Behaved myself and hit the lake straight after work rather than skiving off early. Wind seemed good so I carried my 16 & 13 Crossbow over to the lake but despite all the white caps, it was weaker than it looked so I pumped up the 16 and jumped in.
... how fast can I get the board on my feet and started? Pretty damn fast when it's cold :D nearly went haywire though as I missed my front footing at first. Couldn't see any snow on the hills on the other side of the lake COS IT WAS FRICKEN SNOWING UP THERE and it was covered in cloud! Had to bodydrag back to the board once ... not nice!
Had a nice time out playing, trying to get back into the groove. Wind was a bit gusty, alternately had to work it or edge hard to hold an upwind tack ...
Did some nice hop to toeside, downloop the kite then carve out the other way turns and tried some jumps but my timing is off and I'm afraid of really sending it cos it's cold in the water! Did it properly once though, and got a good jump straight up - I think I can see how it works better now!
Stayed out as long as I dared - sun was setting and I could feel the temperature dropping. Landed and packed up ... must have arrived about 4:30pm, got back in the car at 6 - probably an hour on the lake :)
What I learned today ...
• I'm a pussy.
• Sending and jumping properly is fun but needs more commitment than I was willing to give. See above.
• Love the Recoil upgrade for the Cab bar - downloop fast and powered turns rock!
• LE seems softer when I come back in than when I went out - hoping it's the cold air decreasing the volume of the LE and not a leak :(
• I need gloves.
• Seem to be getting a little better at riding toeside ... watching vids and thinking about it helps :D
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Was it worth it?
The wind was forecast for a miserly 10 knots but I thought it'd be nice to test out the Speed 2.5, post-repairs and tweaks ... it was a nice sunny day - what better way to spend it?
Got to the lake about 2:30 and dragged my SA2.5 over the road ... set up, launched and got a run out and back before the wind fell off and I had to walk up the beach. Sat around for a while waiting for the wind to come back up, but it didn't so I gave up. Wound up my lines but left the SA2.5 on the beach.
Went back to the car and got out the Psycho3 13 and all the bits'n'pieces I'd ordered for it. Took it over to the beach then started setting it up - connecting lines and whatnot. Ordered a lineset from FS which came with the full length of 12, 6 and 3m - unlike the FDS that was on the kite originally :( so like my SA2.5, I have to use the FDS with shorter lines ... nuts!
Finally got it all together and launched!
Hmm ... FDS is now too short. Landed and added the frangible link bit. Better. Kite still wants to back stall so I trim it a bit ... WOW this things fast for a foil! And pulls hard too ... gonna be good!
Sun is falling but the wind's picked up so I land the Psycho3 and launch the Speed2 and take a few tacks on the board ... running out of beach so I come ashore but drop the kite and the fucking FDS line loops and knots itself around the other lines so I have to run away securing the kite and sorting that out before I can walk back up the beach.
So the answer is - yes :)
Got to the lake about 2:30 and dragged my SA2.5 over the road ... set up, launched and got a run out and back before the wind fell off and I had to walk up the beach. Sat around for a while waiting for the wind to come back up, but it didn't so I gave up. Wound up my lines but left the SA2.5 on the beach.
Went back to the car and got out the Psycho3 13 and all the bits'n'pieces I'd ordered for it. Took it over to the beach then started setting it up - connecting lines and whatnot. Ordered a lineset from FS which came with the full length of 12, 6 and 3m - unlike the FDS that was on the kite originally :( so like my SA2.5, I have to use the FDS with shorter lines ... nuts!
Finally got it all together and launched!
Hmm ... FDS is now too short. Landed and added the frangible link bit. Better. Kite still wants to back stall so I trim it a bit ... WOW this things fast for a foil! And pulls hard too ... gonna be good!
Sun is falling but the wind's picked up so I land the Psycho3 and launch the Speed2 and take a few tacks on the board ... running out of beach so I come ashore but drop the kite and the fucking FDS line loops and knots itself around the other lines so I have to run away securing the kite and sorting that out before I can walk back up the beach.
