When you get a new board tighten the straps every session and eventually they will stop loosening and I know none of you city slickers do it but running your lines down wind is so much easier (surely its not that dangerous).
Wavekiting gumbies need to stay off the main peak until they acquire the necessary skills and learn the rules of surf etiquette.
When they do their time at the downwind break.....they may join the main pecking order.
Become a garbage man, learn to smile and always give a launch and land a kite.
You will have better sessions and progress faster.
Handy tip no. 17
Try not to leave your kite on the beach when you are not using it, as UV light kills your kite faster than anything else. Deflate your leading edge and roll the kite up, stow it out of the sun if you can, it will make your kite last twice as long.
Handy Tip No. 24
Rinsing your bar and lines as well as your harness will make your lines stay like new for much much longer.
Handy Tip no. 35
Roll your lines and lay your bar on your kite after each session, even if you are only coming in for 10 minutes. It keeps the beach clear and stops people walking on your lines. Walking on lines impregnates the weave with fine grains of sand which wears the lines internally weakening them.
Handy Tip no. 1
Buy your mum and or wife a present before mothers day so you aint scratching around buying nasty overpriced flowers from servos next sunday.
Good winds,
One day this sideways tosser will be sorry when he does run his lines sideways to the wind and the lines are crossed and launches. Lets just hope the front and back lines arent arse about. Ive seen it done many times.
Run your lines cross wind. For that mater learn to run your lines in every direction so when you get to new area to kite you don't drag your lines over other kites.
If you get tangles because you can't work out how your to rig your kite then pratice first point.
Just because the local crowd all rig lines down wind does not stop issues of getting lines hooked up on other kites. If everyone rigs cross wind THEN you dont get lines tangled. I hate it when I see someone doing the bunny hop on the beach tying to get his lines over all the kites.
Remember with todays kites it's so important not to drag the lines across the beach as they may pick up sticks or get a tangled bridle and that can led to a bad launch.
Stop following the pack mentality.
But in saying this their are places that can only allow lines layed in a direction due to space.
Another lesson that I have forgotten a few times (especially when someone interrupts you while setting up) is if you have a 4 line kite ensure you connect 4 lines before launching.
I always double check the lines after rigging up the kite. with just a quick run from your bar to the kite, you can see if its all good.
control your adrenilin. things go wrong when you are in a rush.
Been doing this one lately - when it's howling at the sandy beach I just deflate the leading edge leaving the struts inflated and quicky roll the kite up - save the final pack up for the sheltered grassy area in the car park. I hate putting a shovel load of sand in my kite bag - and it's crap trying to neatly pack your kite on the sand in 30 knots.
Put your name on your board !
Especially if you live in WA. - Check out Lost and Found. Boards always lost in WA. KR
dont pis.s in your wetsuit until you are actually out on the water - in case the wind dies before you head out, especially in winter.
KR
I find that regular bleaching of my lines helps to keep them looking smicko.
It also helps to see that you have washed every bit of sand off them when you do your rinse but most importantly it makes them more visible during nite kite sessions
A) Your kite have a layer of silicon on top of it which makes it more resistant against UV.
By packing it on the beach you are rubbing this silicon layer to the sand and removing this silicon layer slowly which will expose your kite more into UV and causing damage to your wing.
B) Change your packing method every now and then as if you fold your kite from the same place over and over again, your kite is losing its strength from that folding point.
C) Don't pull your lines when packing your bar as you creating this folding issue with your lines, it's better if your lines are a little slack when packing your bar.
Roll your kite up before the sun goes down and don't leave it on grass - both make it damp and a sand or mould magnet.
Have a few more runs (go on!) if you've put your kite in the water to help it dry.
Use a Z fold, not too tight. Then you can bang it after and the sand can fall out of both ends - where most of it collects anyway. If travelling, I get all the sand out before refolding / packing it as the long journey will be more likely to rub it in.
