Epic forecast, but when I arrived at the lake just after midday, it didn't seem up to much so I headed out with the Speed3 15...
... oops. It was so gusty that "couldn't keep planing" was violently contrasted with "speeding out of control". Somewhere in between, I did some jumps. Some really big ones too -- getting my head almost level with wing tips of kites parked at 12. I need a Woo or a Xensr...
After some time doing that, the beach had cleared out some so I went to land the kite... needed help, so overpowered, glad Jun was there.
Took the Speed back to the car and got the 10 and 7m XBs. Went back out with the 10 and the Limited for some more yeehaas. The wind was up and down, so when I next came in I went out on the Dialer. Then changed to the Lim when I got overpowered, then back to the D when the wind dropped to wind the session down on a high note.
Tough conditions, but I had a nice time and enjoyed the 10m XB with the D.
Showing posts with label stupid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stupid. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Storm front fun
Didn't think I'd get a session in today, cos the forecast looked borked - snow and rain and mental wind. Storm front coming through I guess... thought I'd go and look anyway. Yeah, it's cold but the wind is up and the rain is easing. Hmm...
Junkie sensei is out on the water with a 7m SB he borrowed (brave man) from Dennis the Menace and he looks like he's doing well. Measure the wind as 10-12m/s - if the gusts are bad, I might prefer the 10. Miyachi reckons I should take the 16. He's taking a 6 - bloody joker!
Leave the shop to get ready about 2:30pm... by the time I gear up and get over to the lake, the wind has dropped some and I'm a bit concerned the 13 won't be enough. I can tell it's gusty though, so I head out on the Flyradical.
Not bad. Trim the kite for comfort and start playing. Fun!
Then the wind kicks it up a notch :o crikey it's a bit mental out here! Hang on to the kite and try to jump when I can... get some great boosts in but it's hard getting upwind in the gusty conditions and some get a bit close to shore. Not to mention the epileptic elevator rides... gets hairy at times, lobs and drops and jerks. The wind is punchy and shifty and very, very angry!
This one time, I lose the board on take off and get to enjoy a nice flight without it... recover from the off-kilter take-off, then almost loop the kite, now the shore is coming up and SPLASH oh I've hit the bottom - hope I don't lose the kite and... no! Whee, great fun - now I'm still alive.
Repeat that with various erm variations... I daren't try doing any stunts. Carving the waves is risky enough... after a while, I'm alone on the lake. Then Ji-chan comes out and - the wind drops. I ride for a while more but am just powered and falling... I give it up when I almost have to walk. It's been about 3 hours anyway!
Moment of the day was not getting killed.
Mood of the session was hmmmm yeaaaah aaaargh.
It sucks when the wind has a delta-V of about 30 knots in the gusts...
Song stuck in my head was California Dreamin' by The Mamas & The Papas. "I'd be safe and warm, if I was in LA."
Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots with gusts to 36 :o 5.3°C at 80% and falling.
Wind felt like 50% the 20-25 knots I'd measured on the shore, 30% AW SHIT SON and 20% Am I going to have to walk?
What I learned today...
• Drying your gloves inside-out messes up the rubber on the fingers, where they crease as they're inverted. Thankfully, only on the $8 gloves, not my lovely XCEL gear.
• You can invert a Crossbow by sending it hard across the window and completely sheeted out.
• Might need to start wearing sunblock... and sunglasses.
• Thank god I didn't try to use a Flysurfer - they would've been jerking and yanking like a school boy.
• Crossbow is good'n'stable but not very exciting, except when the shit is hitting the fan... Razor 12 want :)
Junkie sensei is out on the water with a 7m SB he borrowed (brave man) from Dennis the Menace and he looks like he's doing well. Measure the wind as 10-12m/s - if the gusts are bad, I might prefer the 10. Miyachi reckons I should take the 16. He's taking a 6 - bloody joker!
Leave the shop to get ready about 2:30pm... by the time I gear up and get over to the lake, the wind has dropped some and I'm a bit concerned the 13 won't be enough. I can tell it's gusty though, so I head out on the Flyradical.
Not bad. Trim the kite for comfort and start playing. Fun!
Then the wind kicks it up a notch :o crikey it's a bit mental out here! Hang on to the kite and try to jump when I can... get some great boosts in but it's hard getting upwind in the gusty conditions and some get a bit close to shore. Not to mention the epileptic elevator rides... gets hairy at times, lobs and drops and jerks. The wind is punchy and shifty and very, very angry!
This one time, I lose the board on take off and get to enjoy a nice flight without it... recover from the off-kilter take-off, then almost loop the kite, now the shore is coming up and SPLASH oh I've hit the bottom - hope I don't lose the kite and... no! Whee, great fun - now I'm still alive.
Repeat that with various erm variations... I daren't try doing any stunts. Carving the waves is risky enough... after a while, I'm alone on the lake. Then Ji-chan comes out and - the wind drops. I ride for a while more but am just powered and falling... I give it up when I almost have to walk. It's been about 3 hours anyway!
Moment of the day was not getting killed.
Mood of the session was hmmmm yeaaaah aaaargh.
It sucks when the wind has a delta-V of about 30 knots in the gusts...
Song stuck in my head was California Dreamin' by The Mamas & The Papas. "I'd be safe and warm, if I was in LA."
Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots with gusts to 36 :o 5.3°C at 80% and falling.
Wind felt like 50% the 20-25 knots I'd measured on the shore, 30% AW SHIT SON and 20% Am I going to have to walk?
What I learned today...
• Drying your gloves inside-out messes up the rubber on the fingers, where they crease as they're inverted. Thankfully, only on the $8 gloves, not my lovely XCEL gear.
• You can invert a Crossbow by sending it hard across the window and completely sheeted out.
• Might need to start wearing sunblock... and sunglasses.
• Thank god I didn't try to use a Flysurfer - they would've been jerking and yanking like a school boy.
• Crossbow is good'n'stable but not very exciting, except when the shit is hitting the fan... Razor 12 want :)
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Stunning sunset
Looked like someone set the sky on fire. Before that though...
Headed down to the lake and arrived at 2pm. Forecast looked like it'd be the same as it has been recently. What I DIDN'T know and didn't find out till I'd back up is that a fucking TYPHOON is coming through...
So I happily launched my Speed3 15. Huh, paraglider fun on the beach like in that Gunnar Old School video - this should be good! Wasn't sure I could ride the 'radical but head out on it anyway... ok, holding ground fine and throwing down rooly nice back- and frontrolls but the jumps are just about lame. Hironobu is on his 14m Torch... we're both struggling to get back upwind for a while.
Then the wind picks up. Now we're having fun! I'm hoping Grandpa got at least one of the good jumps on video - I did wave at him after all. That's pretty cool for a while!
Then the wind picks up. Holy shit. Struggling to hold the edge but when I get it right - some of my biggest jumps to date. I land most of them too :D KNEW I should have had the camera on!!!
It was pretty fricken awesome. Started to get a bit hairy at the end and when Miyachi came in to swap his 10m for his 6, I decide to pack up and get an assisted landing... only a few minutes before dark anyway and the amazing show the sky was to put on!
...
The reset mixer was nice - bottom end seems fine, negligible backstall although the lines are still iffy, upwind and stability appear to be fine, but I seem to have lost top-end...? I know it was punchy, cos the tubes were herk-a-jerking too. Several times, the kite sorta taco'd and then surged. Fine on the water but scary on the land.
Kite came off the spreader bar twice. Seems it's rotating up then sticking that way.
First time, I managed to hang onto the bar and although the kite was choking, I kept it in the air then hooked in again. Second time, the kite went to safety and I relaunched the hard way. Hmm, fuck that shit. Fuck that shit right in the fuckin' ass.
Guess the kite was in the water a couple of times then... no problems relaunching until one of the tip bridle lines got stuck. That wasn't pleasant. Had to reland the kite and manually untangle it - the bloody thing had basically lark's headed itself to another line and was wrapped so the line that would pull and release it was stuck too. Neat. Especially as it amplified the surging/taco problem :-/
Nearly did a sent frontroll transition too but sunk on the way out. So I will be able to do them... at least in one direction :D
And now for the crappy pics from the shitty cellphone...
