!
Noodle around, lay some stuff down ... few slams till I warm up and get into the groove. I'm going upwind fine and wasting ground doing stuff - lovely!
I'm nicely powered on the 'door so I swap it out for the 'radical. Still rollin'! Throw some silly tricks down, boost some air - I'm getting really good at monster jumps now! - and am having a great time! It's a bit crowded near the shore, there's a newbie chick and Uncle Pyro and well, everyone else who's blocking the shore ... some close-calls with carefully placed kites to get through the jam.
Wind drops off a little more so I swap for the Flydoor. I got more board speed so I bust some big jumps ... I can feel the kite trying to drop me again occasionally on the smaller jumps so I'm controlling it with the sheeting in and out on the way down. I land a bunch toe-side and turn that into a down-loop turn the other way. Double-rotate a back-roll and loop the kite to stop a stall ... am I getting better or is the Speed3 just fucking awesome?
Sunset is coming but oh, it's a full moon! Nobody is getting off the water so hey - neither am I! We ride out till it's well dark and I can see the bar but can't tell which way around it is - can't see the colours!
Head in to shore, everyone has landed so I get Miyachi to help me - good man!
Awesome session! Wind was a little lully but the Speed3, he is a mean machine!
Moment of the Day was boosting a big ol' air, leaning back and looking down at the moon reflecting in the water!
Wind speed was recorded as 6 to 9 knots with gusts to 16 ... hmm, I reckon we had 10 to 12 fairly steady, with lulls to 8. I rode upwind without effort 90% of the time and only the utter wombles had to walk.
What I learned today ...
• Need to use more muscle or input from the board when the wind is light to do the rotations...
• In fact, it's easier to use the body to rotate than it is to use the kite - less over-rotation to contend with.
• Big jumps, mad hang-time - coming down is difficult! I just sorta hover over the water so 'reaching' down with my feet to land ends up dangling like a wally... bad style!
• Steer the kite more on the way down, control the drop with the bar. Be pro-active!
• Speed makes big jumps. Still working on whether it's better to send the kite sheeted out or in a bit...
• I'm getting spoiled with the ease of rotation of the Flyradical... but the Flydoor is still a great riding board!
• Oh yeah forgot to add - bats can see the lines and hear them when I came up behind them, even in the dark ... also pretty magic, riding along with the little bat-boys :)
Set up to hot launch the 21 but the wind has picked up a touch - we've white caps on the lake just ever so slightly. Pre-inflate ol' Relentless, grab the Flydoor and hit the water. Well powered!
Noodle around, lay some stuff down ... few slams till I warm up and get into the groove. I'm going upwind fine and wasting ground doing stuff - lovely!
I'm nicely powered on the 'door so I swap it out for the 'radical. Still rollin'! Throw some silly tricks down, boost some air - I'm getting really good at monster jumps now! - and am having a great time! It's a bit crowded near the shore, there's a newbie chick and Uncle Pyro and well, everyone else who's blocking the shore ... some close-calls with carefully placed kites to get through the jam.
Wind drops off a little more so I swap for the Flydoor. I got more board speed so I bust some big jumps ... I can feel the kite trying to drop me again occasionally on the smaller jumps so I'm controlling it with the sheeting in and out on the way down. I land a bunch toe-side and turn that into a down-loop turn the other way. Double-rotate a back-roll and loop the kite to stop a stall ... am I getting better or is the Speed3 just fucking awesome?
Sunset is coming but oh, it's a full moon! Nobody is getting off the water so hey - neither am I! We ride out till it's well dark and I can see the bar but can't tell which way around it is - can't see the colours!
Head in to shore, everyone has landed so I get Miyachi to help me - good man!
Awesome session! Wind was a little lully but the Speed3, he is a mean machine!
Moment of the Day was boosting a big ol' air, leaning back and looking down at the moon reflecting in the water!
Wind speed was recorded as 6 to 9 knots with gusts to 16 ... hmm, I reckon we had 10 to 12 fairly steady, with lulls to 8. I rode upwind without effort 90% of the time and only the utter wombles had to walk.
What I learned today ...
• Need to use more muscle or input from the board when the wind is light to do the rotations...
• In fact, it's easier to use the body to rotate than it is to use the kite - less over-rotation to contend with.
• Big jumps, mad hang-time - coming down is difficult! I just sorta hover over the water so 'reaching' down with my feet to land ends up dangling like a wally... bad style!
• Steer the kite more on the way down, control the drop with the bar. Be pro-active!
• Speed makes big jumps. Still working on whether it's better to send the kite sheeted out or in a bit...
• I'm getting spoiled with the ease of rotation of the Flyradical... but the Flydoor is still a great riding board!
• Oh yeah forgot to add - bats can see the lines and hear them when I came up behind them, even in the dark ... also pretty magic, riding along with the little bat-boys :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Oh well
Forecast looked doable, after blowing well all day ... raced down to the lake. Erk, there's not much wind ... set up the monster Speed and try a ride ... mowing the lawn so I come back in and wait ... wind picks up so I jump out on the water again, then it REALLY picks up. Gusty norwesters in the house!
Was on the Flydoor but I quickly swapped it for the 'radical. Much better! Have a pretty manic time playing with the trim settings ... going from "Aw where is wind?" to "OH MY GOD!" so yeah, it was gusty. Couldn't get into a groove so it was pretty messy. Some good jumps though ... so the wind was up and down and just on sunset I gave it up and packed up.
Moment of the Day was the look on everyone's faces on the shore when I started riding in ... SFA.
Wind speed was recorded as 11 to 12 knots but we got gusts WAY over that I tell you what!
What I learned today ...
• I forgot. I'm sure it'll come back to me though ...
Was on the Flydoor but I quickly swapped it for the 'radical. Much better! Have a pretty manic time playing with the trim settings ... going from "Aw where is wind?" to "OH MY GOD!" so yeah, it was gusty. Couldn't get into a groove so it was pretty messy. Some good jumps though ... so the wind was up and down and just on sunset I gave it up and packed up.
Moment of the Day was the look on everyone's faces on the shore when I started riding in ... SFA.
Wind speed was recorded as 11 to 12 knots but we got gusts WAY over that I tell you what!
What I learned today ...
• I forgot. I'm sure it'll come back to me though ...
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Pretty much perfect!
Wind looked good in the forecast so I headed down the lake after work ... always start with the same thing don't I?
Got to the lake after being held up for only 3 minutes (felt like forever though) due to a car-crash on the Hamakaido ... now have total proof that traffic-jams are caused by fuckwits stopping to rubber-neck - the cop was getting quite aggravated by the people ahead of me who were slowing traffic on the now single lane road, by slowing down to have a good ol' gawp.
Got to the lake, checked the wind ... hmm, what to unpack? Check the kites up - the usual directional guys so that's no help. Ah! Fujii-san is on his 14 and Dennis the Menace is too - Speed3 21 it is then! I suit up and drag the Flysurfer and my Fly-boards over the road. Yikes, more wind than I thought ... I side-launch the big Speed and grab my Flyradical straight out the gates.
A little bit light, have to carefully build speed on 2 strokes to get moving but I'm away laughing! Laughing, like a maniac! The conditions are almost perfect - I'm not over-powered, not under-powered (too often) and am riding the Flyradical with ease ...
And so I break out my bag of tricks ... ok very small envelope of tricks. Easy back-rolls - too easy cos I'm over-rotating so I slow them right down ... long, lazy, hanging in the harness, head back looking around - back rolls. Front-rolls provide no problem today too, so I lob them right after the back-rolls to untangle my lines :D
Getting cocky with them now and am over-rotating front-rolls too - but I do end up landing and riding away from a couple of double rotations!!! Pretty cool feeling ...
I throw in some jumps too ZOMG air feels big but the hang-time is monster! So long that I'm reacting to my memory of the timing and not what the kite is doing. I pendulum under the kite a few times, send the kite too hard, too soon and get dunked many times but MAN is it fun!
A few back-roll transitions too ... and I work on making tight gybe's so I can really work the air gybe.
Getting more aggressive with the kite. Manage to stall it a few times and all but once (maybe twice) I recovered them in the air.
Definitely twice - I remember an easy reverse launch (the 21 pulls less down-wind while relaunching than the U12 does!) and the other time, the tips got tangled and the kite was a donut. A few moments of pulling rear lines got it to open up and fly fine though ...
I stay out until after the sun has slipped below the hills to the west. I back-stall landed the kite but as I was about to loop the rear-leaders into my spreader bar hook then sand the harness, some helpful chap tried to "land" the kite for me by grabbing the tip and pulling. The kite relaunches and as it shoots to the side of the window, I ride out the scud most of the way down the beach. We have a brief chat and he's surprised by how much power is still in the kite, even though it was 'parked' and he wonders why he couldn't just grab the tip like someone else did the other day. I try to explain :D then I land on the safety and Miyachi grabs the tip and sits on it ... I've trained him well!
