two days in a row in Rosebud

finally had enough of kitesurfing ...Two days in Rosebud

Key lessons

• Don't stay close to the beach when water starting or low wind sining
• Keep lines tight when walking up the beach
• don't go downwind when the kite is at 12 clock or kite will hindenburg
• When inverted QR and recover - don't try to launch in water
• check QR and make sure its tight
• Bend your knees when overpowered , have weight on both feet

5 hour winter session

this is by far the longest non stop session I've ever had kite-surfing or windsurfing and it's winter. what made session possible:

1. 5mm wetsuit 
2. loads of food before ...rice oats, saising, energy drink,coffee
3. fitness

Need to work on 

1. leg endurance
2. shoulder endurance
3. abs

kiting wise pretty good session want to work on the following

1. board positioning on water start - get both legs on the board before digging into foot straps

2. keep one hand on the footstrap and bend knees 

3. look at the kite not board

Technique

1. did more of the front foot pressure in light winds
2. signing kite didn't work , must have a short sin from 9-11 rather than 12

Next session

1. work on getting the board positioned
2. short sin on one side of the window
3. Don't look at the kite
4. Twist your body and look where you are going

During the week

1. focus on leg endurance - Tuesday and Thursday
2. shoulders - more dips
3. meditate

Cold water swim

Today I was trying to kite but no wind so ended up swimming...ok had 4/3 wet suite but interesting to note that swimming in 10c is nit that bad...yes if you immerse you head and do freestyle its painful but fine for breaststroke though.  This could be dangerous and no more than 20 minutes should be allocated to cold water specially if no one if monitoring you

Bye bye Twin Tip

Ok selling my twinie today , against advise
No point having a 140X43 board for future , much better to have a surfboard/foil for light winds.  For high winds buy another one later. Only properly been on the board once but that's enough. If you only have a surf board you have no choice but to learn. Lets see how how this goes

Seaweed in ELwood

Tried to Kite in Elwood and learned couple of lessons

First, avoid self launching when there's ton of seaweed. When it get stuck to your line will take an hour to get rid and that's actually how long it too me. Second if the wind is too low so the kite doesn't stand up from direct downwind position don't try to self launch.

On the positive, if it's 15 knots Elwood will be a nice place. Grass to fold the kite,  showers and Deep water for foiling. Can't wait for the next session in Elwood

Surfboard first go

what a change coming from a twin tip a surf board. Biggest challenge was not on riding the damn thing but water starting.  Without a handle to place board and pull yourself in board keeps wobbling and no friction. Problem is when the kite is at 12 no horizontal force on the board.  SO the trick is to to move the feet quickly and while moving the kite with.  Few tips:

1. Move the kite overhead bit pulled in 
2. plant both feet bottom part of the board so board turn on its tip 
3. no need to fully insert feet into foot straps
4. dive the kite as so as feet on the board
5. drive down wind with your front foot
6. carve upwind once get going

anther issue was floaty surfboards fly over water too fast so turn your hips and edge the board upwind to slow down

that was not the biggest issue of the day

North Rebel 2013 11m ended up on tree..??

Lessen learned ...keep an eye on the kite when close to beach specially with a heavy kite like Rebel. I dont think Mono would fall out of the sky like like that

Kite lines...hate it and absolute nightmare....spend more untangling lines than flying ...tips

1. fold lines tightly when taking the bar homes
2. when untangling do not pull lines in a way that all lines tangles to ball...better STRETCH the lines all the way first and then separate the outside lines so the centre lines don't get tangled
3. always do the five point check ..always

nearly self launched the kite with 4 lines...

getting on the board and narrow beach

big session in Rosebud.  Great location for NW breaze but this is on the lighter side.

First the Kite- new Mono 12m...what a difference ..so easy to pump and the standard north pump works without any stupid adapters, one strut makes it so easy to pump even a 12 m..so what are the pluses and minuses

Plus

• easy pumping
• light
• low end
• Light wind
• depower

minus

• flutter like crazy
• self launching needs bit more angle to get the kite filled in 

Verdict

Great kite for lighter days and 12 and above batter choice than Neo?

Now getting on the board

failed on getting technique nailed

• board too square to wind
• not enough pressure on back foot
• shoulders too far back
• kite goes to opposite side 

Key takes for next session

• Roll on to the board with shoulders forward
• pressure on back foot and point board downwind
• get kite back to 10-11 rather than 12