Moment of the day was whooping up a hooj air, realizing that the landing was going to be borked cos redirection was coming too soon but sending it back a tad then redirecting and landing it perfect. Oh fucking yes!
Mood of the session was puzzled hilarious shit-in-pants.
Weather was reported as 8 to 14 knots, gusts to 22. 18°C at 74%.
Wind felt like 30% just underpowered, 50% nicely overpowered, 20% I KILL YOU!!!
What I learned today...
• "Feeling" the kite for big sent backrolls properly means you can boost as high as you want and still put a roll in :) whee!
• Knees up = leaning back, which seems to slow down or halt the rotation. Important for landing downwind and not over-rotating.
• Unfortunately, that now seems to risk CL sliding off the spreader bar :(
• Leaving front rolls for a bit later after you take off seems to work better. For the popped ones anyway.
• Fuck-off big airs... the trick to landing them is to fly the kite DERP but when you feel the kite redirecting too soon, send it back briefly THEN redirect for landing. Kewl!
• Tomorrow morning is typhoon time - I might actually get to use my 7m :o
Headed down to the lake and arrived at 2pm. Forecast looked like it'd be the same as it has been recently. What I DIDN'T know and didn't find out till I'd back up is that a fucking TYPHOON is coming through...
So I happily launched my Speed3 15. Huh, paraglider fun on the beach like in that Gunnar Old School video - this should be good! Wasn't sure I could ride the 'radical but head out on it anyway... ok, holding ground fine and throwing down rooly nice back- and frontrolls but the jumps are just about lame. Hironobu is on his 14m Torch... we're both struggling to get back upwind for a while.
Then the wind picks up. Now we're having fun! I'm hoping Grandpa got at least one of the good jumps on video - I did wave at him after all. That's pretty cool for a while!
Then the wind picks up. Holy shit. Struggling to hold the edge but when I get it right - some of my biggest jumps to date. I land most of them too :D KNEW I should have had the camera on!!!
It was pretty fricken awesome. Started to get a bit hairy at the end and when Miyachi came in to swap his 10m for his 6, I decide to pack up and get an assisted landing... only a few minutes before dark anyway and the amazing show the sky was to put on!
...
The reset mixer was nice - bottom end seems fine, negligible backstall although the lines are still iffy, upwind and stability appear to be fine, but I seem to have lost top-end...? I know it was punchy, cos the tubes were herk-a-jerking too. Several times, the kite sorta taco'd and then surged. Fine on the water but scary on the land.
Kite came off the spreader bar twice. Seems it's rotating up then sticking that way.
First time, I managed to hang onto the bar and although the kite was choking, I kept it in the air then hooked in again. Second time, the kite went to safety and I relaunched the hard way. Hmm, fuck that shit. Fuck that shit right in the fuckin' ass.
Guess the kite was in the water a couple of times then... no problems relaunching until one of the tip bridle lines got stuck. That wasn't pleasant. Had to reland the kite and manually untangle it - the bloody thing had basically lark's headed itself to another line and was wrapped so the line that would pull and release it was stuck too. Neat. Especially as it amplified the surging/taco problem :-/
Nearly did a sent frontroll transition too but sunk on the way out. So I will be able to do them... at least in one direction :D
And now for the crappy pics from the shitty cellphone...
Moment of the day was whooping up a hooj air, realizing that the landing was going to be borked cos redirection was coming too soon but sending it back a tad then redirecting and landing it perfect. Oh fucking yes!
Mood of the session was puzzled hilarious shit-in-pants.
Weather was reported as 8 to 14 knots, gusts to 22. 18°C at 74%.
Wind felt like 30% just underpowered, 50% nicely overpowered, 20% I KILL YOU!!!
What I learned today...
• "Feeling" the kite for big sent backrolls properly means you can boost as high as you want and still put a roll in :) whee!
• Knees up = leaning back, which seems to slow down or halt the rotation. Important for landing downwind and not over-rotating.
• Unfortunately, that now seems to risk CL sliding off the spreader bar :(
• Leaving front rolls for a bit later after you take off seems to work better. For the popped ones anyway.