Another odd thing ... as I'm packing up, Uncle Pyro asks if I can see (it's full dark but the moon is up) and then carries my board back to Locus - I get the feeling that some people want to try my foils ;)
The weather was perfect today! Enough wind to be nicely powered, warm enough to not get wind-chilled but the water was cool enough for refreshment! Happy :)
Moment of the Day was pretty much the whole day! The big jump I remember and just silent gliding was pretty magic though!
Wind speed was recorded as 11 to 13 knots with a gust of 20 an hour before I got there ... it was pretty steady the whole time I was there though!
What I learned today ...
• It's easier to pre-inflate the Cable Park In A Bag through the dump vents, which makes for a better launch and a faster in-the-air inflate but it only fills the downwind side - bit of a messy launch and what was the upwind tip didn't seem to want to fill.
• Getting used to the 'radical ... I'm starting to love it!
• Low-end with the 'radical is good because I felt powered today, not over-powered but there was plenty of juice in the kite - big boosts!
• Stay in the tuck as long as you can on the jumps ...
• The Flysurfers are generating buzz. People are talking about them, that's for sure.
Got to the lake after being held up for only 3 minutes (felt like forever though) due to a car-crash on the Hamakaido ... now have total proof that traffic-jams are caused by fuckwits stopping to rubber-neck - the cop was getting quite aggravated by the people ahead of me who were slowing traffic on the now single lane road, by slowing down to have a good ol' gawp.
Got to the lake, checked the wind ... hmm, what to unpack? Check the kites up - the usual directional guys so that's no help. Ah! Fujii-san is on his 14 and Dennis the Menace is too - Speed3 21 it is then! I suit up and drag the Flysurfer and my Fly-boards over the road. Yikes, more wind than I thought ... I side-launch the big Speed and grab my Flyradical straight out the gates.
A little bit light, have to carefully build speed on 2 strokes to get moving but I'm away laughing! Laughing, like a maniac! The conditions are almost perfect - I'm not over-powered, not under-powered (too often) and am riding the Flyradical with ease ...
And so I break out my bag of tricks ... ok very small envelope of tricks. Easy back-rolls - too easy cos I'm over-rotating so I slow them right down ... long, lazy, hanging in the harness, head back looking around - back rolls. Front-rolls provide no problem today too, so I lob them right after the back-rolls to untangle my lines :D
Getting cocky with them now and am over-rotating front-rolls too - but I do end up landing and riding away from a couple of double rotations!!! Pretty cool feeling ...
I throw in some jumps too ZOMG air feels big but the hang-time is monster! So long that I'm reacting to my memory of the timing and not what the kite is doing. I pendulum under the kite a few times, send the kite too hard, too soon and get dunked many times but MAN is it fun!
A few back-roll transitions too ... and I work on making tight gybe's so I can really work the air gybe.
Getting more aggressive with the kite. Manage to stall it a few times and all but once (maybe twice) I recovered them in the air.
Definitely twice - I remember an easy reverse launch (the 21 pulls less down-wind while relaunching than the U12 does!) and the other time, the tips got tangled and the kite was a donut. A few moments of pulling rear lines got it to open up and fly fine though ...
I stay out until after the sun has slipped below the hills to the west. I back-stall landed the kite but as I was about to loop the rear-leaders into my spreader bar hook then sand the harness, some helpful chap tried to "land" the kite for me by grabbing the tip and pulling. The kite relaunches and as it shoots to the side of the window, I ride out the scud most of the way down the beach. We have a brief chat and he's surprised by how much power is still in the kite, even though it was 'parked' and he wonders why he couldn't just grab the tip like someone else did the other day. I try to explain :D then I land on the safety and Miyachi grabs the tip and sits on it ... I've trained him well!
Another odd thing ... as I'm packing up, Uncle Pyro asks if I can see (it's full dark but the moon is up) and then carries my board back to Locus - I get the feeling that some people want to try my foils ;)
The weather was perfect today! Enough wind to be nicely powered, warm enough to not get wind-chilled but the water was cool enough for refreshment! Happy :)
Moment of the Day was pretty much the whole day! The big jump I remember and just silent gliding was pretty magic though!
Wind speed was recorded as 11 to 13 knots with a gust of 20 an hour before I got there ... it was pretty steady the whole time I was there though!
What I learned today ...
• It's easier to pre-inflate the Cable Park In A Bag through the dump vents, which makes for a better launch and a faster in-the-air inflate but it only fills the downwind side - bit of a messy launch and what was the upwind tip didn't seem to want to fill.
• Getting used to the 'radical ... I'm starting to love it!
• Low-end with the 'radical is good because I felt powered today, not over-powered but there was plenty of juice in the kite - big boosts!
• Stay in the tuck as long as you can on the jumps ...
• The Flysurfers are generating buzz. People are talking about them, that's for sure.
Monday, October 3, 2011
In which I give up in disgust
Good forecast today, better than yesterday's was ... I take an hour off work and head to the lake early.
Wind is up ... dunno what to use. Not the 21 that's for sure and not the 12. 13 &16m Xbow, Flydoor and Rip Plus go over to the lake. Soh put up his 14m Havoc and looks happy ... I decide on the 16.
A good enough choice ... but as the evening draws on and the difference in average wind speed between the gusts drops and the time the wind is off increases, it's getting sucky. I pack up before sunset in disgust but not before ...
I forget how, but I've dropped the kite right in the middle of the underwater weed garden. Usually it's not a problem but today the 'bow refuses to relaunch and - joy of joys! - flops onto its trailing edge. A wave washes a bunch of water over the kite and now it's stuck to the surface ... this is something the LEI-whores don't mention when they compare the "ease" of relaunch of LEIs versus foils! >:( struggle struggle swear swear ... after all sorts of retarded behavior (flying upsidedown, TE towards me - really?) I finally get the kite into the air - but now there's a bunch (literally) of weeds wrapped around the Y and the RH steering line. I fly the kite to shore, land, swear, pull the weeds off ...
I'm trying to get back onto the water ... working the kite to get moving but heading right at me and obviously intending to go between the shore and me - about 3m - is Taki :o
I park the kite at the zenith and try to avoid his - we're mere millimeters away from a very big mess and he obviously thinks it's no problem! He moves off to my right then drops it in the water. Now I got Uncle Pyro coming at me from the left and I'm sandwiched between the 2 worst kite-handlers on the beach. Uncle just stands in the water waiting for the wind so I can't move my kite left. Taki is trying to relaunch but he's so close if he loses control (like he usually does) he's going to wrap me up in the hurt-locker. Praise the lord! nothing happens as I walk backwards out into the lake and get riding again. Thinking back, I thought I was just being paranoid but Soh comes up to me later and is like "Dude WTF were those two thinking?" and so, I rename Taki as "Dennis the Menace."
Keep flying but there's no joy in it - no jumps, no rotations ... no power in the wind. And so I give up ...
Moments of the Day was the monster jump that started off as a regular jump but the gust yoinked me good ... I even rode away ;) the pendulum backrolls were pretty cool too.
Wind speed was recorded as 12 to 14 knots (ho ho ho!) with gusts to 24. Obvious to me now that that is average wind speed ... there were times when I was worried the 'bow was going to fall out of the sky. Oh wait - it did.
What I learned today ...
• The intersection of the seasons produces gusty shit wind.
• October & November are the best wind months at Biwako. According to Soh ...
• Bar pressure on the 16m 'bow is killing me ... I need a different mid-wind kite.
• And to that end, including the gusts, I'm putting the arcs back in the boot of the car!
• Oh yeah tried the Rip Plus again ... not my cup of tea. I like the Flyradical better so it's up for sale ... and sold!
Wind is up ... dunno what to use. Not the 21 that's for sure and not the 12. 13 &16m Xbow, Flydoor and Rip Plus go over to the lake. Soh put up his 14m Havoc and looks happy ... I decide on the 16.
A good enough choice ... but as the evening draws on and the difference in average wind speed between the gusts drops and the time the wind is off increases, it's getting sucky. I pack up before sunset in disgust but not before ...
I forget how, but I've dropped the kite right in the middle of the underwater weed garden. Usually it's not a problem but today the 'bow refuses to relaunch and - joy of joys! - flops onto its trailing edge. A wave washes a bunch of water over the kite and now it's stuck to the surface ... this is something the LEI-whores don't mention when they compare the "ease" of relaunch of LEIs versus foils! >:( struggle struggle swear swear ... after all sorts of retarded behavior (flying upsidedown, TE towards me - really?) I finally get the kite into the air - but now there's a bunch (literally) of weeds wrapped around the Y and the RH steering line. I fly the kite to shore, land, swear, pull the weeds off ...
