More Kiting - Saturday at Kailua Beach Park

I have rediscovered kiting!  Second time back out (after a long hiatus) and it doesn't quite feel like it is brand new again, but I haven't quite thrown caution to the wind either -

I also haven't found my gopro mount for the kite, so I only have these pictures of the before and after.

The wind was good for most of the session.  It did die once and my kite just fell out of the sky, but at the end I didn't feel like my arms had gotten ripped off.  Good day (with more to follow)!!!

Kiting Again

Oh yes it has been awhile - but I finally broke the dry spell.  I pressure tested both the 16 and the 11 Crossbows and there were no issues.

Back when we lived in Gulfport, MS I was actually kiting a fair bit.  The kids were much younger and they always took shelter from the wind under the kites - as soon as I had these pumped up - that's where they went.

The next day, I got a call from a friend and we headed over to Kailua.  I put the 11 up and used the twintip.  The wind was just a hair too strong, but I depowered the kite and stayed out for a couple of hours.

I truly missed kiting - this is something I'm going to have to remedy although living in Ewa Beach makes any kite outing a good haul (Kailua or Mokuleia...).  I'm also gonna get my directional ready. 

WHACK!!!

I took the head off this wave!!! It's been a while since I've had this kite up (Diego???) let alone kited in waves... Fortunately, this move for me is just like riding a bike - somethings are just meant to be ;)

12m - Too Small

If you go back a few weeks, you'll see the last time we came down to Virginia Beach, I BELIEVED the weather forecast and only brought the 16m kite. Needless to say the wind was cranking and I didn't get to go kitesurfing. This trip I brought both. The wind was holding above 15 mph, so I went ahead and pumped up the 12m. My luck - the wind quickly started to die back as soon as I was ready to launch. I went out anyways and...

And with Kiting - the Trifecta!

This morning the wind was from the NNW and stable around 16 mph. I figured it would be a good day to stay in and finally put up a kite - 16m Crossbow and the Raptor Pro. It has been literally since last May since I last kited - but as expected - it's just like riding a bike. Except that here on the Outer Banks the water and air temperatures are still in the 40s. With the cold and the compression offered by the wetsuit, my left hip felt much better, but I didn't do anything radical just in case. La took these pictures from inside the jacuzzi at the place we are renting this week. For once I didn't feel guilty for having a good time while La and the kids froze/sweltered/got pelted with sand/attacked by bugs - I did come in after an hour because I couldn't feel my fingers anymore. Another great day on the Banks! I thought I might have diversified too much bringing SUPs (with paddles and windsurfing rig), fishing rods, kiting equipment - but for once I got to use everything I brought down. And we've got a few more days to go! Now I just have to fix my hip....

Procrastinating Part 1

In a deliberate effort to not "work" today (even though I have enough to keep me busy 36 hours a day, 10 days a week), I went kiting this morning.

Here are some of the many faces of kiting - the "I have water in my eyes" look, the "oh boy" look and the dreaded "uh oh" look.

Sunday Kiting Session

The wind was pretty steady and stiff today.

CF137x41 and the Cabrinha 11m Xbow - equipment perfection!

I got some crazy jumps in, but I actually went way inside of where I normally track - the windsurfers went South today to do a long downwinder - I went where they normally go so I can ride the swell.

No peeling breakers, but I'll take what I can get - even discontiguous wind swell.

I think it is awesome crosstraining when you have to surf fakie (more like switch snowboarding) - my outbound tack did this today (right foot forward for me). I could feel muscles being used in ways they normally aren't.

Fun session!

Now if I can translate these 'S' turns and body positioning to my windsurfing...

Saturday - Kiting

The wind was really patchy - at the launch site, there was just enough wind to loft the 16m. After moving out, the wind bent in from an altered direction (land mass upwind effecting the flow), then it filled in nicely, and finally at the sailing boundary line (established so you don't accidentally head off to the West Coast of Africa), the wind was too much for the 16m.

I managed to get some pretty high jumps with rotations.

I also used my new pair of surf trunks - I picked the color because my wife likes me in orange. I feel like a bowl holding fruit salad when I look at the trunks - don't ask me why.

Kite Maintenance

Either the coral chunks at the stretch of beach I launch from are taking their toll on the canopy of my 2011 16m Cabrinha Crossbow, or the canopy material is lightweight, non-rugged material. Maybe a little of both, but either way I had some small holes in the material just after the leading edge material ends and the canopy material begins.