• Fuck-off big airs... the trick to landing them is to fly the kite DERP but when you feel the kite redirecting too soon, send it back briefly THEN redirect for landing. Kewl!
• Tomorrow morning is typhoon time - I might actually get to use my 7m :o
Friday, May 18, 2012
In the Morning ...
You can sail the seven seas!
Took 3 hours off this morning cos it was supposed to be crankin', yo! Well it wasn't. But it was punchy as hell instead 0_o started off trying to ride the S3 15 but it was lulling below its capabilities. So I ran back across the road and got out the 21 but it ended up gusting above its capabilities; so it was survival kiteboarding mode. Me versus the Norwester. Came out as a draw ... and I have a horrible feeling that the moment of the day was NOT captured by the GoPro :-/
Yep, confirmed ... damned battery!
So started off underpowered, but fighting gusts, trying to get away from the beach on the Flyradical. The wind came and went and came back with a vengeance; by which time I'd swapped to the Flydoor then back to the 'radical again ...
The Master of Disaster has arrived and will be raceboarding ... after he figures out how to relaunch his kite.
The jumps get better ... then, I got on the elevator - from hell! Up, up some more, then again and - oh wow I can see INTO the carpark that's behind the 20m-tall trees! Now I'm finally going down but wait what - I'm flying backwards?!?! I can actively feel the kite flying into the wind :o Try to redirect the kite on the way down but leave it too late so sorta dunk my bum then ride off ... does that count? +1 for me!
That was fun so I keep riding, but the gusts are nasty - the next big one shoots me off across the lake at Warp Factor 5 and I end up pulled forwards spinning around, miles downwind from my board. +1 for the wind :(
Keep riding for a while more but it's getting a bit mad, and I think it might be close to pack-up time ... I land the kite just as Miyachi comes over the road and he lands me - nice!
Pack up the 21, go to pack up the 15 but it's put a wingtip through a bridle while I left it laid out on the beach, so I untangle that then head on home. Hmm, I think I should come back after work and see if I can get some satisfaction ... wind is supposed to be more stable in the PM.
UPDATE 20/05/2012
I stand corrected! Good ol' GoPro! It was the whacky file-naming convention that threw me off ... I DID get the massive jump, all fogged up though it is. Looks like nothing special on the video :( nuts!
Mood of the Session was frustrated psyched shell-shocked.
Moment of the Day was the elevator ride from hell ... then flying backwards. Now I know what the gliding guys do ... and I think I can handle it - over nice soft water, anyway!
Weather was reported as 9 to 12 knots (LOL what-evah!) at 18°C 61% with gusts no more than 20knots. I think Hikone was a bit sheltered today ...
Wind felt like it was trying to kill me or make me pack up in disgust.
What I learned today ...
• Make sure you have ALL the bridles around the right way before you unattach lines and manually loop the end of the bridles through other bits of the bridle :-/
• Face-first into the water at speed ... doesn't matter if you close your eyes, the water is getting in anyway :o but you can still tell which way is up and keep the kite under control at the zenith :D use the force, Luke!
• When you're flying backwards, redirect sooner so the kite has time to pull you forwards.
Took 3 hours off this morning cos it was supposed to be crankin', yo! Well it wasn't. But it was punchy as hell instead 0_o started off trying to ride the S3 15 but it was lulling below its capabilities. So I ran back across the road and got out the 21 but it ended up gusting above its capabilities; so it was survival kiteboarding mode. Me versus the Norwester. Came out as a draw ... and I have a horrible feeling that the moment of the day was NOT captured by the GoPro :-/
Yep, confirmed ... damned battery!
So started off underpowered, but fighting gusts, trying to get away from the beach on the Flyradical. The wind came and went and came back with a vengeance; by which time I'd swapped to the Flydoor then back to the 'radical again ...
The Master of Disaster has arrived and will be raceboarding ... after he figures out how to relaunch his kite.
The jumps get better ... then, I got on the elevator - from hell! Up, up some more, then again and - oh wow I can see INTO the carpark that's behind the 20m-tall trees! Now I'm finally going down but wait what - I'm flying backwards?!?! I can actively feel the kite flying into the wind :o Try to redirect the kite on the way down but leave it too late so sorta dunk my bum then ride off ... does that count? +1 for me!