So the answer is - yes :)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
FFfffff ... uuuuuu ... haaaa ... reeeeezing!
Thought I'd go down the lake, fly the Outlaw and check-out the Ozone CL mod ... natch, I left it at home but Hiro-chan was there so I went and had a look at him for a bit but the wind-chill was nasty so I went home. 8°C on the Yahoo! weather forecast ...
However ...!
Driving home the sun came out and I thought about 2 months with no riding so I sucked it up, took off the skirt and put my water gear in the car, turned around and drove back!
Got there about 3:30pm and pumped up the 16m Crossbow cos the wind had dropped since erm 3pm and by the time I'd done that, I was sweating :D grabbed the board and got in the water.
"Oh wow water's about as cold as last time I was in it" ... except for the wind-chill! Crikey!
So began the first session of 2011! Boy am I ever rusty ... tooled around for a bit, timidly tried to jump (lol) but the wind was on and off - even had to drag into shore cos it dropped off but I found a new hat so that was nice - but I got in about an hour's ride until my frozen balls screamed ENOUGH and I packed up.
Bit desperate, but good to be back in the saddle :D
What I learned today ...
• I really should invest in a wetsuit - shorts, 2x rash-gaurds and a t-shirt doesn't really cut it.
• Snow on the hills beside the lake is probably a good indicator of how cold it's going to be!
• The Ion Ballistic shoe things work good to keep my feet warm but they make it tough to get feet in straps and actually make my feet hurt like my ski-boots are too tight :(
• Warming up in the shower at the clubhouse ... the pins and needles were interesting. Couldn't warm up properly until I got in the bath either. One good thing about Japan - baths!
UPDATE Feb 26
Grandpa made a movie of Hironobu that day and I make a brief cameo :D
However ...!
Driving home the sun came out and I thought about 2 months with no riding so I sucked it up, took off the skirt and put my water gear in the car, turned around and drove back!
Got there about 3:30pm and pumped up the 16m Crossbow cos the wind had dropped since erm 3pm and by the time I'd done that, I was sweating :D grabbed the board and got in the water.
"Oh wow water's about as cold as last time I was in it" ... except for the wind-chill! Crikey!
So began the first session of 2011! Boy am I ever rusty ... tooled around for a bit, timidly tried to jump (lol) but the wind was on and off - even had to drag into shore cos it dropped off but I found a new hat so that was nice - but I got in about an hour's ride until my frozen balls screamed ENOUGH and I packed up.
Bit desperate, but good to be back in the saddle :D
What I learned today ...
• I really should invest in a wetsuit - shorts, 2x rash-gaurds and a t-shirt doesn't really cut it.
• Snow on the hills beside the lake is probably a good indicator of how cold it's going to be!
• The Ion Ballistic shoe things work good to keep my feet warm but they make it tough to get feet in straps and actually make my feet hurt like my ski-boots are too tight :(
• Warming up in the shower at the clubhouse ... the pins and needles were interesting. Couldn't warm up properly until I got in the bath either. One good thing about Japan - baths!
UPDATE Feb 26
Grandpa made a movie of Hironobu that day and I make a brief cameo :D
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Notes to self on DIY of the Megatron chicken loop for Flysurfer bars
With pictures and more or less information.
Update - ordered some Samson LashIt! twine from the US ... made from Dyneema and UV coated, 180 feet for $25 plus the same for shipping 0_o 1.75mm and 500lbs (230kg) breaking load - just what the doctor ordered! Hopefully :D and there should be much less grunting and swearing involved ...
Update on the update - LashIt! has arrived and looks excellent - adds very little to the thickness of the 5mm and oddly enough, looks exactly like what is used in the Flysurfer depower line ... will get into making a line tonight and promise to take pictures!
