I'm brand new into kiting. I spent a month flying a slingshot B4 (fixed bridal, 2 line trainer) before grabbing a used flysurfer pulse 13 (5 line depower). The B4 was great for learning the basics: launching, turning, power window, overflying, landing...

Now I'm learning the new details of depower, which just adds more details about AoA (angle of attack) to change the flying dynamics of your kite at any any time. Here's my understanding of things so far:

The depower bar attaches to a complex pulley system at the bridals. This pulley system balances the lines so that your trim line and break line distribute to the multiple bridal attachment points in a clean and even profile to your wing (foil).

Pulling on the break lines pulls the tail edge back, this increases the AoA and adds more lift (power) to the kite. Increasing the angle also adds more drag on the kite, and if there's too much angle, you get more drag than lift causing the kite to fly backwards (backstall)

Pushing the break lines back up let's the AoA flatten out. The natural airfoil shape of the kite will keep the wing pulling up, but you decrease the drag through the air. A depowered kite will fly faster through the sky, but with far less pull. But you can also overshoot the kite past the wind window and cause it to stall.

If your brake lines are too long, you can over angle the kite, reversing the lift profile and cause the kite to sheet. This is a very bad thing, where the kite will collapse, the lines go slack, the kite can bow-tie, and you lose control.

Fist up, I've done my mixer test and the lines are even. This means the canopy should be balanced by the pulleys to keep the foil at the proper shape and stay stable. I've also adjusted the depower travel distance, so the bar is right at my fingertips when fully depowered.

The final thing to play with is the trim adjusting doohicky. What should the neutral setting be? To me it seems far worse to oversheet than backstall. How do I test my trim setting for ideal length to get the most function out of the trim straps while flying?

Do yourself a favor and don't confuse yourself by reading too much into depower and how it works. Its good to understand the concept but don't over think it.

The best way to come to a practical understanding is to take a a kite like that out in say a 7-12mph wind (depending upon your weight and get moving with it (are you on the water or land because this is safer to show on the land unless you're good on water). Start with the kite fully trimmed from the trimmer (max depower) and launch the kite. Once up let some trim out so you can feel the difference in power and turning and see how the kite repositions itself in the window.

Now get moving (again, easier on land so you don't fall and deal with a water relaunch if you are new) for instance on a landboard or buggy. Once you are moving along at a comfortable pace, pull the trim strap all the way in to see what max depower does to the kite and the pull / lift you feel or if flying in the max depower position let it out a bit and see what that does to the speed pull.

For me, the easiest way to understand how depower works is to watch its affect on the kite (position in the window, speed, pull, lift) as you make adjustments while moving at a constant, comfortable rate of speed. You can not see these principles in action while flying static.

I try and avoid calling it depower and refer to front line / back lines. Fly on the front lines ( through your harness ) to speed the kite up . Pull the bar in to slow the kite down or aid in turning or add power when in motion.

When wind is light I shorten my strap to about 90% + fly hard on the front lines. Counter intuative if you think depower. Once my speed or the wind pick up I trim to about 50 / 50 and often just keep it there. I will go to 80% open if wind is perfect and I want to jump.

To keep it simple. Fly on the front lines turn using back lines. Trim your strap so that when you pull the bar in your kite stalls and is about to fall back or does fall back.

The Pulse 13 can be a gentle giant . It will take you in to some pretty strong winds once your are master. It will fly in about 5mph winds . Between 5 and 10 it is a pretty safe kite to figure things out on. At 5 you will have to apply low wind technique and at 10 it will be nicely powered.