kevin5969
Grommet 
Member #: 6708 Posts 7
Registered: 18-6-2007 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 18-6-2007 at 13:38 |
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Advice needed!!!!
Having decided to bite the bullet and take up kite surfing, I am arranging some lessons from Kite Surf East Anglia and picked up an old
Wipika Free Air 8.5m for practice on land.
I have been flying foils for a while using handles rather than a bar so am not a complete novice to the concept.
Having tried twice now to fly the LEI, I find that after launching I have little or no control from the bar, the kite gets about a
third of the way towards the neutral point above me, turns so the leading edge is facing down and - you guess the rest –
crashes.
Outside lines go the trailing edge and inside to the leading. Leading lines are equal in length but longer than the outside lines
– all seems good to me?
The only other thing I can think of is that the few time I have tried to fly it, wind has varied between 7-9 mph. Could it be there
just isn’t enough to keep it up?
Sorry if this is a bit basic but no chance of a lesson for a few weeks to come and I am determined to fly the bloody thing!!
Any ideas where I am going wrong?
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Pluto
A Force-of-Nature * 
Member #: 598 Posts 281
Registered: 20-3-2004 Location: Shrewsbury Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 19-6-2007 at 21:22 |
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More wind would probably be helpful.
There's a fine balance in front/back line length. Front lines short, less power but also less resposive in steering. Front lines too
long, kite stalls easily and flies backwards.
Do you have a power adjustment on your centre lines? Are you hooking in to your harness?
You'll find the bar a lot less responsive to your usual handles, don't be shy in inputing an instruction. You may need to have the bar
pointing completely straight at the kite to get it to turn. What bar length are you using? If it's too short, the turn input will not
be enough. Older kites needed big old bars to get them to work.
Hope this is some help!
www.kitesurfteacher.co.uk
IKO/BKSA Instructor
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kevin5969
Grommet
Member #: 6708 Posts 7
Registered: 18-6-2007 Member Is Offline Mood:
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 posted on 20-6-2007 at 07:40 |
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Many thanks
Thanks for the response.
The more I think about it, the more I think its been a lack of good wind.
I did try adjusting the line position on the pigtails to see if I could find a setting that worked better, the centre line does adjust
but I didn't want to mess with that at the time. Have a big bar for lots of input and hooking on.
I think good wind and persiverance are in order. Am doing a starter day on 7th July (still cant get a full 3 dayer that suits) so will
ask the instructor to take a quick look at the set up.
Thanks for the info and if you find yourself running a course in Suffolk, drop me a line.
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gazxtreme
Beach Bum 
Member #: 1568 Posts 15
Registered: 1-11-2005 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 20-6-2007 at 22:26 |
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advice
Please don't take this wrong, it may be better not to do too much self teaching before your lessons with a school. learning to set up
the gear and trim it as well as learning to release and pack down safely is something a school does well and under controlled
conditions and you could have misshaps doing on your own. You may also teach yourself bad habits that will be hard to shake once under
tuition. Also LEI kites will punish you on land more than ram air kites would. Keep safe whatever your choice is and enjoy the world of
kitesurfing.
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kevin5969
Grommet
Member #: 6708 Posts 7
Registered: 18-6-2007 Member Is Offline Mood:
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 posted on 21-6-2007 at 07:20 |
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Advice Taken
Thanks Gazxtreme - understand your point perfectly. Am starting training with a school in a few weeks time so not so long to wait.
Interesting point about the difference between foils and LEI's - foils do seem easier to fly and certainly more easily controlled.
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