Before I moved to Australia I was on a 17m Best TS with a big 145 Best Breeze board and was at the point where I could stay upwind but I've now had about 6 hours kiting in your lovely windy country, all of which I've spent heading downwind which is extremely frustrating as you can imagine after thinking I'd had my last walk of shame!
Just out of interest, is the gear I'm riding with now making things a bit more difficult? I'm on a 12m Core Riot XR2 Crossride (2012) and a Caution Redline 142 board. I've had a read on the tides making upwind more difficult but even today when I was out at low tide I struggled and ended up walking. I know I could go for a big door or surfboard but it would be nice to know if I was relying much more on my equipment when I was able to stay upwind
I've put a couple of pics in for if you gurus can tell just by shapes,
How many knots are you kiting in?
And what weight are you?
If your on the heavier side you need to have 15 - 20 kts to go up wind on a 12m if you have a board with a lot of rocker....rider weight and technique is another factor with your current set up.
Lean back straight....stick your hips forward
And bury your heels
Just had a look at the charts for yesterday and it was averaging between 15 and 18, I'm about 80Kgs so perhaps the wind was a bit of a factor... so long as I'm not riding gear thats nigh on impossible to keep upwind I'll keep going!
Just keep practicing. If you're flying the kite too high you may have trouble going up wind. If you're looking at you're kite instead of looking to where you want to go you will definitely go down wind. Straighten your front leg, twist your hips and shoulders in the direction you want to go, lean back against the weight of the kite and you'll motor upwind.
Above all practice, practice, practice.
Also Mike, remember here 'down under' there's a bit of down hill you need to account for, whereas in the northern hemisphere you were dealing with up hill.
Pick a target that you want to head to like a headland or tree or something and focus on making it to that rather than just looking at your board and figuring out if you are heading in the right direction.
Can you get someone to check your stance or grab some video of what you are doing?
If you can try letting go of the bar with your front hand to really open up your shoulders - your chest needs to be pointing at least 45 degrees relative to direction of travel.
Also are you letting the harness take you weight - rest back back and point peter at the kite - this will help you keep your edge as will keeping the kite at 45 degrees or lower if you can.
Might need to let the bar out a bit and let the kite breath. It will fly closer to the edge of the window too. As for your question... that kite will go up wind fine. Prob got more to do with the board if it has more rocker than your old ride will sap your power.
You say you are accounting for tides, are you kiting in a river system? If so and the tide is running with the wind you will have minimal chance riding upwind - even fully powered and being experienced.
Yes, if you are kiting in an area with tidal currents you need to allow for them.
Also if you are judging wind strength from how the water looks (whitecaps) then that could be way different to what you were used to.
Lastly in the Southern Hemisphere everything spins backwards.
Yeah I'm at the Gold Coast broadwater and guides/people say it's quite tidal dependent so I try to go to the right area depending on the tide going against the wind. I think it will just be a bit more practise, just a bit of a pain feeling like I've taken a step back in progress but this makes me think that the big light wind gear I was using before contributed more than my skill
Don't know how I'm going to cope with the downhill winds & everything spinning backwards on top of looking out for dropbears. Crazy upside down country.
Thanks for all the pointers too, as for the camera/video, I did have a gopro mount on the kite helping me out until I took a tumble in the waves a while back and smashed the mount, giving me this shot as it was dangling on the safety leash I'd attached!
Out of curiosity. Next time your out try pulling the trim strap half way in and see how you go.
The simplest way to think about going up wind is like snowboard instructors will say. Where you look is where you will go. Follow that rule and you should have a decent time. Also don't ride like you are sitting on the toilet.
Select to expand quotedaveisthekotz said..
The simplest way to think about going up wind is like snowboard instructors will say. Where you look is where you will go. Follow that rule and you should have a decent time. Also don't ride like you are sitting on the toilet.
Wind dependant. In strong winds, it's way harder to stand up right or straight. I've been conscious of the "poo stance" for years and some days, you just can't help it. But yeah you're right. Try and correct the posture as much as possible, as it makes going up wind a lot easier.
Easy to answer this one
Before you moved to Aussie you had the perfect set up.....for light winds....
I doubt any kite you use after the TS will be as user friendly.
Now with way smaller kite you need more wind and you will be right.
