Disclaimer
Power kiting is a dangerous sport. Please double check the wind speed and the manufacturers guidelines on the kite you bought before attempting to fly your kite.
Simple Terminology
UPwind and DOWNwind
An object upwind of you will be closer to the source of the wind while an object downwind will be further from it. I find this easiest to describe in terms of smell, I choose to believe this does not mean I have a huge BO problem however! I am teaching Nick to learn to kitesurf. As is sometimes my way I have not had a bath in about 3 weeks and wind is blowing on shore (off the sea on to the shore). Now, if I stand nearer to the sea than Nick on the direct line of the wind then he will get the full smack of my unwashed glory straight up the nostrils. If however Nick is closer to the sea (and thus the source of the wind) then me he will be blissfully unaware of my hygiene habits and still (most likely) think I'm an alright kind o' guy!
Sheet IN Sheet OUT - Only applicable to 4 line kites
If you are flying a trainer kite with handles this is slightly more complicated to explain but once you're actually flying you have a huge advantage in that you have 100% de power (meaning if you so choose you can kill the kite simply by moving the handles). On a bar set up, sheeting in is simply pulling the bar towards you, sheeting out...you guessed it, means pushing the bar away from you. In general terms, pulling the bar in powers the kite up and pushing the bar away de powers the kite. On a handle this translates to either pulling back with the upper section of the handle to power up or push the handle forward so the bottom of the handle touches your wrists to de power. This is actually a very easy concept and is demonstrated in full in the video which I suggest you watch.
The Safety Leash
Now that you have your kite in the air, it’s time to learn one of the most important things a beginner must know - how to use your safety system. Assuming that your kite has a safety leash (it should) and that you are wearing it (you absolutely should be) all you need to do is this:
LET GO OF THE HANDLE/BAR!
So why is this a difficult thing to do? It’s the opposite of your natural reaction. Let’s think about it. You use the safety system when things get out of control; when you get overpowered and don’t have time to react. You’re getting jerked and pulled by the kite and you have more power than you can handle. What do most people do? They instinctively fight back. They flex their muscles, clench the controls, and fight with the kite (whilst thinking ‘oh sh*!’). They instinctively clench the controls...when what they need to do is let go! You cannot wrestle with the full power of these kites and win! You don’t even want to try – it’s a bad habit to get into. Bottom line: If you get overpowered, don’t fight the kite. Get into the habit of letting go of the controls and using your safety leash. The safety leash is always the first thing you attach and the last thing you take off whilst flying your kite and for good reason as it gives you that extra level of security, knowing that all you have to do is let go and all will be cool.
In the following sections I have tried to make allowance for the fact that some people will be using a trainer with handles and others a bar, some people will be using a harness and others not. In most cases the procedure is the same where it is different I have tried to make it obvious by bolding important bits.
Launching a trainer kite
In general, you want to launch your kite where you have enough power to get it off the ground, but not so much power that you get overwhelmed when it launches. This spot will change depending on how much wind you have. The picture below is a bird’s eye view of the flying area showing where you want to launch your kite in different winds.
A few top tips to get you started
- It's frustrating to try to launch for someone who just hooks in (if wearing harness) and then spends a bunch of time fiddling with their lines and spinning the bar while you are standing there holding the kite for them. So, before you ask someone to launch your kite, do them the favour of sorting out your lines first as best you can, from downwind if necessary.
- Make sure you have a good idea of where the edges of your window are BEFORE you even pick up the handles/bar. Go to a little downwind of 90 degrees so that there's no power in the kite when you pull the lines tight. I've seen more launches than I can count go sketchy due to failure on this point.
- Walk upwind carefully with tension in the lines until the wind is just filling the kite, that is the easiest place to reconfirm that your lines/bridles are all right BEFORE you hook in (if wearing a harness).
- After you attach your safety leash: hook IN (if wearing a harness), sheet OUT, pull BACK with your harness (again if you are wearing one) if not simply keep the front lines taught while you walk UPwind until you feel some power in the kite when you gently pull the bar. Your helper should not move downwind from their position unless indicated by the kiter.
- Before launching, sheet out all the way to check that you have adequate de power (only on 4 line kites), then in to make sure that you have enough tension in your back lines for turning and for power. Far better to check this before you launch rather than launching and then putting the kite to 12 o'clock to check your power trim.
Here is a simple to remember procedure to ensure you get it right every time:
Launching Procedure (S.P.L.A.T.): do all of your checks every time to avoid problems
- S - Situation
Re-check beach, water, and wind/weather conditions.
Locate your wind window; identify left and right edges before picking up the bar - P - Position
Yours and the kite’s position vs. the wind direction and the water’s edge Start by making sure the lines stay loose until you are just downwind of the kite
Straighten/check lines with no power in the kite (at left or right edge of window)
Attach safety leash, hook in & sheet out until back lines are slightly slack
Walk upwind keeping front lines taut until you feel the right amount of power
Make sure you are as close to the water’s edge as comfortable for you & helper - L - Lines and Safety Systems
Lines & bridles free of tangles; connected & adjusted properly
Sheet fully out (to check de power) and fully in (to check back line tension for turns) Take the time to make sure there are no problems with either quick release system - A - Around
Thorough 360 degree check of beach and ocean, just before you give the signal - T - Thumb up
with bottom hand (but not if the panels are flapping or the front lines are slack.
