Hi all,

Just wanted to start a thread about little tips and tricks that make your sessions easier. I've got a couple it'd be great to hear from others experiences - I've learn't from the beach and it takes time to pick things up.

Here's some new things I do:

I fly 2 x naish helixes and when I pack my kites up I leave the pulleys hanging out of the bags - so when you get home you can wash the sand out after each session in the kitchen sink if you like without having to get the kites out of your bags.

After I've landed my kite I walk down wind of the kite with the bar so the lines are pulled out straight - get any twists out so you can roll up nicely and get going next sess with less tangles.

Always carry a bit of repair tape in your kite bag. I also carry a bit of bridle line to get going again if something breaks.

Light wind flying - if the wind dies out and you're sinking take the opportunity to turn round as usually there's a lull before the next gust comes through.


Couple of questions - does anyone have any links on how to splice the ends in pig tales type line and also sew loops into flying lines? Where can you buy a roll/spool of kite line?

Cheers

Pro tip:

Take all your gear home at the end of the session

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Glennno said...
Always carry a bit of repair tape in your kite bag. I also carry a bit of bridle line to get going again if something breaks.

Also, carry scissors so you have something to cut the tape with. Also a sponge with a bottle of fresh water, and dry towel, as sometimes the tape doesn't stick to a salt covered material.

Carry the screwdriver in the car - one of my footpads keep getting unscrewed after each couple of sessions (even though it's a brand new Thorn board)

When you unwind the lines to setup, (i haven't seen anyone do this, maybe this is bad technique - but works so well for me), i dig the bar into the sand, and then make two piles of sand over each corner covering each side of the bar, so that the weight of sand keeps the bar in place whilst i'm scretching the lines (which applies a bit of tension). Rather than having the bar drag all over the sand or turning around.

Carry a bottle of drink with you.

Have sunnies ready (if it's really glary)

Have sunscreen in the car - don't want to get skin cancer.

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superlizard said...
Carry the screwdriver in the car - one of my footpads keep getting unscrewed after each couple of sessions (even though it's a brand new Thorn board)

Just use some locktite. It prevents them coming loose under vibration. There are more than one version, one for permanent and one which you can still undo, I suggest you use the less permanent option.

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Saffer said...

superlizard said...
Carry the screwdriver in the car - one of my footpads keep getting unscrewed after each couple of sessions (even though it's a brand new Thorn board)

Just use some locktite. It prevents them coming loose under vibration. There are more than one version, one for permanent and one which you can still undo, I suggest you use the less permanent option.

i threw loctite on but it doesnt seem to work. prolly should clean and dry it first though

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myusernam said...

Saffer said...

superlizard said...
Carry the screwdriver in the car - one of my footpads keep getting unscrewed after each couple of sessions (even though it's a brand new Thorn board)

Just use some locktite. It prevents them coming loose under vibration. There are more than one version, one for permanent and one which you can still undo, I suggest you use the less permanent option.

i threw loctite on but it doesnt seem to work. prolly should clean and dry it first though

That, and also make sure it's the right number locktite too ;)

D

Glennno, i recently shortened a set of lines following by and large the instructions in this thread

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=48157&SearchTerms=shortening,lines

and the others to which it refers. i sewed mine by hand with heavy-duty upholstery thread that i got from spotlight ($5.99 for 100m). i've got a fair bit of sewing experience with machines and by hand, but it's pretty simple. took me maybe two hours to do four loops.

i carefully unpicked the old stitching (a proper unpicker/seam-ripper is very handy and cheap too) and re-used the old sleeving. just slide it down the line as soon as you unpick the stitching so you don't have to thread it on again later in the process.

i did this because the ends of the lines were pretty worn but the rest were fine. i lost 70cm, and now have a good-as-new lineset.

My tips:

Rip Curl tide watch, very useful

Dustpan brush to clean the sand off your feet before getting into the car

Winter must: 5 litres of warm water and a plastic dish to stand in after 2 hours in cold ocean. mmmm

If you have calm water near the beach, wind your lines up while standing in the water. The tension pulls them straight and washes the sand off at the same time.

Write your phone no/email on your gear ... NOW not 'tomorrow'.

Always wear sunnies! I've got 4 pterygiums growing on my eyes from too much UV.
emedicine.medscape.com/article/1192527-overview

Interesting replies fellas,

Thanks for the info on putting loops in the flying lines. Has anyone put loops in the pig tail thickness lines? Reason I ask is on both my helixes I've put figure of 8's in the pig tail lines as I wanted to shorten the back line a bit - I've got long arms and hate having to kite with the bar right in.