I'm trying to get back onto the water ... working the kite to get moving but heading right at me and obviously intending to go between the shore and me - about 3m - is Taki :o
I park the kite at the zenith and try to avoid his - we're mere millimeters away from a very big mess and he obviously thinks it's no problem! He moves off to my right then drops it in the water. Now I got Uncle Pyro coming at me from the left and I'm sandwiched between the 2 worst kite-handlers on the beach. Uncle just stands in the water waiting for the wind so I can't move my kite left. Taki is trying to relaunch but he's so close if he loses control (like he usually does) he's going to wrap me up in the hurt-locker. Praise the lord! nothing happens as I walk backwards out into the lake and get riding again. Thinking back, I thought I was just being paranoid but Soh comes up to me later and is like "Dude WTF were those two thinking?" and so, I rename Taki as "Dennis the Menace."
Keep flying but there's no joy in it - no jumps, no rotations ... no power in the wind. And so I give up ...
Moments of the Day was the monster jump that started off as a regular jump but the gust yoinked me good ... I even rode away ;) the pendulum backrolls were pretty cool too.
Wind speed was recorded as 12 to 14 knots (ho ho ho!) with gusts to 24. Obvious to me now that that is average wind speed ... there were times when I was worried the 'bow was going to fall out of the sky. Oh wait - it did.
What I learned today ...
• The intersection of the seasons produces gusty shit wind.
• October & November are the best wind months at Biwako. According to Soh ...
• Bar pressure on the 16m 'bow is killing me ... I need a different mid-wind kite.
• And to that end, including the gusts, I'm putting the arcs back in the boot of the car!
• Oh yeah tried the Rip Plus again ... not my cup of tea. I like the Flyradical better so it's up for sale ... and sold!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Unity vs Speed
Sunday promised big wind and by happy chance, my Unity 12 had arrived Saturday from that guy in the US with the collection of odd names :D Let's just call him Stan.
Hit the lake about 1:30pm - dead calm. Not good, the forecast said there should have been wind by now ... wait begins. Wind picks up. We get a heap of it. I measure 9 to 10 m/s at the water's edge - good, cos I'm predicting a bottom end for me of 20 knots from the Unity.
I was right. At first, I'm powered enough as I struggle to get used to the odd feeling kite - it's no Speed! More like a lazy Psycho. Actually, at the bottom of the power-stroke it feels like an arc :o
Man, the wind is up'n'down like a frickin' yo-yo ... I get the hang of the kite eventually and manage to get enough out of it to make it through the lulls. I think maybe 16 knots IF I'm lucky for the bottom end. Much better up the top end.
All seems good with it - jumps nicely, hang-time is ok, power through the turns is pretty good, not too slow responding to the bar. Good'n'stable most of the time but I managed to get it out of shape and inverted, although the anti-inversion line stops that in it's tracks ... kite floats to the water surface then pops into shape with the right tug on the lines and is flying again - nice!
Infinity 2 bar is sweet, a few nice touches. Not sure about the bungies for the QR and the chicken stick - I can see them rotting away.
Wind dies right off and doesn't look like picking up. I pack up the Unity, and get the 21 out. A good play from then on, using the Flyradical but the winds dropping again and I'm on the 'door again. I ride till the sun has well and truly set ... not a bad day, despite the gusts!
Moment of the Day was probably the solitary awesome front roll I did ... I bet nobody saw it though :o
Wind speed was recorded as 14 to 10 knots (horse-puckey!) with gusts to 25 (probably true).
What I learned today ...
• Not enough over-lap between the Speed3 21 and the Unity 12 :( U12 is a great kite though!
• I've been spoiled by the Speed ... I hate working kites to make power!
• I'm getting better with the 'radical.
• I'm getting better with the front-rolls :D
Hit the lake about 1:30pm - dead calm. Not good, the forecast said there should have been wind by now ... wait begins. Wind picks up. We get a heap of it. I measure 9 to 10 m/s at the water's edge - good, cos I'm predicting a bottom end for me of 20 knots from the Unity.
I was right. At first, I'm powered enough as I struggle to get used to the odd feeling kite - it's no Speed! More like a lazy Psycho. Actually, at the bottom of the power-stroke it feels like an arc :o
Man, the wind is up'n'down like a frickin' yo-yo ... I get the hang of the kite eventually and manage to get enough out of it to make it through the lulls. I think maybe 16 knots IF I'm lucky for the bottom end. Much better up the top end.
All seems good with it - jumps nicely, hang-time is ok, power through the turns is pretty good, not too slow responding to the bar. Good'n'stable most of the time but I managed to get it out of shape and inverted, although the anti-inversion line stops that in it's tracks ... kite floats to the water surface then pops into shape with the right tug on the lines and is flying again - nice!
Infinity 2 bar is sweet, a few nice touches. Not sure about the bungies for the QR and the chicken stick - I can see them rotting away.
Wind dies right off and doesn't look like picking up. I pack up the Unity, and get the 21 out. A good play from then on, using the Flyradical but the winds dropping again and I'm on the 'door again. I ride till the sun has well and truly set ... not a bad day, despite the gusts!
Moment of the Day was probably the solitary awesome front roll I did ... I bet nobody saw it though :o
Wind speed was recorded as 14 to 10 knots (horse-puckey!) with gusts to 25 (probably true).
What I learned today ...
• Not enough over-lap between the Speed3 21 and the Unity 12 :( U12 is a great kite though!
• I've been spoiled by the Speed ... I hate working kites to make power!
• I'm getting better with the 'radical.
• I'm getting better with the front-rolls :D
Friday, September 30, 2011
Plonking in the Rain
Wind looked good this afternoon but there was supposed to be rain with it. The skies looked clear though so I thought I'd risk a quick ride between jobs. Got to the lake and it looked ok! Naturally, as soon as I'd pumped up the 16m Crossbow, it started raining again ... but that didn't stop me! Another guy was there - haven't thought up a name for him yet - but he lurked out at the club house, watching through the gap in the trees until the front arrived (see below).
Hit the lake about 4:30pm and was just powered on the 'bow & Flydoor, riding around getting blasted in the eyes by the rain. Worried about a soggy kite too ...
Then the wind dropped a bit so I stood around and waited, watching the front as it approached. It's stopped raining now too - sweet! Jumped on the water just before it arrived and BLAM I'm powered! Switch to the Flyradical but it's not consistent enough for that so I go back to the Flydoor but now I'm at the upper limit of the kite - it's twitching and bucking so it's over 25 knots! Time is running out though so I just ride ...
Miyachi has hit the lake and so has the Guy-with-no-name so it's just the three of us ... bust out the back-rolls and they're all fine - some are sweeter than others though, big fat flat-on-my-back spins; blast some big jumps but the old harness is groaning and creaking which gives me the creeps; try some front-rolls and they're awesome!
Decide sunset has arrived although I can't see the sun - it's getting dark. As I stand around on the beach trying to decide how to best land the kite by myself and the loop of rope at the anchor point (where has the clip gone?!?!) Miyachi comes in and offers to catch my kite, which he does then I land him. I'm rolling up the lines when I hear the local speaker bing-bonging the 6pm chimes - sweet, I'll easily be in time for work!
Moment of the Day might have been surfing downwind on my own wake after a heel-to-heel sliding transition but it just couldn't compare with the back-roll transition plus down-loop to fully power out of it! Kind of an accident, as I hadn't intended to loop the kite but I needed the speed and just sort of went for it and didn't get spanked :D so it was cool as shit!
Wind speed was recorded as only 4 to 12 knots while I was on the water and 20 knots gusts but that was bull cos I KNOW the Xbow won't let me ride in less than 14 and it gets ugly over 25 ... which it did. I was being a plonker again.
What I learned today ...
• How to double-team a kite landing: Miyachi put his kite at the edge of the window, walked back to mine that was standing on its tip and pulled it over into the smilie position - I ran upwind and grabbed the kite then landed him. Looked pretty easy at his end too ... hmm, wonder if you can launch from that position?
• Actually throwing the lower-half of my body around to spin the board under me - works good.
• Finesse for front-rolls - initiate the roll (contorting toward your heading and looking behind you) as the kite passes the zenith so you're pretty much guarenteed to roll; then redirect to whip you around the last part of the rotation. Maybe :o
• Trust the gust - rig smaller. I would have lost maybe 10 more minutes only.