That was fun so I keep riding, but the gusts are nasty - the next big one shoots me off across the lake at Warp Factor 5 and I end up pulled forwards spinning around, miles downwind from my board. +1 for the wind :(
Keep riding for a while more but it's getting a bit mad, and I think it might be close to pack-up time ... I land the kite just as Miyachi comes over the road and he lands me - nice!
Pack up the 21, go to pack up the 15 but it's put a wingtip through a bridle while I left it laid out on the beach, so I untangle that then head on home. Hmm, I think I should come back after work and see if I can get some satisfaction ... wind is supposed to be more stable in the PM.
UPDATE 20/05/2012
I stand corrected! Good ol' GoPro! It was the whacky file-naming convention that threw me off ... I DID get the massive jump, all fogged up though it is. Looks like nothing special on the video :( nuts!
Mood of the Session was frustrated psyched shell-shocked.
Moment of the Day was the elevator ride from hell ... then flying backwards. Now I know what the gliding guys do ... and I think I can handle it - over nice soft water, anyway!
Weather was reported as 9 to 12 knots (LOL what-evah!) at 18°C 61% with gusts no more than 20knots. I think Hikone was a bit sheltered today ...
Wind felt like it was trying to kill me or make me pack up in disgust.
What I learned today ...
• Make sure you have ALL the bridles around the right way before you unattach lines and manually loop the end of the bridles through other bits of the bridle :-/
• Face-first into the water at speed ... doesn't matter if you close your eyes, the water is getting in anyway :o but you can still tell which way is up and keep the kite under control at the zenith :D use the force, Luke!
• When you're flying backwards, redirect sooner so the kite has time to pull you forwards.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Wrong kite, wrong board!
Was watching the weather data all morning and early PM... 1 knot, 2 knots, 1 knot, 3 knots... didn't hold out much hope for the heaps of wind GPV was predicting, so I went out for a ride on the Duke around 2pm. On the way home, there seemed to be a bunch of wind so I bundled up the gear and jumped in the car, making it out to Locus at about 4:45pm.
Well, there's some wind after all. Not much, cos all the kites are barage-ballooning at the shore. Even the mighty Turbine... hmm.
Not having a lot of faith, I take ONLY the S3 21 and the Flydoor over to the beach. Set up, get on the water - nicely powered! Whee massive jumps! Oh that'll be cos the wind has picked up... yikes REALLY picked up; that'll be the thermal then :-/
Depower totally and it's doable... just. I'd be having more fun on a smaller board or kite or both.
Interesting coming back to the 21 after the 15 and the smaller Xbow... getting the timings better and am more aware of what I'm doing with the kite. More successes with the bigger jumps and longer hang-times, but with the wind up the chop is pretty gnarly so there's a lot of bork.
Ride until just approaching sunset, then reverse land the kite. It's not so bad in the higher winds with a good technique... but what to do with it afterwards can be interesting. I usually walk up the line hand-over-hand but WagonR Guy wants to help, so I get him to hold the steering leaders as I joggle down to the kite...
Good session, despite being over-powered but it could have been better. Mind you, it could have been worse too. Got probably 90 minutes again.
Moment of the Day was the first ten minutes of lovely perfect powered moves.
Weather data was recorded as... I forget now, but I think it was 13knots at 6°C 60% with gusts to 24 or so. I reckon it was over 15 consistently although the wind was very smooth so it was easier to cope with than the other day!!!
What I (re)learned today...
• OPTIONS! Take at least another board!
• Actively fly the kite through the jump, don't just hang on and hope!
Well, there's some wind after all. Not much, cos all the kites are barage-ballooning at the shore. Even the mighty Turbine... hmm.
Not having a lot of faith, I take ONLY the S3 21 and the Flydoor over to the beach. Set up, get on the water - nicely powered! Whee massive jumps! Oh that'll be cos the wind has picked up... yikes REALLY picked up; that'll be the thermal then :-/
Depower totally and it's doable... just. I'd be having more fun on a smaller board or kite or both.