Supplies
• About 150cm of 5mm (3/16) Amsteel Blue SK-75, breaking load 2,500kg for the depower loop line
• and 100cm of 2.8 of Amsteel Blue SK-75, breaking load 750kg for the "core" ... probably the 2.2mm LashIt! would have been better than the 1.75mm but cest la vie and all that.
• 5/8mm ID/OD PU tubing - goes under the spinning handle and is easier than reusing the Ozone stuff ... it's just compressor line anyway
• Ozone Megatron chicken loop (duh) with the "Spinning Handle" for the 5th line safety
• Heat-shrink (or whipping line - synthetic)
• Needles and thread (synthetic too)
Tools
• Long-nosed pliers
• DIY pull fid - made from coated 20-gauge wire, put the end you want a loop in, in a drill and spun slowly till at least 1m long
• tie ball to push the tubing, about 20mm
0. Skip all this crap and use the Beal line. The easiest option by a country mile, but 1,200kg breaking load bothers me ...
1. Cut the PU tubing to fit inside the "Spinning Handle" - about 6cm long.
2. Taper the end of the 5mm Amsteel ...
• measure and mark at 70mm, 90mm and 110mm
• pull out 2 braids at each mark, starting at 110mm and working towards the tip
• should leave about 3-4 lines at the tip - if there's more, pull out a few more between the marks - keep the taper smooth!
3. Splice the 'core' into the 5mm Amsteel with the wire fid. Leave some sticking out on either end so you can pull it tight.
4. Start the lock stitch about 5mm from where you plan to cut. Slide the heat-shrink over the 5mm. Stitch out away from where you'll cut, then when you turn around to stitch back, cut and heat-shrink it then stitch back to the end and over the heat shrink.
5. Figure-8 knot in that end - that'll be going inside the CL body.
6. Remove the suicide-leash loop. Feed the tapered end of the 5mm up into the body of the CL, orientated so that the knot will be inside. Pull the 5mm though, smoothing it over the core. Pull hard to seat the Figure-8 stopper knot.
7. Feed the tapered end of the 5mm into the PU tube - twist and push!
8. If all goes well, the gods are smiling, the planets align and you hold your tongue just right - you should be able to pull out the 5mm and slide the PU over the taper, down the line and over the part with the core. From here on, use the ball-thingy to push the PU tube down to the CL body. Smooth out the 5mm over the core and seat it hard against the body of the CL.
9. Fit the spinning handle onto the PU tubing ... using a smaller core makes life easier - zero strain with the 1.75mm LashIt!. Leave the screws just snugged-up for now.
10. Make sure the 5mm is smooth and taught over the core; measure 40cm from the spinning handle body (40cm is standard for FS kites - J. suggests 40-45cm; my SA2.5 is 48cm) and then figure out how much you need for a Bowline ...
11. Cut the line off square and secure the tip with heat-shrink or whipping - and lock stitch ... I had planned to cut 1.1m of 5mm and end up with 1m of depower line but somehow it ended up as a finished length of 70cm which is about perfect - you can easily (kinda!) tie a bowline at the trim strap and still have 45cm of depower. That's before it's put under load and tightens up ...
12. Feed the depower line through the bar, fit the gust absorber and feed/pull through the trim strap - make sure there's some 8mm OD PU tubing in there!
13. Bowline at the trim strap. Get it tight! It'll all snug up on the next flight, so be prepared to adjust front leader lines or mixer 0_o'
14. Tidy it all up; refit the suicide-leash loop, tighten the screws on the spinning handle (make sure it and the PU tubing is seated hard against the CL body), cover the gust absorber.
15. Go fly! Check to stretch etc and SailKote the line!
Update - ordered some Samson LashIt! twine from the US ... made from Dyneema and UV coated, 180 feet for $25 plus the same for shipping 0_o 1.75mm and 500lbs (230kg) breaking load - just what the doctor ordered! Hopefully :D and there should be much less grunting and swearing involved ...