• STILL can't cope with the Flyradical - feels so wrong down there, skittish and not hugging the water like the 'door :(
• Shouting "AHOY!" when you nail that front-roll is probably a bit mental.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Uno mas
Same forecast as yesterday but I spent all day checking the webcam at Locus, scrutinizing the single frames we would get due to the internet slow-down ... no white-caps at all :( not looking good. I decide to swing past the lake anyway ... which was just as well, cos there was wind!
Out comes the Speed3 again; I measure 10 to 12 knots - is it going to do what it did last night, I wonder? Uncle No-relaunch tells me it's less wind than yesterday ... we'll see ...
Wind holds steady and builds a bit ... I start riding straight tacks back to my starting spot then the wind picks up and I have spare space downwind to jump and play silly buggers! Big fat slow back rolls - and I even start doing front rolls again. Managed a double front roll but muffed the landing ... total fluke though!
Getting plain ol' jumps down good, thanks to kitejohan on YouTube ... felt like I got dropped on a couple, and I think it's cos I'm not redirecting aggressively enough.
Oh it was just after I got onto the water that I felt something give in the harness ... I thought a strap had slipped so I reached down to tighten it and ... the entire strap pulled out into my hand! I thought may be it had rotted away but no, the end was cut clean. I secured the strap and kept riding :D
When I got off the water, it appeared that the top straps for the spreader bar have been secured with only the cosmetic stitches that join the two dissimilar material of the harness, instead of the box stitch I can see on the bottom straps and in photos on the internet :o yikes! Have emailed Dakine ...
On the other hand, the strap that came apart on the Flydoor is holding up ok!
Moment of the Day has been forgotten again but I remember it was something simple and when I thought about writing this section, I remember it was going to be something clever like "Moment of the Day was not the effortless back rolls or the long, floating front rolls but something it's just the little things like ..." and that's what I forgot. It was probably just the fact that I spent the whole time riding, from 4:30 to sunset at 6-ish while EVERYONE else (except for the Master of Disaster on the raceboard) had to walk - even Taki on his 14m North and directional ... all hail Armin!
Wind speed I can report accurately this time ... 5 knots at 4pm building to 15 at 6pm with gusts to 20! I never felt overpowered on the 21 and remember the gusts only as a twitch of the bar ...
What I learned today ...
• Perhaps I do need to redirect more aggressively ...
• Speed3 21 doesn't turn much slower my 16m Crossbow but requires more muscle in the turns. Or so it seems anyway!
• Front rolls need an assist from the kite ... so far. But are do-able.
• Should probably replace the lines, FLS line and depower line ... and learn how to wax!
• Such as stable kite! I'm being more aggressive with it and doing worse things with regards to riding towards it etc but the worst shape I've managed to get it into, have been both tips tucking while it was perpendicular to the water ... then it just powered up again when I sheeted in! I'm lovin' it!
EDIT : here are some pics of what happened - on the left, the failure and on the right the yet to fail ... single row of cosmetic stitches holding the upper straps in o_0 I'm surprised it lasted this long!
UPDATE : After a month of trying to sort out a Japanese distributor, Dakine Hawaii has sent me a replacement 2011 harness in green ... good job! Better fit for me too, dunno why!
Out comes the Speed3 again; I measure 10 to 12 knots - is it going to do what it did last night, I wonder? Uncle No-relaunch tells me it's less wind than yesterday ... we'll see ...
Wind holds steady and builds a bit ... I start riding straight tacks back to my starting spot then the wind picks up and I have spare space downwind to jump and play silly buggers! Big fat slow back rolls - and I even start doing front rolls again. Managed a double front roll but muffed the landing ... total fluke though!
Getting plain ol' jumps down good, thanks to kitejohan on YouTube ... felt like I got dropped on a couple, and I think it's cos I'm not redirecting aggressively enough.
Oh it was just after I got onto the water that I felt something give in the harness ... I thought a strap had slipped so I reached down to tighten it and ... the entire strap pulled out into my hand! I thought may be it had rotted away but no, the end was cut clean. I secured the strap and kept riding :D
When I got off the water, it appeared that the top straps for the spreader bar have been secured with only the cosmetic stitches that join the two dissimilar material of the harness, instead of the box stitch I can see on the bottom straps and in photos on the internet :o yikes! Have emailed Dakine ...
On the other hand, the strap that came apart on the Flydoor is holding up ok!
Moment of the Day has been forgotten again but I remember it was something simple and when I thought about writing this section, I remember it was going to be something clever like "Moment of the Day was not the effortless back rolls or the long, floating front rolls but something it's just the little things like ..." and that's what I forgot. It was probably just the fact that I spent the whole time riding, from 4:30 to sunset at 6-ish while EVERYONE else (except for the Master of Disaster on the raceboard) had to walk - even Taki on his 14m North and directional ... all hail Armin!
Wind speed I can report accurately this time ... 5 knots at 4pm building to 15 at 6pm with gusts to 20! I never felt overpowered on the 21 and remember the gusts only as a twitch of the bar ...
What I learned today ...
• Perhaps I do need to redirect more aggressively ...
• Speed3 21 doesn't turn much slower my 16m Crossbow but requires more muscle in the turns. Or so it seems anyway!
• Front rolls need an assist from the kite ... so far. But are do-able.
• Should probably replace the lines, FLS line and depower line ... and learn how to wax!
• Such as stable kite! I'm being more aggressive with it and doing worse things with regards to riding towards it etc but the worst shape I've managed to get it into, have been both tips tucking while it was perpendicular to the water ... then it just powered up again when I sheeted in! I'm lovin' it!
EDIT : here are some pics of what happened - on the left, the failure and on the right the yet to fail ... single row of cosmetic stitches holding the upper straps in o_0 I'm surprised it lasted this long!
UPDATE : After a month of trying to sort out a Japanese distributor, Dakine Hawaii has sent me a replacement 2011 harness in green ... good job! Better fit for me too, dunno why!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tune up success
Gah, internet has been flaky in this area for the past few days ... so I couldn't post this and I forgot the details :o Basically ...
Wind measured 10 to 12 knots as I arrived, so of course I unpacked the "cable park in a bag" and the 'door. Good chance to test out the retuning of the lines ... all is good! No backstall and it's not dropping me in the jumps!
Wind falls off to 6 knots by the time the sun has set ... I do one more run, try a jump then walk 1/2 of my downwind tack back up the beach. It seems the Speed3 21 has improved my low-end over other peoples ...
Moment of the Day has been forgotten :(
Wind speed was recorded as 12 knots falling to 6 as I measured too ...
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 needs to not backstall.
• I could probably add in some backstall then trim it out to see if the above is correct.
Wind measured 10 to 12 knots as I arrived, so of course I unpacked the "cable park in a bag" and the 'door. Good chance to test out the retuning of the lines ... all is good! No backstall and it's not dropping me in the jumps!
Wind falls off to 6 knots by the time the sun has set ... I do one more run, try a jump then walk 1/2 of my downwind tack back up the beach. It seems the Speed3 21 has improved my low-end over other peoples ...
Moment of the Day has been forgotten :(
Wind speed was recorded as 12 knots falling to 6 as I measured too ...
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 needs to not backstall.
• I could probably add in some backstall then trim it out to see if the above is correct.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
First time on the 21
Forecast looked promising in the morning, but as it does so often in summer, it had changed by lunch time. I thought I'd go down the lake and have a static play with the Speed3 21. When I arrived, the competition was still on but there was no wind - everyone was standing around … waiting. There was a wind meter up on a stick too - reading less than 5 knots.
Waited around for a while and the wind picked up to 5 to 6 knots - the race boys tried to do their thing but it was a bust … summer winds are gutless. 17m Edges were falling out of the sky.
Patience is a virtue and it paid off - the thermal moved in around 4pm. As soon as I saw the "blow line" moving in, I got changed and grabbed the Speed3 21 and my Flyboards ... headed down the other end of the beach and set up ...
Side launch, kite goes up fine, takes longer than the Speed2 to fill ... I was expecting that. No drama otherwise. Hit the water ... oh here we go, it's like the Psycho4 - wants to backstall when the bar is hauled in. Needs to be sheeted out to be allowed to accelerate ... it feels like the Silberpfeil but it's not. Walk a bit, wind picks up a bit, it gets better.
A kiter is way the hell out west on the lake and is in trouble - I can see him winding up his lines so I head back into the beach, tell Soh to get help and walk past the windmeter for a quick shufti ... 12 knots pretty steady. I'm easily going upwind on the Flydoor.
I keep riding, feeling my way with the new Speed. It's fast - damn fast! Builds a lot of speed, probably easier than the 2 ... I'm out-pacing everybody. I turn that speed into upwind angle ...
Try out some jumps ... load'n'pop are orbital maneuvers. Back rolls turn into multiple spins - there so much lift! I even land some front rolls cos I've so much time to get around ...
