Bah, light wind at the beach but 16 knots forecast... so I head out on my remaining light wind kite - the Psycho4 19 - and the new Flydoor!
Well... the FDS is too short. By a bunch :-/ kite won't even launch. So I add in a meter or so I have spare but that's barely long enough... the kite flies, but it's not fun. Take a few tacks - and walks - up and down the beach. Then head back to the car and get the bar from the 21 and use that for the Psycho4.
Mmm, launches ok but is backstalling like a mofo. Full trim helps... I know the bar is wonky but really?
it can't be that bad. Maybe the mixer is screwy...
Mow the lawn for a while, getting used to the board and the kite. Bit tricky at the bottom end... wonder how much wind we got? I'm sure I'd be riding easily on the 21...
Wind picks up a bit later, gets easier to ride but still can't trim the kite out. At least I can park'n'ride now... and get some jumps. First good one on the Psycho - yes, it's more of a yank than the Speed3's lift but it seems less floaty... but that makes landings a little more direct - but still gentle, when I get them right!
New board is nice! VERY light on the feet and in the air - so light that the wind can blow it around on your feet and upset your balance in the air. Carves nice, holds a line well, seems to go upwind better than the old one... also seems more flexible so the ride is smoother. Still can't carve to toeside without slipping out on my face though :D
So I was having a good ol' time... lots of rotations, a few double back-rolls that worked :D and of course goofing around with the jumps. Miyachi was taking pics and snapped the one of me below. I swear, I'm already on the way down ;)
Later on, I fell off the board and as I recovered it, it managed to release the QR... kite went into a loop frenzy and although the mini-5th was long enough, it was clear the FDS was what it should have had. Ended up having to walk to shore and manually unwrap a wicked bowtie. Bloody green bridle snagged on something and messed up the stitching too... otherwise, no apparent harm. Relaunched, dunked the kite a few times to wash the sand off then kept riding :D
Nearly got stuck in the river mouth a few times, trying to make up ground but being unable to resist a good boost up a wave.
Another good day. Only 3 others at the lake... must have got there about 2pm, got back to the carpark at 6!
My right knee is twinging though... I think I'm leveraging myself against it in turns or jumps - have to try carving more with my body maybe?
Moment of the day was that first good YOINK with the Psycho - an Aha! moment.
Mood of the session was frustrated bemused satisfied.
It sucks when Miyachi only takes one photo of moi and it's not a great one :D I SWEAR I was higher!
Weather was reported as 5-8-8-8-14-12 knots from 1–6pm, on the hour, with a peak gust of 18 knots at 5:30pm. 27–24°C, 49–69% for the same time period. Uh?
Wind felt like the above was about right... but cos I'd run out of depower already, I felt a tiny bit overpowered around 5pm - needed a smaller board cos I kept losing my edge too soon.
What I learned today...
• Need more line for the FDS - might use my left-over 5th line from the Switch bar in the interim...
• Pscyho needs the mixer set and a few bridle lines...
• Low end doesn't seem so good on the Psycho4, it doesn't seem that quick in the air so doesn't seem to make up for park'n'ride-ability with apparent wind, upper end isn't so good either.
• Should have had my smaller board at the lake too.
• Weeds stick to the center fin :-/ the drag is very noticeable and feels like sand in wheel bearings!
• A pop and kicking my heels up clears the weeds off nicely.
• Must try the Wide stance - I prefer that on the 2010 'door cos it's easier to weight the back of the board and it feels less wooden, more lively.
• The 2012 'door felt nice to ride in normal width stance though...
• Wet, sandy Flysurfers are unstable and fly badly... till they dry out.
• I'm still getting sunburned :-/
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