Right now i am having trouble keeping my td in the power zone, it just keeps swooping in and out without staying there for more than a solid minute, and i really think its cuz my lines are to long, im not sure the exact length, but what would happen if i shortened the lines?

If you shorten the lines, you shorten the amount of time you spend in the power zone. But you speed up the kite's reaction to control input ... IIRC

so in other words, do not shorten them for the problem im having. will making the reaction time quicker fix my problem?

I would not necessarily shorten them. Lines are usually between 65 and 100 feet long and I'd guess the most popular length is 25mm (82 feet).

Unless your lines are really long I wouldn't shorten them for the reason mentioned above. Short lines = short power stroke = short time in power zone.

Are you having this problem while riding. Or static flying? We need more info

Quote:

Originally posted by dave12341234 Right now i am having trouble keeping my td in the power zone, it just keeps swooping in and out without staying there for more than a solid minute, and i really think its cuz my lines are to long, im not sure the exact length, but what would happen if i shortened the lines?

i am a little confused.... what is a td?

the kite will fly forward, always forward, only stopping when it gets to the edge of the window (or the ground)... this will not change with line length... you can sine the kite to keep it moving in and out of the powerzone, but i have never seen anyone keep the kite in the powerzone, and with the exception of a stunt kite, or very low wind days, cant see a reason why one would want to

Dylanj423 when riding its not a problem keeping the kite in the power zone, or parking the kite. Thats kinda how we ride. Thats why i asked what he is doing with the kite. And being we are in the KITESURFING thread i would think hes doing that. But thats why i asked.

Oh yea td is turbo deisel

Could be a couple things but as mentioned above, shortening your lines will probably not fix the problem. One thing that comes to mind is the board you are using. If you have a very slow board or even a wake board then you will have difficulty getting up to speed and the kite will constantly be out-running you and hitting the edge of the window. One way to slow the kite down is to adjust the power adjuster strap so that the kite hangs back in the window more. This will increase the amount of power you have as well so keep that in mind. The other thing you will need to do is sine the kite more to keep it in the power longer until you get up to speed - with a slow board though, you may find it very difficult to get to a speed where you can park n ride.

I am also not sure what a TD is but am assuming it is a type of surf kite (as this is the surf section).

some more help would be information on when the kite is hitting the edge of the window. Is it when you are riding, heading upwind, down wind or when you are water starting. This may help isolate the problem more.

Hope that helps.

It is an 06 slingshot turbo diesel. i am using an old wakeboard. i am having trouble water starting with it because it just zings rite out to the edge where there is not much power to get me up, and when i send it thru the zone, it just pulls me up for a sec. and then gets to the edge of the window and drops me. i guess i could just sine it a few times until i get up and then once im up it would probably be alot easier to park it, idk? also, what is the power strap?

Don't use wakeboards, they have too much rocker to get you up and planing easily.

I would have to agree that the problem is your wake board. They are very slow slugs in the water and have a very difficult time getting up to plane. Very difficult to edge with.

What size is the kite and what was the wind speed?

It sounds to me like you are way under powered.

well i being underpowered was is part of it. its a 12 and i was using it when there were prolly 14-16 mph winds, rite after i started packing up that day the wind picked up to 20, plus the waves were huge and they were coming straight on not at an angle.

Hey Man

Most of the advice is right on. With a good board you should be able to get going in a solid 16 mph ( depending how big you are I'm 165 pounds). It won't be much fun though but you should be able to get up.
You should definetly look for a kite board, a wake board with lots of rocker just kind of pushes the water kind of like edging and puts pressure on the kite, this in turn will speed it up and like everyone said it will fly to the edge of the wind window or even past it and fall out of the sky.
It's been two years since I flew one but the power strap is the rope you pull (above the bar I believe on TD 1) that adjusts the length of your front lines slightly. I believe it passes through a grey nob that locks it where you want it. I could be wrong on the discription and it could also be below the bar I can't really remember.
Once you find it play with it a bit and you'll notice a bit of difference in performance of the kite.
I don't really remember if it adjusts the length of the front or back lines so I won't say which way (lengthining or shortening) will give you more power or less power.
If you figure out what I'm talking about tell us which lines (front or back) it adjusts and someone will tell you which way to adjust for more or less power.
I hope this wasn't to confusing and it helps.
At 20 MPH on a kiteboard this was an awsome kite to learn and progress on.
Anyway good luck.
John

i know exactly what your talking about, and i think if i shorten that rope, it gives me more power. it adjusts the front lines.

It sounds to me like you are going the long , hard , frustrating route.

Is it possible to get a lesson?

The right instruction and the right equipment will save you a lot of agro!

It sounds like you are making all the classic mistakes . Trying to figure it out as you go . Using a board that is not designed for your purpose and a single kite for all conditions. These things will hold you back!

For what it is worth I think you are correct that you probably need to sine the kite until you get up to speed?

Here's something to pour on the fire
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2359066&p=60968...