I cut out a bunch of symmetric squares from some dacron material preloaded with some sticky backing, then patch the canopy.

Fixed up about 7 spots where a hole had worn through.

I also moved the bridle lines back to the A settings - I hoping it slows down the responsiveness of the kite. I have noticed that this 16m is far less agile than the 2010 11m Crossbow I regularly fly. I'm hoping that this adjustment changes shortly.

Maintenance is a bummer, but there is no better way to get intimately familiar with your gear (and possibly prevent an incident from happening).

More Helmet Cam Pictures

More to show the new perspective

Friday Afternoon Kiting

Busy week -

I left work at 4pm to try and harness some wind. The forecast for the weekend is calling for lower winds - adding to the urgency.

This is the first time I am using the helmet cam perspective - most of the shots were not good - I'll have to play with the positioning to get it right.

The helmet cam made it easier to take video - I'll work on loading a few clips up to the blog.

Almost two hours out in gusting, bending winds. The 16 was barely enough on the inside, but too much out in the middle of the lagoon.

Still - anyday out on the water is better than one in the office

Up and Down

The wind that is (was).

I packed up the 16m Crossbow and headed to the kite launch. By the time I got there, the previously clear sky was dark and squalls were pushing through. I waited the band out and then put up the kite.

For the next two hours, I was fighting smaller bands of moving water vapor, followed by lighter winds (compression - release).

The 16m was not as agile as the 11m (duh), and I got launched on one jump attempt - lost the board and got spun around pretty effectively (I got a spanking). A few upwind body drags and I was back in business.

When I landed, the Picos came out in force -

So - I'm chalking this one up to great fun, but challenging conditions.

Saturday Run, Part 2

Went kiting a second time - got tons of jumps, not small ones either - big air all around.

I have way too many pictures this time around...

I tried to pick ones that showed the different colors of the lagoon.

The camera angle is good too - I am using the GoPro clamp located at the depower/power adjusters. My favorite move out here is getting big air and throwing a board twist at the apex of the jump. It's hard to do a full on table top because of the chicken loop - but I'll keep trying. I will be working to get more comfortable jumping on my weak side too (I'm a regular foot).

If I hadn't already said it - this place is paradise for kiting!

Awesome day!!!

The lower limit of Inflatable Kite Flying

I found it!

I have been SWAMPED at work hence the lack of posting, but despite that - the wind seemed to be pretty good on Saturday afternoon (the day I couldn't go out) and again on Sunday afternoon.

We hit the beach and the anemometer read 11 mph coming out of the SSW (perfect for the 16 Xbow!!!!)

Problem was the tide was super low (I didn't bring the CF thinking there wasn't going to be enough wind - a point I will be correct on - keep reading).

I launch the kite and start wading out to deeper water. I tried getting out 5X only to hit ground 5X.

All the while, the wind starts dying back - until eventually the kite falls out of the sky - of course while I'm standing 100 yards off shore.

Walk of shame (but neat how i"m so far off the beach and still in calf high water).

At least the kids had a great time (Big M and Noe were playing with the Godzilla toys - they were emerging from underground!!!)

I did take the time to set the pigtails to the 'B' setting - direct steering with less depower. Maybe that will correct the hovering effect (or maybe I'm getting old and rusty... - maybe I need to move back to Hawaii......)

New 16m Crossbow

We finally got a day where it wasn't

a. Raining
b. Too cold to emerge from the cave/house
c. A requirement to celebrate a Holiday or Birthday
d. All of the above

So we broke off our root balls and headed to the beach.

La took off on a paddleboard run and even managed to catch some runners on the inbound legs.

I did all the unpacking protocol on the 16m Crossbow (testing line setup, removing all the tags, trimming any excess threads, etc) and pumped it up for the first time.

I was able to self launch the kite with the carabiner trick (keeping the chicken loop tensioned with a carabiner hooked into it with the other end tied off to a pole/stake/immovable object - then picking up the kite, setting it on the edge of the window and running back to the bar to hook in).

Really light winds, but enough to get a feel for the new set of wings. It got airborne in under 10 mph (closer to 8) - my 16m V4 wouldn't do that.

After doing some 'S' turns on the beach, La came in from her paddle and landed the kite.

So as you can see from this post and the other recent kiting ones, my new kite quiver is white and green Crossbows. Yes I am color coordinated and I am proud of it.

With the wind chill being what it was (30 F), the landed kite quickly became a kiddoroo shelter (as usual).