Update on the update - LashIt! has arrived and looks excellent - adds very little to the thickness of the 5mm and oddly enough, looks exactly like what is used in the Flysurfer depower line ... will get into making a line tonight and promise to take pictures!
Supplies
• About 150cm of 5mm (3/16) Amsteel Blue SK-75, breaking load 2,500kg for the depower loop line
• and 100cm of 2.8 of Amsteel Blue SK-75, breaking load 750kg for the "core" ... probably the 2.2mm LashIt! would have been better than the 1.75mm but cest la vie and all that.
• 5/8mm ID/OD PU tubing - goes under the spinning handle and is easier than reusing the Ozone stuff ... it's just compressor line anyway
• Ozone Megatron chicken loop (duh) with the "Spinning Handle" for the 5th line safety
• Heat-shrink (or whipping line - synthetic)
• Needles and thread (synthetic too)
Tools
• Long-nosed pliers
• DIY pull fid - made from coated 20-gauge wire, put the end you want a loop in, in a drill and spun slowly till at least 1m long
• tie ball to push the tubing, about 20mm
0. Skip all this crap and use the Beal line. The easiest option by a country mile, but 1,200kg breaking load bothers me ...
1. Cut the PU tubing to fit inside the "Spinning Handle" - about 6cm long.
2. Taper the end of the 5mm Amsteel ...
• measure and mark at 70mm, 90mm and 110mm
• pull out 2 braids at each mark, starting at 110mm and working towards the tip
• should leave about 3-4 lines at the tip - if there's more, pull out a few more between the marks - keep the taper smooth!
3. Splice the 'core' into the 5mm Amsteel with the wire fid. Leave some sticking out on either end so you can pull it tight.
4. Start the lock stitch about 5mm from where you plan to cut. Slide the heat-shrink over the 5mm. Stitch out away from where you'll cut, then when you turn around to stitch back, cut and heat-shrink it then stitch back to the end and over the heat shrink.
5. Figure-8 knot in that end - that'll be going inside the CL body.
6. Remove the suicide-leash loop. Feed the tapered end of the 5mm up into the body of the CL, orientated so that the knot will be inside. Pull the 5mm though, smoothing it over the core. Pull hard to seat the Figure-8 stopper knot.
7. Feed the tapered end of the 5mm into the PU tube - twist and push!
8. If all goes well, the gods are smiling, the planets align and you hold your tongue just right - you should be able to pull out the 5mm and slide the PU over the taper, down the line and over the part with the core. From here on, use the ball-thingy to push the PU tube down to the CL body. Smooth out the 5mm over the core and seat it hard against the body of the CL.
9. Fit the spinning handle onto the PU tubing ... using a smaller core makes life easier - zero strain with the 1.75mm LashIt!. Leave the screws just snugged-up for now.
10. Make sure the 5mm is smooth and taught over the core; measure 40cm from the spinning handle body (40cm is standard for FS kites - J. suggests 40-45cm; my SA2.5 is 48cm) and then figure out how much you need for a Bowline ...
11. Cut the line off square and secure the tip with heat-shrink or whipping - and lock stitch ... I had planned to cut 1.1m of 5mm and end up with 1m of depower line but somehow it ended up as a finished length of 70cm which is about perfect - you can easily (kinda!) tie a bowline at the trim strap and still have 45cm of depower. That's before it's put under load and tightens up ...
12. Feed the depower line through the bar, fit the gust absorber and feed/pull through the trim strap - make sure there's some 8mm OD PU tubing in there!
13. Bowline at the trim strap. Get it tight! It'll all snug up on the next flight, so be prepared to adjust front leader lines or mixer 0_o'
14. Tidy it all up; refit the suicide-leash loop, tighten the screws on the spinning handle (make sure it and the PU tubing is seated hard against the CL body), cover the gust absorber.
15. Go fly! Check to stretch etc and SailKote the line!
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