Big jumps ... I get the hang time but on the way down, the kite is backstalling and I'm being dumped into the water. If I time the redirection right, the moving kite makes more lift for a gentle landing but something seems wrong here ... something needs a tune!
Doing front rolls on the Flydoor proves to be a too much for the crappy Flyboards straps - I rip the right foot strap out of the mount ... have to ride in strapless on one foot. Feels odd but I handle it ok :D swap to the Flyradical and whaddya know - it's no problem to ride! I'm making upwind easy and it's fun to throw around.
Sun is starting to set so I call it a night. Reverse land the kite - no problems, nice soft touch down - and my new FSer buddy helps me secure it. We have a chat and he takes photos of the only 21 in Japan :o Good day, glad I went ...!
Moment of the Day was discovering the the Speed3 had so much lift that 'regular' back rolls turn into multiples ... no it wasn't - it was doing a big, fat, slow, lazy front roll and landing perfectly, riding away like a champ!
Wind speed was recorded as 7.4 knots to 8.8 with a gust of 16.2 - you and I know that ain't right cos I saw the wind meter at the shore line about 4:30pm. If the wind meter was wrong then it was pretty good outcome for the Speed3!
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 makes more lift than the 2 but has a little less bottom end.
• That might be just my inexperience with the Triple Depower.
• Seems to backstall really easy ... even when jumping - I got dumped outa the sky as the kite stalled. That ain't right.
• So I need to check line stretch and might just be my inexperience with blah blah blah
• Just cos only 2 people are kiteboarding, doesn't mean that the competition is over - stay out of the zone.
• The above is embarrassing.
Waited around for a while and the wind picked up to 5 to 6 knots - the race boys tried to do their thing but it was a bust … summer winds are gutless. 17m Edges were falling out of the sky.
Patience is a virtue and it paid off - the thermal moved in around 4pm. As soon as I saw the "blow line" moving in, I got changed and grabbed the Speed3 21 and my Flyboards ... headed down the other end of the beach and set up ...
Side launch, kite goes up fine, takes longer than the Speed2 to fill ... I was expecting that. No drama otherwise. Hit the water ... oh here we go, it's like the Psycho4 - wants to backstall when the bar is hauled in. Needs to be sheeted out to be allowed to accelerate ... it feels like the Silberpfeil but it's not. Walk a bit, wind picks up a bit, it gets better.
A kiter is way the hell out west on the lake and is in trouble - I can see him winding up his lines so I head back into the beach, tell Soh to get help and walk past the windmeter for a quick shufti ... 12 knots pretty steady. I'm easily going upwind on the Flydoor.
I keep riding, feeling my way with the new Speed. It's fast - damn fast! Builds a lot of speed, probably easier than the 2 ... I'm out-pacing everybody. I turn that speed into upwind angle ...
Try out some jumps ... load'n'pop are orbital maneuvers. Back rolls turn into multiple spins - there so much lift! I even land some front rolls cos I've so much time to get around ...
Big jumps ... I get the hang time but on the way down, the kite is backstalling and I'm being dumped into the water. If I time the redirection right, the moving kite makes more lift for a gentle landing but something seems wrong here ... something needs a tune!
Doing front rolls on the Flydoor proves to be a too much for the crappy Flyboards straps - I rip the right foot strap out of the mount ... have to ride in strapless on one foot. Feels odd but I handle it ok :D swap to the Flyradical and whaddya know - it's no problem to ride! I'm making upwind easy and it's fun to throw around.
Sun is starting to set so I call it a night. Reverse land the kite - no problems, nice soft touch down - and my new FSer buddy helps me secure it. We have a chat and he takes photos of the only 21 in Japan :o Good day, glad I went ...!
Moment of the Day was discovering the the Speed3 had so much lift that 'regular' back rolls turn into multiples ... no it wasn't - it was doing a big, fat, slow, lazy front roll and landing perfectly, riding away like a champ!
Wind speed was recorded as 7.4 knots to 8.8 with a gust of 16.2 - you and I know that ain't right cos I saw the wind meter at the shore line about 4:30pm. If the wind meter was wrong then it was pretty good outcome for the Speed3!
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 makes more lift than the 2 but has a little less bottom end.
• That might be just my inexperience with the Triple Depower.
• Seems to backstall really easy ... even when jumping - I got dumped outa the sky as the kite stalled. That ain't right.
• So I need to check line stretch and might just be my inexperience with blah blah blah
• Just cos only 2 people are kiteboarding, doesn't mean that the competition is over - stay out of the zone.
• The above is embarrassing.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Gusty, lully and a comp
So we got wind again. Was supposed to be best from 2pm so I headed down the lake about 1. There was the competition on so they'd taken over the best half of the beach with HORDES of kites OMG there must have been 40 there!
I shuttled my gear down the other end of 'our' beach - long walk through deep sand with 2 boards and 2 Crossbows!!! Delighted to see another Flysurfer rider there, with a Psycho4 12 laid out and a Speed3 15 in the sky! Felt a bit of a traitor for not having my 21 with me :D Guy also had a Flyrace and when the course racing started, he whipped out a S3 19 DLX and went upwind like ... well like nothing I've seen before. He came in second cos he made a bad start ... looked to me like he was 100m behind the pack at the horn :o
Stood around thinking of what to set up, and the wind picked up. Put up the 13.
Good call. Gusty as hell but got some fun in. Landed some schwee-eeeet back rolls, boosted a few big jumps but it was again so punchy that it wasn't much fun ... at least there wasn't as much crap in the water and the sun was warm! There was enough wind for me to get out on the Flyradical for a time too ... such a different board! So much spring in it too, I'm starting to appreciate it more - popped off the water for a backroll but the board boinged me around for a double that I ALMOST landed ... need a TON of weight on the back-foot though!
Wind dropped off and I had to walk back to our spot. Waited around for a while and eventually the wind picked up. I pumped up the 16 and went to work on that. A shorter session but the wind was more consistent so it was more fun ...
Probably spent as much time waiting as riding but it was nice to be out again!
Moment of the Day was being the only one out on the water cos it was too windy and busting a huge fat air with hours of hang-time in the middle of the competition zone ... take that!
Or maybe meeting another FSer :D
Wind speed was recorded as 13 knots falling to 8 with gusts up to 29 knots :o
What I learned today ...
• Flyradical has a lot of pop.
• Flysurfer Speed3 19 and Flyrace - there is simply no competition for upwind angle OMFG it was amazing to watch!
• Time to wear wetsuit ...
I shuttled my gear down the other end of 'our' beach - long walk through deep sand with 2 boards and 2 Crossbows!!! Delighted to see another Flysurfer rider there, with a Psycho4 12 laid out and a Speed3 15 in the sky! Felt a bit of a traitor for not having my 21 with me :D Guy also had a Flyrace and when the course racing started, he whipped out a S3 19 DLX and went upwind like ... well like nothing I've seen before. He came in second cos he made a bad start ... looked to me like he was 100m behind the pack at the horn :o
Stood around thinking of what to set up, and the wind picked up. Put up the 13.
Good call. Gusty as hell but got some fun in. Landed some schwee-eeeet back rolls, boosted a few big jumps but it was again so punchy that it wasn't much fun ... at least there wasn't as much crap in the water and the sun was warm! There was enough wind for me to get out on the Flyradical for a time too ... such a different board! So much spring in it too, I'm starting to appreciate it more - popped off the water for a backroll but the board boinged me around for a double that I ALMOST landed ... need a TON of weight on the back-foot though!
Wind dropped off and I had to walk back to our spot. Waited around for a while and eventually the wind picked up. I pumped up the 16 and went to work on that. A shorter session but the wind was more consistent so it was more fun ...
Probably spent as much time waiting as riding but it was nice to be out again!
Moment of the Day was being the only one out on the water cos it was too windy and busting a huge fat air with hours of hang-time in the middle of the competition zone ... take that!
Or maybe meeting another FSer :D
Wind speed was recorded as 13 knots falling to 8 with gusts up to 29 knots :o
What I learned today ...
• Flyradical has a lot of pop.
• Flysurfer Speed3 19 and Flyrace - there is simply no competition for upwind angle OMFG it was amazing to watch!
• Time to wear wetsuit ...
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Gusty much?
Finally! We got some wind at the lake ... typhoon dragged, deposited or dropped some wind on us so I'm not complaining.
Got to the lake at 4 - right in the middle of the wind drop off. "Oh it was great at 1 and 2pm ... you shoulda been here then!" yeah no duh :-/ Didn't look like much had happened but I'd gone to the effort of putting on my wetsuit for the first time this season so ... everyone was pumping up bigger kites so I set up the 16m Crossbow. Just as I'd finished sorting it all out, the wind picked up again. Put the kite out and headed out, feeling powered.
