Bladerunner - 22-12-2009 at 03:05 PM
So,
The wind turned on like a switch here today . 0 to 30mph quicker than I could run to my bar and hook in to my safety. CRAZY !
Bow tie and I had to use the O.S. loop to save it.
The wind stayed super strong, gusty and shifty. Things I'm not used to. I tried to get set up and launch 8 or more times with no success.
Even with everything I had with on the kite I couldn't keep it from worming downwind ? NO Wind was getting under the folded front with even my Coyotes
on there. It still wormed away as the winds shifted. Catching the underside farther up ? Snapping the down wind tip violently. ( smacked me hard on
the head once )
On the couple of occasions that the wind dropped enough I could get to the bar all the weights caused a bow tie !
With my Foils I can stake them down and they just slide back and fort with the wind shift.
How do you hold an arc down properly to launch solo in high dirty winds ???
:puzzled:
I MAayyyy have been trying to launch in too much wind for a 10 but it was mostly in the high 20's . I see this will be an issue if I get a 6m for
winds like this as well. I can't help but think the kite would have been fine if I got it in the air ? Better to not get injured in another country!
PHREERIDER - 22-12-2009 at 04:33 PM
highs winds like 25+mph with shifting & high gusty conditions are tough. back breaking tough! the launch , gotta wait it out to get the feel of
lighter spots coming through. water signs , tree signs, sand drift signs can allow for easier all around. plus less pop on the tips. broken spars
, lines , harness parts , boards and body parts. gusty is one thing but gusty with significant direction change is brutal. sometimes mother
nature just says no
geokite - 22-12-2009 at 10:16 PM
Echo here on what Phree said. It can be very tough. If you are on a beach at least you have lots of sand around, to weight it down. Much harder on
a dry lake bed; almost have to get a helper to keep that downwind tip from whipping around, and keep the lines on the bottom surface of the kite.
Wish I could tell you a magic solution.
markite - 23-12-2009 at 12:24 AM
When you get home you'll also find it hard on the snow and especially ice. As soon as you open the zip and start to inflate the kite it'll want to
slide away on the ice. We have made a number of sandbags that are long sausage rolls - basically think of a stunt kite bag with sand in it at least 2
ft long. These we can pile a few on and they roll off nicely. The other thing I did, especially for winter, the sandbags all have straps to carry over
our shoulder but have a loop to attach to an ice screw. So when the weight is on the kite if there is any tendency to slide it will wont because the
sandbag is held by a strap to a screw a foot away from the kite. just need to set it up watching the angles that you won't hook an ice screw on
launch.
We get really gusty winter winds and anytime the wind is up it's gusty so the downwind tip will bounce all over. Practice good line management making
sure you don't get the lines going under the kite before launch. Watch the kite and wait for what feels like the cleanest moment to launch and be
prepared to yank the centre lines if it clamshells once it gets off the ground to pop it open. Also beware of it shooting up too fast and you'll get
the overfly centre collapse if it's a bit soft.
Gusty launches suck big time but once you get the kite in the air don't stand around too long getting a feel for it this is when it'll get hit by side
gusts etc. As soon as you get moving with the constant airflow over the kite it'll be way better, nice and stable and the gusts get absorbed by the
kite.
It sounds partly like it could be a issue of your ballast to hold the kite down. If it's sliding you may not have enough weight. And if it is holding
the kite so much that it doesn't come off quickly and you get a bowtie then maybe it's the shape of the weight not coming off easy? In light winds we
use 1 long sandbag, medium winds and winter go to at least 2 and higher winds and in winter 3 bags.
And definitely nice to have a friend to watch the wingtip on launch and catch it for you if needed.
carltb - 23-12-2009 at 04:05 AM
there's alot of good advice been given above, but sometimes you just have to admit its not a good day to fly. im spoilt as i mostly get to fly in
clean winds but i can sympathise with your struggle!!
Bladerunner - 23-12-2009 at 07:24 AM
Thanks everybody !
Yesterday was probably too much for the 10 anyway ? Gusts to 65mph later in the afternoon. 57 when I called it.
I think I had every problem possible. Everything sliding down wind. Kite shaking the weight off. Bad line management and poorly set lines !
On the couple of times I managed to even get to the bar I had so much junk on the kite I wasn't shocked to see a bow tie.
I'm too used to the nice clean winds back home.
One thing that i found VERY FRUSTRATING is the useless little spot to attach my safety leash. I need to get an O ring for easy clip in. That plastic
little loop is clumsy ! Killed precious time getting launched and the reason I missed out on the 1st launch.
I see this worm thing as a bigger problem when I want to fly a 6m on days like yesterday.
[ after thought ] Maybe flying alone in 6m arc wind isn't smart in the 1st place ? 
carltb - 23-12-2009 at 08:11 AM
yea, good call on the safety, im gunna add a ring to mine aswell.
lunchbox - 23-12-2009 at 09:12 AM
Hey BR...you aren't alone...I often thought....what the hell am I doing wrong...I get a bad launch after 3 years of flying arcs...man I suck...but of
course, it's really only in inland gusty conditions that I get these bad launches....guess I was being to hard on myself.....
Actually went to the local park last night to try to get a run in....winds were 8mph gusting to 28mph at ground level...must have been at least 35+ at
top....decided to play it safe and call it a night....those kinds of conditions just aren't fun...tempted but I listened to my gut. Supposed to die
down by this afternoon...
stephdip - 23-12-2009 at 09:33 AM
hehe !!! i had the same reaction to that litle thingie you
hook the leash into !!!!!
no way to do it with gloves on.
i'm still not sure why the kite didn't come with kook knots like the synergy!!! but i did wrap some 6"of flying line to the leader so the knot is
bigger and won't slip off again.
steff