It's been a fun start, shred using the Upwinder!

Hey crews,

I've bee running the Upwinder transport van for 10 days now. For me personally, that means I've done a downwinder for 10 days in a row, today will be day 11, yeeeeooooh! It also means that I've progressed rapidly on the waves. I used to struggle to get past the break only a fortnight ago and now I'm trying to get baralled and charging in on the bigger sets. We usually run from Swannies to South Trigg.

I'm looking forward to filling the van and want to know how I can serve downwind kiters betters. I'd love to help you get two downwind sessions in one day. I'd also like to organise a photographer to get some happy snaps of us along the journey.

Check out my previous thread
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Western-Australia/Love-a-downwinder-Jump-on-the-reliable-Upwinder/

I'll transport you upwind from South Trigg car park every day there is more than 13knots at 3:30pm. Hope to have you along some time! Come share your knowledge, skills and friends.

Stoked on the summer,
Upwinder
facebook.com/upwinderbywaterman
upwinder.weebly.com

Had our first 'not great' day today.
We had an instructor that had a kite with a hole in it which deflated before he made it 200m. I was stubborn and set up a small kite despite the low winds and also crashed and burned.
Meanwhile, first time downwinding, Gaz shredded the whole way, on a kite only marginally bigger than mine!
Champion.

Roughly how experienced should someone be to be able to do a downwinder?
Like what are the basic abilities one should have :)

Select to expand quote

seeker said..

PaulyOS said..
Roughly how experienced should someone be to be able to do a downwinder?
Like what are the basic abilities one should have :)

Hey PaulyOS,

I'd suggest you should be pretty confident riding in the waves and surf without going downwind. You should also be able to do a self recuse including wrapping up bar and lines while in ocean. If you are able to do that, I'd say a downwinder should be no problem.

If anyone has any other comments, it'd be great to let Pauly know!

Hey PaulyOS
Sounds dumb, but you need to be able to confidently actually fly downwind, which is harder than it might first seem.
As a beginner you're always trying to stay upwind, but all that takes is just edging hard against the wind with the kite nice and stable at 10:30 / 1:30.
Flying downwind requires more subtle edge control and greater kite control. Critical to this is an understanding of how to safely 'back-fly' your kite - i.e. control backwards drift (which will occur) and not 'choke' the kite resulting in it dropping out of the sky.
Basically, understand that if you're kite is stalling, you need to sheet-out to depower the kite which will get airflow back through the kite. Don't do the standard beginner mistake and sheet-in trying to get more power - you're choking the kite and it'll drop out of the sky, resulting in a long swim, followed by long walk to your car - not fun!
Being able to confidently ride toe-side and do a long swooping down-wind bottom turn is also a necessary skill so that you actually gain down-wind distance. (no more of them beginner nice tight little tacks which send you back upwind really quick).
You don't want to take 3 hours to downwind a few km. You'll be totally knackered and have to walk the last few km dragging wet kite gear which isn't fun.
Start with small downwinders, say Leighton to South Cott first. Then, as you get faster and more confident, start lengthening your runs. Probably take you 10 runs before you really wanna try Leighton to City Beach.
Please don't try to learn downwinding skills between City and Brighton - get use to down-winding it on flatter water in the Leighton / Cott / Swanny area first.
When your down-wind skills are up to it, and you're having fun in the waves at South City beach, then start going City Beach to Brighton.
Don't go past Brighton to Trigg until you're really super skilled up. Between Brighton and Trigg there are the sets of red/yellow flags, stacks of wind-surfers and surfers in the water, all of which makes that the most hazardous down-winder section along the coast.
Accidents / incidents with surfers / windsurfers / swimmers etc will result in beach closures which we're trying really hard to avoid happening.
Downwinders are amazing fun - but please just take it step at a time, for everyones sake!
Have fun - see you out there soon.

Select to expand quote

seeker said..

danno said..

seeker said..

PaulyOS said..
Roughly how experienced should someone be to be able to do a downwinder?
Like what are the basic abilities one should have :)

Hey PaulyOS,

I'd suggest you should be pretty confident riding in the waves and surf without going downwind. You should also be able to do a self recuse including wrapping up bar and lines while in ocean. If you are able to do that, I'd say a downwinder should be no problem.

If anyone has any other comments, it'd be great to let Pauly know!

Hey PaulyOS
Sounds dumb, but you need to be able to confidently actually fly downwind, which is harder than it might first seem.
As a beginner you're always trying to stay upwind, but all that takes is just edging hard against the wind with the kite nice and stable at 10:30 / 1:30.
Flying downwind requires more subtle edge control and greater kite control. Critical to this is an understanding of how to safely 'back-fly' your kite - i.e. control backwards drift (which will occur) and not 'choke' the kite resulting in it dropping out of the sky.
Basically, understand that if you're kite is stalling, you need to sheet-out to depower the kite which will get airflow back through the kite. Don't do the standard beginner mistake and sheet-in trying to get more power - you're choking the kite and it'll drop out of the sky, resulting in a long swim, followed by long walk to your car - not fun!
Being able to confidently ride toe-side and do a long swooping down-wind bottom turn is also a necessary skill so that you actually gain down-wind distance. (no more of them beginner nice tight little tacks which send you back upwind really quick).
You don't want to take 3 hours to downwind a few km. You'll be totally knackered and have to walk the last few km dragging wet kite gear which isn't fun.
Start with small downwinders, say Leighton to South Cott first. Then, as you get faster and more confident, start lengthening your runs. Probably take you 10 runs before you really wanna try Leighton to City Beach.
Please don't try to learn downwinding skills between City and Brighton - get use to down-winding it on flatter water in the Leighton / Cott / Swanny area first.
When your down-wind skills are up to it, and you're having fun in the waves at South City beach, then start going City Beach to Brighton.
Don't go past Brighton to Trigg until you're really super skilled up. Between Brighton and Trigg there are the sets of red/yellow flags, stacks of wind-surfers and surfers in the water, all of which makes that the most hazardous down-winder section along the coast.
Accidents / incidents with surfers / windsurfers / swimmers etc will result in beach closures which we're trying really hard to avoid happening.
Downwinders are amazing fun - but please just take it step at a time, for everyones sake!
Have fun - see you out there soon.

AWESOME answer Danno!
I'm going to reference this in the future.

Just adding, be aware of other kiters in particular kiters heading in on a swell / wave. If launching off the beach, wait with your kite over the sand until any kiters heading in have cleared out so you are not obstructing them.

When you are learning, dont simply shoot straight down wind through the wave zone screwing up - stay out back until you are confident tacking in and out and try draw the same lines as others kiting in the same area...

Also be prepared for a long walk every now and then. S#*t happens and when it does it can be a long walk home.

Hey danno,

Thanks for your answers. I've uploaded it directly to my webpage FAQ.
upwinder.weebly.com/faq.html

JO

Hey mate are you running today?