If anyone can offer some advice on trasitions I would be grateful as I am really struggling.
I have been kiting now for about a year and a bit. No problem with jumps, backloops, toeside, 180 pops etc.
I have watched a number of video helps and also bought the fat sands progression intermediate which shows how to do transitions.
I just can't seem to get enough power in the kite to start pulling me in the other direction once I lose momentum going the original way...
I am 95kg's so admittedly that probably doesn't help that I have a fair amount of weight to get moving but I refuse to believe that heavier people can't do transitions!
Did anyone go through the same problems when getting to this point? I have been trying for weeks now and I slow down, do a small jump, push off hard with my legs, look in the other direction, wait to start falling and agressively pull the kite in the other direction (basically everything your supposed to do in the text book) but when I reach the water I just stall and there is no power in my kite!!! Arrrghhhh!
Please help.
Not too crash hot at it my self,but it sounds like you are not diving the kite as you hit the water.
Dive the kite a little earlier?
I was having the same issue and found if i didn't wait so long to dive the kite i'd land powered up enough to ride away cleanly.
The only way I can do back roll transitions is with a downloop. Otherwise I find the kite has flown to the edge of the window before I can pull away.
I assume you're talking about a jumping transition. What has helped me is to.
1. Come in slow, pointing the board upwind.
2. Take the kite to 12 O'clock and pull in the bar to lift you off the water.
3. Hang there a second or 2 with the kite at 12 o'clock.
4. Point the board downwind while you're in the air.
5. Look in the new direction you want to go.
5. Now, and this is important, agressively dive the kite down in the new direction and back under and then forward (in an "S" fashion") just before it hits the water. This will put the kite further back in the power zone and it will want to come forward in a rush giving you plenty of power to sail away as you land with your board pointed down wind.
Hope this helps
All the above is good info.
just focus on 2 key points to start with.
1. at the apex of your jump you need to have stopped forward movement.
2. look at landing and returning to speed more downwind.
Ok firstly you don't actually end up going back the other direction, you end up going down wind and slightly the other direction.
Transtition jumps can be really easy if your aggressive withyour kite..
Firts don't6 slow down to much as it limits your height and power.
send the kite to 12 rather then do it slowly.. Note do not send it much passed 12..
As you go into the air bring the kite back over your head ( forward your original direction)
Now your floating kite directly over your head,
aggressively dive the kite in either direction as you come down,
1. If forward then make sure you continue to crank the turn all the way through forward and under you'll land with the board straight down wind and finish by turning back up wind in the new direction.
2. If you turn it back in the new direction you want to go, it will not pull you that way immediately you'll pendulum out first, to s the kite you have to pretty much dive it almost straight down from 12 and it will pull hard as if going into raley position. remember to relax let your body extend out and only pull in when about to land, if you pull in to early your feet will end up in front of you bum splat.. Ok so you've dived it hard then as your landing you need to be swinging it back up in the new direction.
It's easier to actually let the kite drift out and do a bigger back turn under, this will take a little practise to get the timming right as if you pull to fast and early you get alot of speed before you hit the water, if you do it to late you'll drop then get lifted out of the water..
Sorry it's easier to explain with pic's or hands
If I'm in your neck of the woods just ask and I'll lend a hand..
Note aggressiveness needs to be tempered if really windy :-)
You must reduce your forward speed, (unless its nuclear winds) no matter how hard you redirect the kite that forward momentum in the original direction counteracts the pull from the kite in the new direction causing you to just sink in the water.
I slow down bear away then carve upwind and aim to leave the water almost directly into the wind direction. When you pop off the water push really hard with the back foot kicking yourself towards the new direction (causes big rooster spray for good effect).
What sort of kite are you using?
These used to be real easy for me on my old "C" kites but am now riding a SLE hybrid and find that the only way I can power away from a backroll transition is with a kite loop. The C kite was a lot slower so didn't move so far to the edge of the window during the transition, therefore retaining power on completion.
Thanks for all the great advice. I've certainly got a few new tips to play around with. I've not done kiteloops as yet, but I think the idea of 'S'ing the kite could work quite well. It all sounds so easy in your head, but putting it into practice in the water isn't quite as simple....! Appreciate your help though, thanks.
Sorse - thanks for the offer of help. I'm actually living in Cyprus at the moment but if I'm still struggling by when in back in Sydney next year I might take you up on the offer.
I'm using a new Cab 10m Crossbow. Which might also not be helping seeing as it is so fast (compared to what I am used to). Maybe I'll try using my old 14m Contra to see if I have more luck.