Interesting coming back to the 21 after the 15 and the smaller Xbow... getting the timings better and am more aware of what I'm doing with the kite. More successes with the bigger jumps and longer hang-times, but with the wind up the chop is pretty gnarly so there's a lot of bork.
Ride until just approaching sunset, then reverse land the kite. It's not so bad in the higher winds with a good technique... but what to do with it afterwards can be interesting. I usually walk up the line hand-over-hand but WagonR Guy wants to help, so I get him to hold the steering leaders as I joggle down to the kite...
Good session, despite being over-powered but it could have been better. Mind you, it could have been worse too. Got probably 90 minutes again.
Moment of the Day was the first ten minutes of lovely perfect powered moves.
Weather data was recorded as... I forget now, but I think it was 13knots at 6°C 60% with gusts to 24 or so. I reckon it was over 15 consistently although the wind was very smooth so it was easier to cope with than the other day!!!
What I (re)learned today...
• OPTIONS! Take at least another board!
• Actively fly the kite through the jump, don't just hang on and hope!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A GULP of the Kool-Aid this time
Long weekend off; that is, we don't have to work Saturday :-/ so we're up in Hamamatsu. I should really know better, I never get much joy from the beach here... anyway here's the story.
Wind was up-ish, waves were down; thought it might be worth breaking out the Infinity... I'll get to see what it's like up the top-end anyway. Cross-off is a bit of a worry though but nothing ventured and all that. Will try out my new Mako 150 too happy joy! Thanks Buzz!!!
Pumped the kite up and set up, easy self-launch. Hmm bit twitchy - probably the wind shadow. And the direction changes. And the gusts. Oh well - nut up. Got in the water - not too cold, good ol' Hyperflexx! Up and riding easily, that's good. Depower some - oh a bit gusty. Yes gusty. OH SHIT GUSTY! yoink off you go down-wind then, as fast as you can... rode the shocks out but aren't having fun. A few half-assed jumps but it's survival mode out here...
And aren't going upwind either :-/ give up, land the kite, pack up the bar and walk back up the beach... I was out on the water for over an hour but it felt like 5 minutes :o
Lucky I got off the water when I did too - the walk up the beach was made worse by an epic headwind... damn Hamamatsu! :(
More thoughts on the Infinity... (relative to today and the usual caveats apply)
• Good pull when it was being worked but I didn't have a lot of joy parking and riding it... tide, current and wind (and new board?) working against me though so we'll see on the lake...
• Vicious bastard when it's over-powered - certainly not as much of a buffer out the top-end as the SLE kites eg. my Xbows; I have never felt so dangerously and uncontrollably over-powered for a very long time indeed! It was a real handful trying to land too and the DISASTER of a QR didn't help.
What I'm talking about is how punchy it got when over-powered but still pulled a lot... Cab's IDS may be for "learners" or "old men in golf pants" but it works to take a battering but not haul on you - I know when I absolutely have to change out my Xbow for a smaller size because the kite is twitchy and jerking when totally depowered... but isn't pulling me off the water :o
Twitchy and rough in the gusts and shifts, lots of flapping and stalling - I'm guessing it's the three-strut design... lots of 'canvas' to flap about. Compared with 7 on the Xbow - I'm beginning to see a pattern here, and why Dimitri says 20 knots is the top end limit! So 30 knots NOT good :D
• Definite rear-line flyer - needs the tension there to keep it under control and on the boil. Feedback is handy (not dropping out of the sky) but it's not taxing - although I was wearing thick gloves, I didn't get the forearm pump I've had from the 16m Xbow.
• Landing from the safety - easy! I was worried cos I've never done it before (except on the FSr) It dropped down onto the LE then sat up on the wing tip at the edge of the window. I reached up and pulled the upper flying line and it gradually came back into the window then down onto the LE and sat there... in 30 knots :o
Weather was a nightmare - here's why... cross-offshore to cross-onshore; I got readings of 10 to 20 knots with average around 14 at the water's edge, JMA read 12 to 14 with gusts to 30!!!
Moment of the Day was getting out on the new board. Oh and not dying. Always good, that.
What I learned today...
• Epic Infinity v2 likes 8psi. I know cos I measured :D
• Mako will be awesome when I get used to it!
• New kite and board make a tough combination for riding in rough weather :-/
• Just cos the waves aren't breaking doesn't mean they aren't towering over your head doesn't mean they're not powerful. And big...! Did I say big? Cos they were big.
• Season has started! Wetsuit FTW! Maybe I need a 5mm this year... push the envelope! Roger that, milli vanilli chilly willy!
• That quick release has got to go - when I tried to land, I couldn't release it with my left hand at all and only just managed with the right - What. The. Fuck.
• Walking sucks.
Wind was up-ish, waves were down; thought it might be worth breaking out the Infinity... I'll get to see what it's like up the top-end anyway. Cross-off is a bit of a worry though but nothing ventured and all that. Will try out my new Mako 150 too happy joy! Thanks Buzz!!!
Pumped the kite up and set up, easy self-launch. Hmm bit twitchy - probably the wind shadow. And the direction changes. And the gusts. Oh well - nut up. Got in the water - not too cold, good ol' Hyperflexx! Up and riding easily, that's good. Depower some - oh a bit gusty. Yes gusty. OH SHIT GUSTY! yoink off you go down-wind then, as fast as you can... rode the shocks out but aren't having fun. A few half-assed jumps but it's survival mode out here...
And aren't going upwind either :-/ give up, land the kite, pack up the bar and walk back up the beach... I was out on the water for over an hour but it felt like 5 minutes :o
Lucky I got off the water when I did too - the walk up the beach was made worse by an epic headwind... damn Hamamatsu! :(
More thoughts on the Infinity... (relative to today and the usual caveats apply)
• Good pull when it was being worked but I didn't have a lot of joy parking and riding it... tide, current and wind (and new board?) working against me though so we'll see on the lake...
• Vicious bastard when it's over-powered - certainly not as much of a buffer out the top-end as the SLE kites eg. my Xbows; I have never felt so dangerously and uncontrollably over-powered for a very long time indeed! It was a real handful trying to land too and the DISASTER of a QR didn't help.
What I'm talking about is how punchy it got when over-powered but still pulled a lot... Cab's IDS may be for "learners" or "old men in golf pants" but it works to take a battering but not haul on you - I know when I absolutely have to change out my Xbow for a smaller size because the kite is twitchy and jerking when totally depowered... but isn't pulling me off the water :o
Twitchy and rough in the gusts and shifts, lots of flapping and stalling - I'm guessing it's the three-strut design... lots of 'canvas' to flap about. Compared with 7 on the Xbow - I'm beginning to see a pattern here, and why Dimitri says 20 knots is the top end limit! So 30 knots NOT good :D
• Definite rear-line flyer - needs the tension there to keep it under control and on the boil. Feedback is handy (not dropping out of the sky) but it's not taxing - although I was wearing thick gloves, I didn't get the forearm pump I've had from the 16m Xbow.
• Landing from the safety - easy! I was worried cos I've never done it before (except on the FSr) It dropped down onto the LE then sat up on the wing tip at the edge of the window. I reached up and pulled the upper flying line and it gradually came back into the window then down onto the LE and sat there... in 30 knots :o
Weather was a nightmare - here's why... cross-offshore to cross-onshore; I got readings of 10 to 20 knots with average around 14 at the water's edge, JMA read 12 to 14 with gusts to 30!!!
Moment of the Day was getting out on the new board. Oh and not dying. Always good, that.
What I learned today...
• Epic Infinity v2 likes 8psi. I know cos I measured :D
• Mako will be awesome when I get used to it!
• New kite and board make a tough combination for riding in rough weather :-/
• Just cos the waves aren't breaking doesn't mean they aren't towering over your head doesn't mean they're not powerful. And big...! Did I say big? Cos they were big.
• Season has started! Wetsuit FTW! Maybe I need a 5mm this year... push the envelope! Roger that, milli vanilli chilly willy!
• That quick release has got to go - when I tried to land, I couldn't release it with my left hand at all and only just managed with the right - What. The. Fuck.
• Walking sucks.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Guess what I found?
No not the 2 pair of sunglasses I lost ... the top-end of the Charger 15!!! 0_o Beaufort 7 (27-33 knots) it would appear ...
