Quick question - what do you do when the board, on a waterstart, starts sliding sideways towards the kite and skips out from under you? Point it more downwind I'd think?

Have to ask 'cuz I won't be flying for a bit here (back to the renos). Only happened twice yesterday but I'm now sitting here overanalyzing everything ; )

Quote:

Originally posted by macboy ... but I'm now sitting here overanalyzing everything ; )

You too, huh?

Let the kite pull your upper body over the board (sit up) then stand up.

You could be trying to stand up too soon and the board doesn't have the resistance to allow you to lever yourself over it; or your legs are too straight, same problem as above ... solution is bring your knees up to your chest in the water. Then sit up, stand up!
Or the kite is just pulling you downwind and you need to dive it a bit better ...

Basic start going to starboard; kite at zenith, slide it over to 11 then turn it back and send the kite down and across to 2.

Here's the trick - send it in a straight line from 11 to 2 so that the closest the kite gets to the water is at your 2 o'clock, at the edge of the window.
If you dive down from 11 then send the kite across the eye of the power zone parallel to the water, you're going to get pulled way downwind. Or lobbed :wee:

With more wind, you can start at 12 and just drop it towards 2 and you're off.
With less wind, you can send the kite across to 10 then straight across to 3. You can also downloop from 11 but I haven't needed to do that on the water yet ...

Another thing I've discovered - rather than working the kite like a nutter as soon as you're rolling, let it go to 3 say and then leave it sit there - so long as it's not jellyfishing - and it'll keep pulling. I was surprised by how long you could wait with the kite out there before you REALLY needed to work it. Sometimes, you can just ride off without the sining ...!

The best starts are when you just go POP! and you're up riding

the real answer

just keep practicing, you lost edge control for a moment or 2.

let it run out down wind BUT carve back ASAP. it will be very fast . ride it out back foot heel side pressure look on your point of sail . stop looking at the kite and the board.

sit back on back leg more on the start.

relax a bit, both legs are too stiff, hence the skipping . the board has no idea what to do.

head back , stroke the kite , flex through the knees and hips (the ball up and roll onto the board part)

keep at it

Good topic. I also have had the board shoot out from under me. I got past the water start issue as Kami advised. Now the problem is it shoots out as I gain speed. I think the problem is the stiff legs as Phree points out.
Aye keep practicing.

Good luck with your quest there macboy. Once you get it on the brain you can think of nothing else.

I have tried to make myself believe its a long term goal to kitesurf, that way I have all the time in the world and for now I can just live my life.

But still, everyday I feel I should be doing something related to it.