Ooh yes, feeling very powered. After a bit, I had to totally depower the kite. I had moments of thinking "Aw crap I'm going to have to swim in aren't I?" and other moments of "Aw crap I'm going to get lobbed and I'll end up in the next county over won't I?" :o it was a bit like that. In between survival mode, I tried to do my thing. Boosted a few cracking good jumps, did some nice back-rolls but the wind felt too twitchy to try anything iffy. Got yoinked a few times randomly too which is always fun. Surfed a few waves ... had a great time. Stayed out till the sun set ...
Moment of the Day was boosting a big fat air in the middle of a gust and just sitting up there, looking around. "Ho hum nice view ... better not land on the pointy stick oh it's ok I'm floating way past it!" :D
Wind speed was recorded as 14.8 knots to 16.2 average ... with gusts up to 29.8 :o no wonder the 16 was misbehaving!
What I learned today ...
• Crossbow has mad wind range.
• I don't like using the 16 in more than 25 knots.
• Gusts suck.
• Unless you can use them to boost to the moon.
• It's time for the wetsuit.
• Back-rolls are mastered - get to work on the front-rolls, sissy!
Got to the lake at 4 - right in the middle of the wind drop off. "Oh it was great at 1 and 2pm ... you shoulda been here then!" yeah no duh :-/ Didn't look like much had happened but I'd gone to the effort of putting on my wetsuit for the first time this season so ... everyone was pumping up bigger kites so I set up the 16m Crossbow. Just as I'd finished sorting it all out, the wind picked up again. Put the kite out and headed out, feeling powered.
Ooh yes, feeling very powered. After a bit, I had to totally depower the kite. I had moments of thinking "Aw crap I'm going to have to swim in aren't I?" and other moments of "Aw crap I'm going to get lobbed and I'll end up in the next county over won't I?" :o it was a bit like that. In between survival mode, I tried to do my thing. Boosted a few cracking good jumps, did some nice back-rolls but the wind felt too twitchy to try anything iffy. Got yoinked a few times randomly too which is always fun. Surfed a few waves ... had a great time. Stayed out till the sun set ...
Moment of the Day was boosting a big fat air in the middle of a gust and just sitting up there, looking around. "Ho hum nice view ... better not land on the pointy stick oh it's ok I'm floating way past it!" :D
Wind speed was recorded as 14.8 knots to 16.2 average ... with gusts up to 29.8 :o no wonder the 16 was misbehaving!
What I learned today ...
• Crossbow has mad wind range.
• I don't like using the 16 in more than 25 knots.
• Gusts suck.
• Unless you can use them to boost to the moon.
• It's time for the wetsuit.
• Back-rolls are mastered - get to work on the front-rolls, sissy!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Second gusty session in a row
Typhoon caused havoc on the weekend and it's still messing my wind up ... gusty as hell and the wind rose and fell all afternoon. We had 17 knots at 2pm but that had fallen to 14 by the time I got to the lake after work at 4:30-ish. I hummed and harred about what kite to put up. It continued to drop so I went with the Speed2 19 and the Flyradical. Good choice to start with ...
Nicely powered, good riding ... board feels too light under my feet still but gets around nicely for back rolls. The solitary front roll I did was nice too - good rotation, clean landing ... I need to do more of them. Cos it was Back-roll Central out there - doing them non-stop.
Also did the longest hang time jump I've ever done! Not the highest, but I floated around so long I had time to think "... what do I do if I don't come down? When should I redirect? Now? If I redirect too soon, will I overfly the kite? Perhaps I should try a grab ... oh no it's ok now I'm coming down ..." Great fun!
Wind had fallen a bit so I grabbed the Flydoor and kept riding ... and kept riding. The herd had thinned out - Freestyle Chick from Hamamatsu & Lil Grom and his pops were there too, on top of the regulars - and there was only the 2 of us out there. So I didn't have to work so hard upwind to clear them and relaxed and had fun until the sun set ... I was the last one on the water again ;)
Oh and ... have to take a break because I used up my supply of swim shorts - the storm blew my favourite pair into the garden (must get them!) and I've been using regular ol shorts but that leaves things flapping in the breeze. I go commando you know.
Moment of the Day was busting a big, fat, lazy back roll and STOMPING down my feet to hit the landing - I'm sure it doesn't get better than that!
Wind speed was recorded as 12 to 9 knots while I was there, with a gust to 22. Probably accurate as that's what it felt like. The Speed was nothing but gravy!
What I learned today ...
• So long as you get your feet down and the board between you and the kite, you can land and ride off from any jump no matter how twisted up you are.
• Need to send the kite more for front rolls at the moment - I don't have the speed or technique perhaps to just throw down off the lip of waves.
• A little bit of send for back rolls makes them seem more controlled and gives time to spot the landing and stomp it down.
• What I remembered today was getting my knees up and leaning back in the big jumps! More control.
• There's a beginners 'freestyle' contest soon - Soh said I should enter but a. I'm crap and b. I don't want to compete any more - except against myself, my abilities and the weather.
• Unless the above was to get me a sponsorship deal :D
Nicely powered, good riding ... board feels too light under my feet still but gets around nicely for back rolls. The solitary front roll I did was nice too - good rotation, clean landing ... I need to do more of them. Cos it was Back-roll Central out there - doing them non-stop.
Also did the longest hang time jump I've ever done! Not the highest, but I floated around so long I had time to think "... what do I do if I don't come down? When should I redirect? Now? If I redirect too soon, will I overfly the kite? Perhaps I should try a grab ... oh no it's ok now I'm coming down ..." Great fun!
Wind had fallen a bit so I grabbed the Flydoor and kept riding ... and kept riding. The herd had thinned out - Freestyle Chick from Hamamatsu & Lil Grom and his pops were there too, on top of the regulars - and there was only the 2 of us out there. So I didn't have to work so hard upwind to clear them and relaxed and had fun until the sun set ... I was the last one on the water again ;)
Oh and ... have to take a break because I used up my supply of swim shorts - the storm blew my favourite pair into the garden (must get them!) and I've been using regular ol shorts but that leaves things flapping in the breeze. I go commando you know.
Moment of the Day was busting a big, fat, lazy back roll and STOMPING down my feet to hit the landing - I'm sure it doesn't get better than that!
Wind speed was recorded as 12 to 9 knots while I was there, with a gust to 22. Probably accurate as that's what it felt like. The Speed was nothing but gravy!
What I learned today ...
• So long as you get your feet down and the board between you and the kite, you can land and ride off from any jump no matter how twisted up you are.
• Need to send the kite more for front rolls at the moment - I don't have the speed or technique perhaps to just throw down off the lip of waves.
• A little bit of send for back rolls makes them seem more controlled and gives time to spot the landing and stomp it down.
• What I remembered today was getting my knees up and leaning back in the big jumps! More control.
• There's a beginners 'freestyle' contest soon - Soh said I should enter but a. I'm crap and b. I don't want to compete any more - except against myself, my abilities and the weather.
• Unless the above was to get me a sponsorship deal :D
Monday, September 5, 2011
Better 'n nowt
Bah humbug. Back to work ... waste of my kiting time, that is. Had an early start though and got to the lake at 4pm. Wind looked good, but Miyachi said it was up and down. I took the 16 and 13m Crossbow over the road, as well as my Flydoor and the Flyradical with the adjusted footpads and straps.
Measured the wind at the shore line and it was good (see below) and had me second-guessing my choice of kite. I ended up putting my trust in GPV and going with the 16, trusting that the wind would drop off - it did and it was a good decision.
Added the GoPro to the line mount ...
Just-powered on launch, riding crosswind only cos the wind had dropped by the time I'd finished setup. Tried to do 3 back rolls in the light wind - only just possible on the 3rd attempt! Wind picks up after a couple of tacks though and we're off! Comfy for a while then we get some more and it's good fun - big jumps! Try some front rolls ... no joy. Splash down, lose the board ... not working today! And alas, the GoPro seems to have turned itself off :( in the end I only got 13 minutes of footage and missed some really good bits ... damn it!
Wind is up and down ... gusty as hell! Have to walk a few times in the lulls and in between got battered a bit.
Got onto the Flyradical for a bit at the end of the session - the moved footpads are better, much less spray to the face although I can still feel it hitting my back leg. Also like the feel of the footpads further up my foot better too. Board still feels skittish underfoot ... I need more time on it :( problem is, I can only ride it when I'm over-powered on the kite I have up! Feels too light under foot too - like it's not there :D
Wind was dropping again and had a fight to keep the kite in the air and get back to shore ... so I decided to call it a day. Must have been just after 6pm ...