Skivved off and hit the lake. I was looking at the wind thinking maybe this wasn't such a great idea but when I got my gear over to the beach, the wind had dropped and I guessed (wrongly, as it turned out) that the wind had died off for the day. So I set up the 15m Charger cos hey I really wanted to try it again ... second knot from kite, straps all loose.
Filled fine, launched with a couple of tip-claps (cos I let go the bar I reckon) but it stayed up fine. Wind picked up as I was getting into the water and I had a hard time getting some space between me and the beach - kite was lifting me up (full power trim) and the waves were driving me back into shore! Finally I got out far enough to put the board on and try to start ...
... made the instant mistake of trying to fly it like a bow and foundered for a bit. Finally got up and rolling but DAY-HUM! thems is some big waves! Yes, waves - the fuckers are breaking like ocean waves and standing in the troughs, the peaks are at eye height :o I battle my way around and get back into Arc Mode. Whee!
Came to the conclusion that the Charger 15 is about as powerful as my 13m Crossbow ... when the arc is working. It's so not a park'n'ride kite though, got to keep it moving and keep pressure on the rear lines. Stopper ball is great for that but panic ensues in gusts :o went zooming off across wind like a freakin' rocket heading for the shore, desperately trying to slide up the stopper ball :D
As the wind increased, I ended up with the kite trimmed for max depower and was still out of control :D real tough body-dragging upwind to my board ... tried a few tentative jumps but was afraid to really do it ... got freaked out by speed through the window trying to change tacks ... so basically, I got pretty mauled out there!
Tried to find out what the wind was, cos I do believe it's the most I've ever been out in and REALLY should have had the 12m Synergy or even the 10m (but I sold that) ... weather sites conistently reported 10m/s (20 knots) but it was way more than that - the wind was driving the water up over the lip on the beach, sand was being flung around like little bullets and the locals were on 7m kites but just gave up. Which should have been a sign. I'm thinking it was about 30knots and over in the gusts. Stupid gusting to ... Deathwish?
So that was the top-end for the 15m Charger then! :o
Skivved off and hit the lake. I was looking at the wind thinking maybe this wasn't such a great idea but when I got my gear over to the beach, the wind had dropped and I guessed (wrongly, as it turned out) that the wind had died off for the day. So I set up the 15m Charger cos hey I really wanted to try it again ... second knot from kite, straps all loose.
Filled fine, launched with a couple of tip-claps (cos I let go the bar I reckon) but it stayed up fine. Wind picked up as I was getting into the water and I had a hard time getting some space between me and the beach - kite was lifting me up (full power trim) and the waves were driving me back into shore! Finally I got out far enough to put the board on and try to start ...
... made the instant mistake of trying to fly it like a bow and foundered for a bit. Finally got up and rolling but DAY-HUM! thems is some big waves! Yes, waves - the fuckers are breaking like ocean waves and standing in the troughs, the peaks are at eye height :o I battle my way around and get back into Arc Mode. Whee!
Came to the conclusion that the Charger 15 is about as powerful as my 13m Crossbow ... when the arc is working. It's so not a park'n'ride kite though, got to keep it moving and keep pressure on the rear lines. Stopper ball is great for that but panic ensues in gusts :o went zooming off across wind like a freakin' rocket heading for the shore, desperately trying to slide up the stopper ball :D
As the wind increased, I ended up with the kite trimmed for max depower and was still out of control :D real tough body-dragging upwind to my board ... tried a few tentative jumps but was afraid to really do it ... got freaked out by speed through the window trying to change tacks ... so basically, I got pretty mauled out there!
Tried to find out what the wind was, cos I do believe it's the most I've ever been out in and REALLY should have had the 12m Synergy or even the 10m (but I sold that) ... weather sites conistently reported 10m/s (20 knots) but it was way more than that - the wind was driving the water up over the lip on the beach, sand was being flung around like little bullets and the locals were on 7m kites but just gave up. Which should have been a sign. I'm thinking it was about 30knots and over in the gusts. Stupid gusting to ... Deathwish?
So that was the top-end for the 15m Charger then! :o
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