I'm in Hatteras right now and am having difficulty getting the Synergy launched. A lot of the launches here are really tight beaches, not much real estate to work with. The typical wind direction down here right now is side on. So I can't lay my lines out like normal on a big beach and 45 degrees puts me in the water for the launch. There is room to lay the lines out directly in fron of the leading edge. So how do you do that launch unassisted?

Flag the kite. Fold and sand the upwind edge. fold the downind tip so it is prone to lift. add just a sprinkle of sand to steady it. ( not too much ) I hook my upwind lines in the downwind launch assist tab.
Walk to 45' from the kite. Pull the front lines. The down wind tip should catch air THIS IS KEY !!!!!!! It then pops up and is ready to feather up.

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Originally posted by Bladerunner Flag the kite. Fold and sand the upwind edge. fold the downind tip so it is prone to lift. add just a sprinkle of sand to steady it. I hook my upwind lines in the downwind launch assist tab. Walk to 45' from the kite. Pull the front lines. The down wind tip should catch air THIS IS KEY !!!!!!! It the pops up and is ready to feather up.

Maybe what he's doing. But It requires getting wet in that area.
I'd just get in the water.

Couple of dudes made me get in with that same situation and it was sooooo cold. But was worth it and the cold wasn't as bad when the kite took flight.

Another guy on here folded the kite in a taco, staked the chicken loop and used a second stake for the safety line.

Then went to the kite and lifted the top of the taco. The kite flew up to the Z while on the stake.

You need really good stakes. Probably some screw in dog chain type.

Good luck!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/hercion#p/u/26/nyU6CnXTmNA

Link to launch on the stake. But if your at the beach and have no stakes that can hold in the sand, maybe it's something you can try later. I need to try it myself.

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Originally posted by clintopher There is room to lay the lines out directly in fron of the leading edge. So how do you do that launch unassisted?

You can't launch it that way. Try flipping the kite around so the lines come off the trailing edge instead.

Some of the launches on Hatteras can certainly be challenging for ARC launches. For the most part it has always been possible for me with a little extra planing. Mostly it may be that I have to setup the kite to launch from the opposite side that I am used to (flipping the kite around or moving to the other end of the beach). This usually improves the kite /line orientation (angle) for a more optimum launch (sometimes you do need to walk into the water to launch though).

I have also done a couple of taco style launches there, I think I have done a drift launch too, and a couple of fully assisted launches.

I don't think the dog screws would hold in the sand /bog. It would also mean putting the stakes in the water at times.

I don't mind launching from the water, I'm just not sure how to get there without being able to lay the lines out first. Does that make sense?

I have never launched an arc. But this is how I would do it from reading this thread. There is a good chance that I'm misreading something however.

Lay the lines out directly in front of the leading edge.
Flag the kite.
Fold and sand the upwind edge.
Fold the downind tip so it is prone to lift.
Add just a sprinkle of sand to steady it.
Pickup bar.
Walk to 45' from the kite.(into the water)
Pull the front lines.

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Originally posted by clintopher ~lay the lines out directly in fron of the leading edge.

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Originally posted by Bladerunner Flag the kite. Fold and sand the upwind edge. fold the downind tip so it is prone to lift. add just a sprinkle of sand to steady it. I hook my upwind lines in the downwind launch assist tab. Walk to 45' from the kite. Pull the front lines. The down wind tip should catch air THIS IS KEY !!!!!!! It the pops up and is ready to feather up.

If you have the room you might try setting up the bar and lines as if you were setting up an open cell foil. Once attached to the kite you can tie-in the upwind lines to the launch assist, hook into the bar and walk into the water. Unfortunately unless you have some help I can't see anyway but getting wet. Sorry if I'm wrong but it kinda sounds like you are there to get in the water anyway if the beach is that tight. Sorry but that's all that I've got. Good luck and enjoy the breeze for the rest of us.

Shaggs

Getting wet isn't really the issue...it's being able to lay the lines out and see that they're all hooked up correctly and good to go without any tangles before I launch the kite.

Bladerunner,

How far are you folding the downwind tip over and are you folding it directly on top of the kite or biasing it towards the leading or trailing edge? Could you explain the "prone to lift" part in a little more detail? Also, just a sprinkle of sand keeps the tip from flapping around?


Thanks for all the replies everybody.

How about a Line Crawler?

I've also set the lines out perpendicular to the kite ie. straight back from the TE like an LEI, then walked the line around to 45°

lay the kite out to fill

attach line from up wind as usual(but run them up the beach)

get in water, launch kite

or assist, hold tips together , release TOP (holding the bottom for a sec or 2) then release bottom. from about 45degrees off.

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or assist, hold tips together , release TOP (holding the bottom for a sec or 2) then release bottom.

that's interesting Phree, I usually do it the other way around. I release the bottom tip first so it starts to swing out and the kite will point slightly upward from horizontal and then release the top tip a split second later. Of course it's all timing on the tip release.
- letting go of bottom first and hanging onto the top too long and you swing the kite to a straight up hot launch (if it's really windy).
- Letting go of the top first and hanging on to the bottom too long and the kite turns toward the ground. Can hit and twist when not fully inflated.

releasing the top seems to give a good intake drink of air then top tip helps pull UP . bar input needs to direct away from asst.

lower tip release is the key. really the assistant has to feel out tip release, can be very quick, as soon as kite is active!

for me solo is really only way to go. explaining to someone is hard and getting the timing right is sometimes out of reach. pilot really has to ready for it all!

just goto a different beach :bigok: