Evening all,

I've been having my typical newbie lessons and its been going great, but with my kite I suck something hardcore. Before my second lesson I tried going out a few times but couldn't get out of the water to save myself. On my second lesson I was on a 7m in 23-24 knot winds, first water start and I was up an riding... suprised the hell out of me . Ended up having an awesome session and was stoked I got up and riding a few times in a row.

I went out a few days later with my kite and nothing! First water start I dived the kite, had no power to get up and crashed it. I couldn't get the kite to relaunch so I got dragged into the shore and got my lines tangled in weed. It's happend twice since and I'm not progressing at all now.

I know I'm a newbie and all... but the problem seems to be with the kite.
The kite is a 9m 2008 Monkey Kites Griffin, still using standard (old) lines. When walking up the beach with the kite in 10 oclock it seems to fall back into the windows, power up and goto the edge again. Also when balancing the kite at 10, with the instructors kite I could just park it there and adjust the depower to keep it there. With my kite I have to power it right up and even then it feels like it wants to drop into the water unless I steer it upwards to compensate.

When I'm water starting it seems like the power isn't coming right away like with the instructors 7m. I dive the kite and wait for the power, but when it comes the kite is too low and I get forced towards the board. Since the kite it too low it's usually to late to steer it up and get plaining, hence my usual crash and kook. When I try to relaunch, I get the kite to the edge of the window and it falls over again. I've tried launching more downwind, more upwind, less depower, more depower... all fails to relaunch. I haven't any problems relaunching the instructors kite though.

I ran out of light to measure up the bridle to see if its in spec, but I'll do that first thing tomorrow. The other thing is the lines aren't equal, the front lines are shorter than the rears. Should these be equal?... the manual mentions nothing on them.

If anyone could shed some light on whats going on it would be much appreciated.

Cheers
-Matt

Would like to help bud, but I would just burn it, I've never seen or ridden one of these pups, and I look at kites all day.

"lines aren't equal, the front lines are shorter than the rears."

This will make the kite have more depower, and when u pull the bar in it wont be be enough to power it up fully.

Will also make the kite stall easier. Adjust them to same length

Hi Matt ,The problem might be in the bar and lines , you should go back to your
instructor and get him to show you how to tune it in ,its like anything it can
be un balance ie one line longer than the other.I have had problems with the
performance of a kite before and traced it back to the lines.Hope it helps ,
but as you said 1 day flying well next day not I dont think its the kite.

I think you just need to practice more. Some kites you need to keep moving from say 11 to 10 and back slowly as you fly them, especially in the lower winds. If your kite is a 2008 model I doubt the lines have stretched that much, usually the front lines stretch the most as they have the most load on them anyway.

Practice Practice Practice...

he said hes lines arent equal length..... Fix this first.

sounds like your lessons were in strongish wind and the you had not enough wind when you tried. is that the case. light wind means all those things that went wrong for you happen. Just a thought. best of luck.

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Scrotus said...

"lines aren't equal, the front lines are shorter than the rears."

This will make the kite have more depower, and when u pull the bar in it wont be be enough to power it up fully.

Will also make the kite stall easier. Adjust them to same length

don't go cutting your long lines just yet. depending on how you had the bar and depower and chicken loop positioned, the back lines should be longer as the trailing edge is further away from you than the leading edge when sheeted out. check the line length with your instructor before adjusting them.

Thats what happens when you

' Spank the Monkey '

to much

You need to speak to those who distribute your kite.
Some kites are front line flyers so the back lines will naturally be a bit longer (1-2cms) others like all lines to be equal, some have four lines equal and the fifth shorter, dependent on the length of the 5th pigtail off the kite.

Another reason for back stalling could be that the wind was just too light for a 9m kite, or that you flew it too far up into the wind window.
That is more probable than anything to do with the lines.

My recommendation....talk to the guys that sold you the kite.

I've done a bit more playing around this morning and found a few things.

I tied the ends together so they were all equal and tied them all to my gate. I had the bar setup so it was fully powered and put some tension on the bar. My right line was sagging, turns out the left was shorter by one notch at the bar and I didn't notice
I shortened the right line and the bar sits even under tension now. The kite is a 4 line and the line thats used as the safety release is slightly longer than the rest (~3-4cm).

For those asking about wind speed, I've been out in everything between 16 to 20 knots with this kite. Should be more than enough right? I only weight 70kg and I'm using a 146cm board. The last time I went out it was around 19-20 knots and I still couldn't relaunch.

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I think you just need to practice more. Some kites you need to keep moving from say 11 to 10 and back slowly as you fly them, especially in the lower winds.

When I was holding the kite in 10 it was just walking up the beach, I've never been up and plaining with this kite properly. I had no problems working the instructors 7m to stay powered up.

I'll rephrase my question, how do I adjust my kite so that I get more power at the top of the wind window?
I did some research last night and shortening the rear lines should do this, it seems to me like when I'm pulling the bar in it's not powering up completely.

Thanks again for the advice

Personally I wouldn't recommend doing any adjustment kite wise if it is resonably new given your lack of experience in the sport thus far mate, no offence by the way.
Take it to whoever you brought it off as suggested given it is following your second lesson as you wrote I really wonder if it is the kite at all?, but who knows it's pretty normal for someone to blame there tools through lack of experience.

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fr0st said...


For those asking about wind speed, I've been out in everything between 16 to 20 knots with this kite. Should be more than enough right? I only weight 70kg and I'm using a 146cm board. The last time I went out it was around 19-20 knots and I still couldn't relaunch.

yeah. 16 knots is enough wind for the kite to behave properly if set up right.

Hi Fr0st,

If you want to, you can bring your kite up to see us and we will help you tune it and check it over for you at no charge.

We are at the beach (Pinnaroo Point) everyday from 12.30pm until 7.30pm. It is quieter if you come either early (between 12.30-2.00pm)or late (5.15pm-6.45pm), but we can do middle afternoon too but I may have to drop everything for other customers as required.

Cheers and good winds,