Moment of the Day was throwing a good sized back-loop, pulling with my back hand and not getting spanked :D
Wind speed was recorded as 5m/s falling to 4m/s at 7pm with gusts of 12m/s. My trusty $10 eBay anemometer recorded 6 to 10m/s when I arrived at the beach and it went up and down from there. There was one point when I was like "Oh crap I might have to land the 16" but that lasted on a few minutes ... so I feel it was averaging 7-8m/s.
What I learned today ...
• The water is starting to cool off ... I'm still fine in shorts'n't-shirt though.
• Back-rolls are mastered :D well, riding up a wave/chop versions are - I need to move on to flat-water boosts.
• Front-rolls ... need work!
Measured the wind at the shore line and it was good (see below) and had me second-guessing my choice of kite. I ended up putting my trust in GPV and going with the 16, trusting that the wind would drop off - it did and it was a good decision.
Added the GoPro to the line mount ...
Just-powered on launch, riding crosswind only cos the wind had dropped by the time I'd finished setup. Tried to do 3 back rolls in the light wind - only just possible on the 3rd attempt! Wind picks up after a couple of tacks though and we're off! Comfy for a while then we get some more and it's good fun - big jumps! Try some front rolls ... no joy. Splash down, lose the board ... not working today! And alas, the GoPro seems to have turned itself off :( in the end I only got 13 minutes of footage and missed some really good bits ... damn it!
Wind is up and down ... gusty as hell! Have to walk a few times in the lulls and in between got battered a bit.
Got onto the Flyradical for a bit at the end of the session - the moved footpads are better, much less spray to the face although I can still feel it hitting my back leg. Also like the feel of the footpads further up my foot better too. Board still feels skittish underfoot ... I need more time on it :( problem is, I can only ride it when I'm over-powered on the kite I have up! Feels too light under foot too - like it's not there :D
Wind was dropping again and had a fight to keep the kite in the air and get back to shore ... so I decided to call it a day. Must have been just after 6pm ...
Moment of the Day was throwing a good sized back-loop, pulling with my back hand and not getting spanked :D
Wind speed was recorded as 5m/s falling to 4m/s at 7pm with gusts of 12m/s. My trusty $10 eBay anemometer recorded 6 to 10m/s when I arrived at the beach and it went up and down from there. There was one point when I was like "Oh crap I might have to land the 16" but that lasted on a few minutes ... so I feel it was averaging 7-8m/s.
What I learned today ...
• The water is starting to cool off ... I'm still fine in shorts'n't-shirt though.
• Back-rolls are mastered :D well, riding up a wave/chop versions are - I need to move on to flat-water boosts.
• Front-rolls ... need work!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Whoa dude WTF?!
Irene or her bastard off-spring delivered the goods. Or at least, that's what the forecast said was going to happen. Comes with a side-order of rain but I thought I'd chance it. Headed over to Tsu and got the rain in the mountains - was hoping that had come early and left fair weather at the beach ...
When I got to the beach, Ji-chan was coming in telling me his 12 was over-powered. I measured the wind - 12m/s at the peak, and it was supposed to pick up by 4pm. I rigged my 10m cos I'm a chicken. Just as I got into the water, the wind dropped. No go with the 10 at all.
Stood around for a bit looking at the horizon ... decided to pump up the 16. Got onto the water for a 1/2 hour or so having fun, but the wind dropped right off again so I gave up ... started wishing I had the Silberpfeil ... wind picked up a little and I went back out, then after 15 minutes it picked right up again! I swapped the 16 for the 10 and - believe it or not - was nicely powered ... for the most part.
It was gusty as all hell though, and it oscillated between having to work the hell out of the kite (and stalling it a lot) or being over-powered ... in between was great though.
I swear, I did some of the biggest jumps I've ever done too! I only got dropped a couple of times, and thankfully I was near the water anyway. Love the Crossbows! But still got numerous spankings - I just can't cope with the smaller sizes :D although I made enough power out of working it to ride, which was interesting.
Did some back-rolls (causes of the spankings) and some were stylish ... the waves were big and crisp and we actually had quite a lot of flat water in between, due to the beach shape and tide level I guess. Lot less choppy than it has been. There was a nice big spot to the RHS of the concrete pier thing and I got some good jumps off the flat water there. The wind was all over the place though. The kite started doing weird things and around 4:30pm decided to just nose-dive into the surf and refused to launch. I got dragged into shore and had to sort it all out and relaunch from there. Decided I'd had enough so walked back to the landing area ...
Y'know how I'm always going on about how stupid people are and you're probably thinking I'm just being an arsehole? Well get this ... While landing the now floppy kite (water sucked all the pressure out of it!!!) and the assistant struggling to get it over, Mr. Cool, his missus and their two dogs walk back to the carpark - directly into my lines. Assistant is still trying to get the kite under control (it's flopping around over his head) but they just walk straight into my lines then start lifting them over their heads like they've walked into a washing line 0_o thank god he got the kite down cos if it had powered up ... morons.
So despite the bizarre wind, the gustiness and the sucky nose-dive, it was pretty good riding. Some guy even said "Hey Bob nice big jumps!" although I don't know who Bob is ...?!
Moment of the Day was all those times I jumped in front of the white water, boosted up over the wave and rode away on the other side :D the breaking waves had a really funny texture on the backside of it, all rough and lumpy like riding over gravel.
Wind speed was reported at Tsu as 7.1 to 9.0 m/s between 2 and 5pm (up and down) with gusts of 14m/s. I'd say we averaged about more like the 20 knots when I was riding the 10, with frequent gusts above it. I occasionally felt over-powered on the 10 so I'm guessing we actually got 30 knots as the water's edge ...
What I learned today ...
• Small, fast kites + big wind = huge jumps ... easily!
• Despite feeling under-powered at times, I think I chose the right kite - in the end.
• It'll be a Mako King I need.
• Bend at the knees, not at the waist to load the edge. Or at least, don't bend so much at the waist that you drag your ass in the water and kill your jump :(
• Best kites - not so best, actually. Another one flying like it was broken. And that was a brand new model too :o
• Even small kites won't relaunch when they're underwater. And they get soggy too.
When I got to the beach, Ji-chan was coming in telling me his 12 was over-powered. I measured the wind - 12m/s at the peak, and it was supposed to pick up by 4pm. I rigged my 10m cos I'm a chicken. Just as I got into the water, the wind dropped. No go with the 10 at all.
Stood around for a bit looking at the horizon ... decided to pump up the 16. Got onto the water for a 1/2 hour or so having fun, but the wind dropped right off again so I gave up ... started wishing I had the Silberpfeil ... wind picked up a little and I went back out, then after 15 minutes it picked right up again! I swapped the 16 for the 10 and - believe it or not - was nicely powered ... for the most part.
It was gusty as all hell though, and it oscillated between having to work the hell out of the kite (and stalling it a lot) or being over-powered ... in between was great though.
I swear, I did some of the biggest jumps I've ever done too! I only got dropped a couple of times, and thankfully I was near the water anyway. Love the Crossbows! But still got numerous spankings - I just can't cope with the smaller sizes :D although I made enough power out of working it to ride, which was interesting.
Did some back-rolls (causes of the spankings) and some were stylish ... the waves were big and crisp and we actually had quite a lot of flat water in between, due to the beach shape and tide level I guess. Lot less choppy than it has been. There was a nice big spot to the RHS of the concrete pier thing and I got some good jumps off the flat water there. The wind was all over the place though. The kite started doing weird things and around 4:30pm decided to just nose-dive into the surf and refused to launch. I got dragged into shore and had to sort it all out and relaunch from there. Decided I'd had enough so walked back to the landing area ...
Y'know how I'm always going on about how stupid people are and you're probably thinking I'm just being an arsehole? Well get this ... While landing the now floppy kite (water sucked all the pressure out of it!!!) and the assistant struggling to get it over, Mr. Cool, his missus and their two dogs walk back to the carpark - directly into my lines. Assistant is still trying to get the kite under control (it's flopping around over his head) but they just walk straight into my lines then start lifting them over their heads like they've walked into a washing line 0_o thank god he got the kite down cos if it had powered up ... morons.
So despite the bizarre wind, the gustiness and the sucky nose-dive, it was pretty good riding. Some guy even said "Hey Bob nice big jumps!" although I don't know who Bob is ...?!
Moment of the Day was all those times I jumped in front of the white water, boosted up over the wave and rode away on the other side :D the breaking waves had a really funny texture on the backside of it, all rough and lumpy like riding over gravel.
