i'm starting some downwinders with a surfboard (no straps). problem I've got is on the turn I bring the kite over but get a bit too much uplift to keep the edge in for the turn, probably cause the kites coming over maybe too quick. Is it better to try and learn a down loop and get it to pull me through the turn?
note: board has no straps, using a 10m2 sle
thanks
Well... thats odd, I was just about to post the SAME thing...
Although I was just going to ask on how to generally stay on the board without footstraps... only wax.... is it hard? (I have a collection of surfboards but I think my 7ft gun looks the best for the task... in light wind)
My guess would be to turn more sharply so that the kite never gets the chance to fly up high and pull you off. OR
I'm presuming that you'd be on a toeside edge at the point when you are just about to gybe and that is when you tend to get pulled up and off, perhaps if you turned more before the kite hit the top of the window, you could be on your heelside and resist the upwards pull more?
I ve started riding strapless a few weeks back and found the whole thing to be quite easy. If you board is stable enough (Im using a 6ft fish) you can just turn, slow down, switch feet and get going. Lift from the kite will stop the board from sinking.
What I m having a lot of trouble with is the leash. Sort of wraps around my legs and a night mare when waves are pounding.. Any advice ?
I'm faily new to the strapless stuff, but find going along heelside, then quickly switching feet whilst movig (now I'm toeside) and then, depending on kite position, if its higher in the window I will downloop it, and if its lower just send the kite straight across the middle of the window , as I do the turn.
Frenchman, in solution to your legrope problems, ditch the leg rope. I presume it is getting tangled every time you change your feet around. Can't see any practical solution.
What works best for me is to keep the kite low through the power zone and crank the turn - mentally it is quite difficult to swing the kite into the power zone as you think you will get turfed, but if you turn your board downwind at the same time, it is not so hectic and you don't lose speed. If you make the turn long, the board runs away from you.
So, crank the turn, when you have gone the full 180 and a bit beyond, lift the kite vertically,and at that moment when you lose the power switch feet and drop the kite into the power zone again. If you lose speed on the turn, that is when you fall off.
Works for me, but others might have other methods.
If you lift your kite over your head on the turn, you get pulled into the air and off your board.
Get rid of the leash all together,accident waiting to happen.
As for getting too much lift while turning(if you are doing a transition),try and time the kite to be over head when you are half way through your turn .ie your board is pointing down wind.That way instead of you being on your rail and the kite trying to pull you up,you are more flat on the board cranking down wind a bit,then as you carve the turn around,dive the kite in the direction your heading.
Does that sound right to everone else,its what I think I do and seems to work.
All about timeing,pratice,practice,practice. Im no pro but just telling you what works for me.
Hope this helps,good luck
I'm with JohnT's method. I make most turns that way. If I try when the board is dead down wind it gets unstable and I usually fall off.
Also I move my back foot forward before the turn to keep the board planing.
Ditch the legrope, because surfboards sit higher in the water they get bown down wild so you dont need to body drag that much anyway.
If anyone reading this and thinking of trying out a surf board be sure to give it a go. When you get bored or the surf to big you can jump back to your TT. It feels to me like windsurfing and surfing. As far as gybing goes I down loop the kite first and ride toe side then change feet with the kite low (which sort of pushes your feet hard against the board). Good luck. PS found cash converters to be a good place to buy second hand surf boards. ($300 for an epoxy board in good nick)
Ditch the leash.
Be agressive with the kite and the board. Turn the kite hard and turn your board hard. The kite will remain low in the window and not lift you off the board. If there is too much wind, use a smaller kite or pull in on the depower strap a bit so that when you yank the bar during a turn, you are not getting the maximum power out of the kite.
