Hey all. I am having trouble landing jumps. I hit the water too hard. The impact makes the OLD knees and or ankles buckle.
What to do as far as the bar is concerned, DO I
After boosting and getting air...
1. Push the bar out straight away (whilst in the air) and then just before impact pull the bar right in, powering up, and thus softening the landing.
or
2. Keep the bar pulled right in and the kite powered up through the whole jump and that will give me a smooth sail from start to finish.
or
3. None of the above - in which case...
Please Help!!
Cheers
Well saffieboy this is what works for me for big jumps 7to 8 mt,, send kite from 10.30 to 1.00 edge up hard at same time, pull bar in and about at 3mt up push bar out to where you had it for before jump most likely 8 to 10 inches, then your kite will be trimmed properly for the conditions. Then bring kite back to 12 at top of jump untill just before landing ,then redirect at 1.5 to 2m .If you keep bar in during jump your kite can stall and will not come directly over the top of you for a soft landing. Try standing on beach with kite at 12 pull bar in and kite will back stall ,as soon as you let bar out for correct trim kite will rise over head easy.this one bit of advise has made all the difference for me hope it helps you two
edge hard and send the kite and just keep the bar right in the whole time and then when you are past the top of the jump and nearly down dive the kite hard and land going downwind. hope that helps.
ewan
Saffieboy,depends what you mean by hitting hard?
Do you mean like falling straight down out of the sky like a brick,or moving really fast down wind and hitting hard?or both maybe.
Two different things with two different solutions.
When I started jumping,had a similar problem and found it was(for me anyway) that I wasnt edging hard enough against the kite before take off and tended to swing under it and kite would fly too far over my head,lose power and I would get some good height but fall out of the sky.EDGE HARD.
Once in the air I tend to keep fully sheeted in(max power).
I leave the water after hard edging with kite at 1ish then once reaching apex of boost fly the kite straight above till a second or two before touch down,dive kite back into the power.
The trick is to keep power in the kite through out the jump.
If its a really high jump you may need to fly the kite around back and forth above you to keep power on.
Hope this helps,hard to put it in words,tends to be a bit of a feel thing that comes with time on the water.
What kite you flying?
Some kite require a bit different technique but basically the same process.
Someone who flies the same kite maybe able to help with a few pointers.
I am on Rebel 07, usual my 12m less often the 9m and you're right it is more of an issue on the higher jumps because i just park the kite above my head hoping it'll act as a parachute (which it doesn't). I think I don’t get the kite forward early enough. also when I jump I often have the kite at 12 and even 11 when I have lots of speed and do seem to end up under the kite.
I'll try edging harder, get up earlier and fly the kite back/forwards rather than parking it and diving more aggressively as I come down.
Saffieboy - hope this helps you, I don't mean to hijack your thread.
If wind is strong and your really powered you wont have to dive the kite hard on landing as you do in lighter winds.
Different winds and conditions, depend on how aggressive you have to be.
You learn pretty quick what not to do
Seems you and I have the same issues Slack. I also usually am on a 12m '07 Rebel.
Lotofwind, My problem is I have watched too many kiting movies where the pro's land like a smooth glider. I feel like I land like a helicopter. I do land some jumps, but the impact downward feels like it is to hard (when I compare to how others do it). I want a smoother landing with forward momentum. I know to dive the kite when I get close to landing, that is not my problem. I was just wondering if pulling the bar in at the last moment will "cushion" me slightly.
Thanks for all the help, keep it coming. (Next time there is good wind, I will try all suggestions and see what works best).
Cheers
I find whenever I let the bar out at the apex of my jump I get softer landings than if I hold the bar in for the whole jump. Still working on it though
you pull the kite one way to go up and then swing it back the other way to soften the landing. you don't power/depower at all cus you will start to fall and then your gonna land hard what ever you do short of looping it.
If there is a problem it usually starts with the takeoff. Edge hard as the comments say above but the purpose of this is to maintain your edge as long as possible before the take off. If you come off your edge, you will lose power and get taken straight downwind for an ugly landing. Watch the good guys jumping, they edge right until the take off maintaining the tension in the lines.
hold the bar on the whole time.. dont let it off.. keep powered..
once you peak your jump and feel yourself start to decend thats when you need to pull on your front hand to bring the kite down again. not much you just want it facing to the side of the window. then when you land pull the kite down the power
i ride rebel 08's and if you let the bar out anywhere during the jump you're gunna get a heavy landing. Keep the bar sheeted in the whole time, and like the others said, edge as hard as you can and don't release - the kite will simply lift you from the water. The only time i'll let the bar out is if i'm running out of water or something, and even then i'll only let it out less than half way.
Saffie
1. Learn where the True wind is coming from - this makes a huge difference to hard or soft landings !!!
2. Use depower to trim your kite (according to wind strength) maybe 3 inches to bar.. to maintain lift and not serious stall..
3. Go back to small jumps & learn how to edge - load & jump directly upwind (once u figure out where that is) with the bar full in - never sheet out 
4. Then try some downwind jumps, this will teach you the difference between distance & Height jumps. Youll understand the difference in landing speed.
5. Now jump very High 
look at kite & learn to steer it with the xtra playtime up there you will have to pull that front hand down harder than you think to get your landing timing right...
remember - its better to kick the board off, ( if its all gone Pear shaped ) & try again - rather than KRASH land your Knees & ankles every time for nothing !!
This workd for mee
Cheers
For the benefit of other learners...
Went out today and when I commited and edged really hard right up till getting airborne, I popped straight up into the air and had better control over my jump (as opposed to jumping down wind and being a bit out of control).
As for holding the bar all the way in, I was too over powered. But I did keep it where I was just before popping up. Landed a few more already!!
Thanks all.
TOW TOW TOW TOW (Time On Water)
Ditto: keep the bar ON.
But also point the kite towards where you want to land and bring it down, but not too low, just enough to give you motion in that direction. They're my softest landings anyway.