Wind speed was reported at Tsu as 7.1 to 9.0 m/s between 2 and 5pm (up and down) with gusts of 14m/s. I'd say we averaged about more like the 20 knots when I was riding the 10, with frequent gusts above it. I occasionally felt over-powered on the 10 so I'm guessing we actually got 30 knots as the water's edge ...
What I learned today ...
• Small, fast kites + big wind = huge jumps ... easily!
• Despite feeling under-powered at times, I think I chose the right kite - in the end.
• It'll be a Mako King I need.
• Bend at the knees, not at the waist to load the edge. Or at least, don't bend so much at the waist that you drag your ass in the water and kill your jump :(
• Best kites - not so best, actually. Another one flying like it was broken. And that was a brand new model too :o
• Even small kites won't relaunch when they're underwater. And they get soggy too.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tsu delivers!
So the weather looked crap on the forecasts but I was desperate, so in a snap decision at 12 I decided to go to Tsu & pray that the wind would pick up in the afternoon, like the guys at the lake were saying the other day. Wife decided to come too ...
Got to the beach at about 2pm ... checked the wind and we were getting 4 to 6 m/s with dips to 2 ... yikes.
A few people I know - Taki, Boofhead, Auntie & Uncle and Junkie-Sensei with his Turbine are here. Bunch of kites I don't know - a poos brown Zephyr and well well a Blade Fat Lady ... nobody is having much luck it seems, they're all walking.
Unpack the Silberpfeil and the Flydoor. Clean up a patch of beach to launch from :o and have at it. It's ok on the starboard tack, current works with me but I'm only holding my ground ... everyone else is walking though ;) wind gradually picks up till we're having a good time and going upwind nicely.
Wife has the camera so I lay down some back rolls (easy now) and attempt exactly 4 front rolls. I get around but land ass-first on 2 attempts, one is utterly perfect (camera missed it of course) and the other one - I boosted too high and although I muffed the rotation, I slowly windmilled around through the jump to land the right way ... it would have been ugly though :o Also came close to landing a few double rotations ... nearly!
So it turned into a pretty good day.
Dropped the kite a couple of times, once on shore but my luck held and I managed to avoid all the boards, rubbish and logs to relaunch without hassle. When it came time to land though, both Boofhead and Uncle conspired to block my landing site and I had to dump it in a spot I hadn't scoped out so when it went messy, I dumped to FDS. Tangled the lines up a bit so decided removing the lines and sorting it like an LEI was the easiest way - which it was - but later the wife said that 2 guys she was sitting near while I was doing this had a conversation that went somethinng like this ... "What's that thing? You ever seen a kite like that?" "No." "Looks like a total nightmare, all tangled up - I wouldn't have one." ... took me the same time to 'untangle' the bridle as it does to lay out LEI lines. And anyway boys - enjoy your walks? ;)
Moment of the Day was either landing that messy front roll, or starting a back roll at the bottom of a meter or so wave, spinning over the top and riding down the back side ... classy!
Wind speed was recorded as 7 to 13 knots from 1 to 5pm, with gusts to 16 at around 4:30 ... makes sense, that's when I was starting to feel a bit over-powered.
What I learned today ...
• You gotta commit to the rolls - no snap decisions or half-assed attempts.
• Back-rolls - too easy! Now I gotta go HIGHER!
• Still want a Mako for the chop.
Got to the beach at about 2pm ... checked the wind and we were getting 4 to 6 m/s with dips to 2 ... yikes.
A few people I know - Taki, Boofhead, Auntie & Uncle and Junkie-Sensei with his Turbine are here. Bunch of kites I don't know - a poos brown Zephyr and well well a Blade Fat Lady ... nobody is having much luck it seems, they're all walking.
Unpack the Silberpfeil and the Flydoor. Clean up a patch of beach to launch from :o and have at it. It's ok on the starboard tack, current works with me but I'm only holding my ground ... everyone else is walking though ;) wind gradually picks up till we're having a good time and going upwind nicely.
Wife has the camera so I lay down some back rolls (easy now) and attempt exactly 4 front rolls. I get around but land ass-first on 2 attempts, one is utterly perfect (camera missed it of course) and the other one - I boosted too high and although I muffed the rotation, I slowly windmilled around through the jump to land the right way ... it would have been ugly though :o Also came close to landing a few double rotations ... nearly!
So it turned into a pretty good day.
Dropped the kite a couple of times, once on shore but my luck held and I managed to avoid all the boards, rubbish and logs to relaunch without hassle. When it came time to land though, both Boofhead and Uncle conspired to block my landing site and I had to dump it in a spot I hadn't scoped out so when it went messy, I dumped to FDS. Tangled the lines up a bit so decided removing the lines and sorting it like an LEI was the easiest way - which it was - but later the wife said that 2 guys she was sitting near while I was doing this had a conversation that went somethinng like this ... "What's that thing? You ever seen a kite like that?" "No." "Looks like a total nightmare, all tangled up - I wouldn't have one." ... took me the same time to 'untangle' the bridle as it does to lay out LEI lines. And anyway boys - enjoy your walks? ;)
Moment of the Day was either landing that messy front roll, or starting a back roll at the bottom of a meter or so wave, spinning over the top and riding down the back side ... classy!
Wind speed was recorded as 7 to 13 knots from 1 to 5pm, with gusts to 16 at around 4:30 ... makes sense, that's when I was starting to feel a bit over-powered.
What I learned today ...
• You gotta commit to the rolls - no snap decisions or half-assed attempts.
• Back-rolls - too easy! Now I gotta go HIGHER!
• Still want a Mako for the chop.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Vexing Venturi
Wind looked good at 1pm but I had to go to the dump and they dicked me around with their brain-damaged system so I didn't get to the lake until 3pm - had to clean the car (ants & termites in the trash!) and repack with kite gear ...
Set out with the Naish Venturi race board - biggest size, 190x70 0_o - on loan from Naish and yadda yadda long story. By the time I got to the lake, the wind had dropped to 6 knots - the SA2 stayed in the sky easily though. Had a tack out on the Flydoor to see what was up - slogging out, slow run back to shore from like 10m out. Got into the water with the race board ...
Yikes what a monster! Big, wide, floaty. Tried to water start with feet in both straps on the windward rail but the tail would sink and I'd get lobbed over the other side. Ended up putting my front foot in the center of the board (riding strapless!) and got a few rides like that but there wasn't enough wind I think.
Put a rear strap in the center and that was easier to get up but still not really riding. At this stage, it has no more bottom end than the Flydoor. Fins feel really draggy, but turn hard when ahem I unbalance myself and turn the board. Easy to kick them under the water. And hitting water weed is like running into a wall. Miyachi reckons it's easier to start with the front foot in, and the rear foot out of the straps and just ahead of them, on the rail. We'll see.
Aside from the frustrations of cutting the toe I dropped a brick on yesterday (!) and dropping the kite in the water, then the board floating into the lines so I couldn't relaunch, I think I'll try it again.
Moment of the Day was non-existent. Pretty dull all round.
Wind speed was recorded as 6 to 4 knots but it was down to 2 I reckon - flag barely moving, couldn't keep the kite in the air without working it ...
What I learned today ...
• Race boards - not as easy as they look like they should be ... I mean really, the thing is as big as an aircraft carrier, it should be child's play!
Set out with the Naish Venturi race board - biggest size, 190x70 0_o - on loan from Naish and yadda yadda long story. By the time I got to the lake, the wind had dropped to 6 knots - the SA2 stayed in the sky easily though. Had a tack out on the Flydoor to see what was up - slogging out, slow run back to shore from like 10m out. Got into the water with the race board ...
Yikes what a monster! Big, wide, floaty. Tried to water start with feet in both straps on the windward rail but the tail would sink and I'd get lobbed over the other side. Ended up putting my front foot in the center of the board (riding strapless!) and got a few rides like that but there wasn't enough wind I think.
Put a rear strap in the center and that was easier to get up but still not really riding. At this stage, it has no more bottom end than the Flydoor. Fins feel really draggy, but turn hard when ahem I unbalance myself and turn the board. Easy to kick them under the water. And hitting water weed is like running into a wall. Miyachi reckons it's easier to start with the front foot in, and the rear foot out of the straps and just ahead of them, on the rail. We'll see.
Aside from the frustrations of cutting the toe I dropped a brick on yesterday (!) and dropping the kite in the water, then the board floating into the lines so I couldn't relaunch, I think I'll try it again.
Moment of the Day was non-existent. Pretty dull all round.
Wind speed was recorded as 6 to 4 knots but it was down to 2 I reckon - flag barely moving, couldn't keep the kite in the air without working it ...
What I learned today ...
• Race boards - not as easy as they look like they should be ... I mean really, the thing is as big as an aircraft carrier, it should be child's play!
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