I'd rather shorten those pig tails than the figure of 8's as I reckon proper loops would be better. Any ideas?

Cheers

When you finished your session, attach your saftey leash to the lines before winding them up on your bar. Next session, just attach the safety to your board, pull and your lines are easy to sort when you walk up them.

After pumping your kite spend 2 minutes to put your pump and your bag bach to your car's trunk.
Those #$%^ heads take what ever they see.

Keep some Pistachio nuts in your glove box.
If you are a little hungry before the session they'll fix you up without putting too much in your belly.
AAAAAND they are awesome with beers.

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Lazarus said...

When you finished your session, attach your saftey leash to the lines before winding them up on your bar. Next session, just attach the safety to your board, pull and your lines are easy to sort when you walk up them.

Wow love that tip I'm going to do that one next session

Dont piss into the wind

unwind your lines before you pump up your kite (chuck your harness on too if its comfy), I know most probably do this already, but it saves your kite about 50% of the kites life time of flapping about on the beach. flapping does so much damage to the kite material.

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Glennno said...

Lazarus said...

When you finished your session, attach your saftey leash to the lines before winding them up on your bar. Next session, just attach the safety to your board, pull and your lines are easy to sort when you walk up them.

Wow love that tip I'm going to do that one next session

Dont understand this one?

I leave the lines attached to kite and it makes setup so much faster. Works with both my 5line insinct kite and my 4line rev. With kite still blown up and sitting on beach, pull lines straight from down wind of kite. Just wind up lines on bar as you approach kite. When you reach kite, place bar bungies on lines to keep line from comming off, set bar on ground. walk to front of kite, pick it up and lift far enough so you can reach bar from front side of kite. Grab bar, flip kite over to back and attach the chicken loop using donkey dick at point where you attach pump when blowing leading edge. THAT is the main issue, if the bar stays attachd then it will not get mixed into any bridels or the rest of the loose lines. That is it. Now when you deflate and roll the kite up, leave bar in middle of kite.

When rolling the kite out next time, you just unhook bar and unroll a few meters of line to get it out of way of kite, blow it up and when you unroll the rest of the line, it will be ready to launch. It may need a spin or two in one direction, but the lines will not be crossed.
If you do have a y-type 5th line, make sure when you are detaching the bar from kite that you do not put the bar some how through the y-connection.

A few of us have done this for last 2 years and works great. Never have to bother walking my lines out and takes away the chance of misstakenly attaching the lines wrong as I do not take them off in the first place.
I would suggest you always look down your lines before you launch just on the off chance that something is wrong. Better safe then sorry.

Try and remember where you hid your keys. It helps.
When putting on wet suite in the car park wear boxers or something or else don`t just bend facing your butt to the road, YUK!

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phrase said...

Try and remember where you hid your keys. It helps.

Get a Surflock to put your keys in. Combination lock with keys inside attached to your tow hook. Very safe while out kiting or surfing

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not on board said...

I leave the lines attached to kite and it makes setup so much faster. Works with both my 5line insinct kite and my 4line rev. With kite still blown up and sitting on beach, pull lines straight from down wind of kite. Just wind up lines on bar as you approach kite. When you reach kite, place bar bungies on lines to keep line from comming off, set bar on ground. walk to front of kite, pick it up and lift far enough so you can reach bar from front side of kite. Grab bar, flip kite over to back and attach the chicken loop using donkey dick at point where you attach pump when blowing leading edge. THAT is the main issue, if the bar stays attachd then it will not get mixed into any bridels or the rest of the loose lines. That is it. Now when you deflate and roll the kite up, leave bar in middle of kite.

When rolling the kite out next time, you just unhook bar and unroll a few meters of line to get it out of way of kite, blow it up and when you unroll the rest of the line, it will be ready to launch. It may need a spin or two in one direction, but the lines will not be crossed.
If you do have a y-type 5th line, make sure when you are detaching the bar from kite that you do not put the bar some how through the y-connection.

A few of us have done this for last 2 years and works great. Never have to bother walking my lines out and takes away the chance of misstakenly attaching the lines wrong as I do not take them off in the first place.
I would suggest you always look down your lines before you launch just on the off chance that something is wrong. Better safe then sorry.

love the idea........ do you have to leave a larger amount of line unwound so kite can lie flat wen deflatted?..... also i roll my kite like a sleeping bag from the sides and they meet in center and then fold in half to fit into bag....i also hav 5 line.... will any of these make a difference or can you tell me what i might need to change i've just started kitesurfing and am real bad at setting and packin up quickly and neatly

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not on board said...

I leave the lines attached to kite and it makes setup so much faster. Works with both my 5line insinct kite and my 4line rev. With kite still blown up and sitting on beach, pull lines straight from down wind of kite. Just wind up lines on bar as you approach kite. When you reach kite, place bar bungies on lines to keep line from comming off, set bar on ground. walk to front of kite, pick it up and lift far enough so you can reach bar from front side of kite. Grab bar, flip kite over to back and attach the chicken loop using donkey dick at point where you attach pump when blowing leading edge. THAT is the main issue, if the bar stays attachd then it will not get mixed into any bridels or the rest of the loose lines. That is it. Now when you deflate and roll the kite up, leave bar in middle of kite.

When rolling the kite out next time, you just unhook bar and unroll a few meters of line to get it out of way of kite, blow it up and when you unroll the rest of the line, it will be ready to launch. It may need a spin or two in one direction, but the lines will not be crossed.
If you do have a y-type 5th line, make sure when you are detaching the bar from kite that you do not put the bar some how through the y-connection.

love the idea........ do you have to leave a larger amount of line unwound so kite can lie flat wen deflatted?..... also i roll my kite like a sleeping bag from the sides and they meet in center and then fold in half to fit into bag....i also hav 5 line.... will any of these make a difference or can you tell me what i might need to change i've just started kitesurfing and am real bad at setting and packin up quickly and neatly

LOL, nice double post, GL with it.

bring beer in case the wind takes time to come in!

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not on board said...

...Now when you deflate and roll the kite up, leave bar in middle of kite....

so you pack your kite with the bar wet and full of sand in it. that also means you never rince your bar and lines. not a good idea to do that just to save 2 minutes each session. no thanks I prefer to take care of my kite.

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lotofwind said...

Dont piss into the wind

don't piss straight downwind either when it's more than 20 knots, your body makes an updraft, and spray your piss in your face. the best is 90 degrees of the wind in strong wind.

some car brands make plastic keys, so you can take the keys on the water. (not the electronic ones)

learn how to self launch and self land your kite.

if there is no one around, and the wind is strong, self landing can be dangerous, (depending on your kite as well). if there is a fence or any solid object you can attach your leash to, with nothing dangerous around, you can drop your kite on the side of the window, depower it to the nmaximum, unhook, attach your leash or chicken loop to the fence, and go take your kite. just remember to do it when there is no one around.

hey guys.... was just wonderin i wanna try jumping but dont wanna die in the process........... i was thinking instead of turning kite in other direction and jump wen it pullin i thought maybe steering kite more up wards so it would be close to neutral if somethin went wrong........ any tips on what i should do i really wanna get in to tricks fast as i can

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naeffy said...

hey guys.... was just wonderin i wanna try jumping but dont wanna die in the process........... i was thinking instead of turning kite in other direction and jump wen it pullin i thought maybe steering kite more up wards so it would be close to neutral if somethin went wrong........ any tips on what i should do i really wanna get in to tricks fast as i can

My top tip: learn how to construct a sentence. That way when you ask a question on Seabreeze people can understand what the hell you are on about. This way you will get a sensible answer to your question.

My other top tip: Buy a plastic box from one of those Chinese Emporium places to chuck all your gear in at the end of a session.

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Meza said...

Glennno said...

Lazarus said...

When you finished your session, attach your saftey leash to the lines before winding them up on your bar. Next session, just attach the safety to your board, pull and your lines are easy to sort when you walk up them.

Wow love that tip I'm going to do that one next session

Dont understand this one?

me either??

Superlizard- "Carry the screwdriver in the car - one of my footpads keep getting unscrewed after each couple of sessions (even though it's a brand new Thorn board)"

I've got the same board happens to mine as well, every 2-3 sessions.
Pain in the ass

Att. Laurie

Get the jar of honey out, this should be sticky.

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Meza said...

Glennno said...

Lazarus said...

When you finished your session, attach your saftey leash to the lines before winding them up on your bar. Next session, just attach the safety to your board, pull and your lines are easy to sort when you walk up them.

Wow love that tip I'm going to do that one next session

Dont understand this one?

Use your board as a sand anchor to attach you bar to to stop it pulling towards you while sorting out the lines