Landing your Kite
Anyone can crash a kite and I guarantee you will do it many times before you finally evolve onto a kitesurfing kite (every time you do think of the beating your saving the nice, new shiny kitesurfing kite your soon going to own!) Try to avoid needless crashing of the kite as it will eventually damage the kite and it makes you look...well...like a monkey! To land your kite all you need to do is this:
- Fly the kite to the edge of the wind window. It doesn’t matter where; just get it to the edge.
- With slow, smooth movements, work the kite towards the ground either at the 3 or 9 o’clock positions.
- Bring your kite down and land it gently on the ground at the edge of the wind window.
- Move to your kite and secure it.
- Pack it up and away you go!
Landing your kite is quite simple, and like I said, it will extend its life. Try to keep your arms extended and in front of you, do not twist the handles or bar around the side of you, move your body to follow the kite in the sky so that your arms are always in front of you. Keep the handles more or less vertical or if using a bar keep it flat, do not be tempted to use the handles/bar like a steering wheel instead use it like the handlebars of a bike. Think of your arms as pistons when one goes out the other comes in. To start with be gentle, make tiny movements with the bar as you get more confident make the movements bigger.
Things to remember:
- You will crash your trainer kite! Just walk over and set it back up for re-launch. Try not to crash it directly down wind as it is possible to blow seams out of a kite if crashed directly into the ground at 50 miles per hour. Yes, they can move that fast.
- Wind is like a road; sometimes it's bumpy and sometimes it's smooth. Your kite may behave well one day and fly terribly the next. Most likely the wind is very different, do not let this get you down and disheartened you, learning to fly a kite in ALL conditions is part of the training.
- Be careful in high winds. Even small trainer kites develop a lot of power. in general a 3m trainer kite will allow a 200lb person to jump 6-10 feet forward when the winds are over 18mph. Always leave yourself room for evasive action (3-5 line lengths).
- If you have someone helping you launch the trainer kite, make sure they move immediately after launching. Also, be nice and share your kite with them.
- It takes most people anywhere from 30 mins to 3 hours to learn to fly a trainer kite proficiently. Don't expect to be a great flier in 5 minutes.
- Twists in the lines. All kites will still fly exactly the same even with a twist in their lines. To untwist the lines, either fly a complete loop in the other direction, or spin your body quickly around. Most kites can fly with 2 or 3 loops before the lines begin to bind up.
Launching & Landing the Kite...ALONE
Another more important DISCLAIMER
Self launching is the area where I have seen the most accidents in kitesurfing. Before you attempt this make sure you have flown the kite a number of times in a variety of different wind speeds so you know what to expect when launching your kite. I would recommend only self launching when you absolutely have to and when you are experienced enough to know what to do when (if) it goes wrong. In light winds you're going to be launching the kite straight through the power zone and so need an idea of how much its going to kick as if it kicks too much you'll end up dragging, most probably face first through the mud.
Self Launching
If anything goes wrong in this whole procedure simply let go of the handles/bar and start again. Give yourself a lot of room downwind, at least 75 - 100m and ensure that this area is free of obstacles and things that the human face is allergic to impact with...as if this goes wrong thats where you're going...fast!
Light wind Self Launch
To pull off an effective self launch you will need some loose sand, 4 or 5 smooth rocks, or some small sandbags. With these in hand, do the following:
- Choose the spot you are going to launch from.
- Unpack your kite and lay it on the ground so the underside of the kite faces upwards with the trailing edge into the wind.
- Place your rocks, sand, or sandbags on the trailing edge of the kite to hold it down. Observe it to make sure it’s secure.
- Is your kite secure? If it is, lay out your lines so you are in the proper location for the launch.
- Attach your safety leash.
- Gently pull on the handles or control bar. The front lines of the kite should begin to pull the leading edge off the ground and into the wind. The kite should begin to fill with wind and get its shape.
- Once the kite has filled with wind, give a firm pull on the handles or control bar to lift it off the ground and into the air. The weights you used slide off the trailing edge and let your kite go free.
- Navigate the kite to the edge of the wind window. You’re ready to rock!
High Wind Self Launch
- Choose the spot you are going to launch from.
- Unpack your kite and lay it on the ground so the underside of the kite faces upwards with the trailing edge into the wind. Note we are going to lay the lines out perpendicular to the wind (not in line with the wind as in the Light wind launch).
- Place your rocks, sand, or sandbags on the wing tip closest to where you will be attaching the bar to the kite to hold it down. Observe it to make sure it’s secure.
- Now lay out the lines across the wind so when you come to launch your kite its at the edge of the window.
- Attach your safety leash.
- Gently steer the kite either left or right, depending on which side of the window you are, the kite should fill with wind and sit up on its side.
- Once filled with air give the uppermost line a gently tug to release the kite from the weights and get the kite up into the air and to the edge of the window.
Self Landing
Self Landing is actually super easy. Just do exactly the same as you would if landing to a partner but actually bring the kite onto the ground, it is important at this point to try to ensure that the kite is as dead as possible. Once there either run like the hounds of hell are snapping at your heels and recover your kite or (if your more prepared) weight the bars down with a carefully prepared weight and then take a leisurely stroll to your kite...your choice.