Out riding today on our chop-top lakes it seemed to me that speed was getting in the way of my progression. I'd get going what felt like nuclear speeds and that combined with the chop kept doing me in. (1 to 2 1/2 foot chop)

Where does the speed come from and how do you regulate it? If I could have just stuck to my nice cruising speeds, a hair downwind I could have managed but somehow I'd invariably build speed that was just beyond my skill / comfort level. Have similar issues on snow with speed but can scrub it off OK. The rough ride on the lake just makes it a bit hairy for me to keep my head.

You may be heading off downwind too far & fast ...

Lean back against the kite, sheet out and let the kite drive to the edge of the window and edge up hard on your back foot, which will drive the kite even further to the edge of the window.
If you've that much power, you should be able to just noodle along at walking speed ...

Having the board flat will accelerate you too ... mostly downwind. Edging hard will slow you down.
You should have Charlie Chaplin feet, knees bent (more at the back) and drive your heels into the board.

Dealing with chop ... edge hard into it.

It's just like snowboarding - you gotta be on an edge to hold control

Out when I had my lessons at Pran Buri in Thailand, I got out on the board and riding ok (all downwind) but suddenly, the wind picked up and I rocketed off and couldn't slow down! Freaked me out then but now I would have sent the kite for a jump :D

It's experience ... keep watching the videos if you don't have other people to watch, pay attention to their stance especially and go from there ...!

I have the same problem. I keep being told to put the kite lower in the window. Less upward pull, probably lower wind speed and better ability to edge. I can't make it work all the time but a little. I look forward to more practice. I think all the time on the ATB is getting in the way for me because I am used to keeping my ankles neutral and not digging in my heels to edge. Good luck!

45° is where you want it, to balance pull downwind and lift.

first thing to check wind and kite. too much kite for too much wind equals blistering speeds and out of control runs. DOWN SIZE or DEPOWER trim. typically inability to go up wind as well.

keeping the kite TOO high inthe window pulls the edge UP and you go fast down wind.

the chop, the edge should cut it vertically , NOT flat and over it or it will ramp you OUT of control .


apparent wind , thats whats building and source of the speed.

kite is over taking you , at least you found the throttle! , you have to find the balance for the "brakes" . depower, less power is a good start for control. put your whole body into it ... choking the kite with the board is good check point esp. at the edge from this point allow the board to run and a balanced point of sail will become evident. too big of adjustments its just gonna be a whiplash event, so keep the kite active if needed but it should settle into the lower edge as load from the edge gives up line.

in general enjoy the ride...the more you do it the you more you will realize the control elements, it just takes time

Apply more back foot pressure and edge harder up wind to keep from gaining too much speed. Once you are going super fast it is hard to edge in to get slowed down, so try to be preemptive in keeping it slow.

I went to Hood River today and couldn't apply my own advice. 45 degrees is good to know. I will try that. I keep trying to set the edge with the back foot but I keep getting overpowered. I am having fun practicing though.

Lean back against the kite and push down on the board with your heels ...

Try this - stand up straight (on the ground) with your feet shoulder-width apart, then without moving your feet, rotate your shoulder to face left (or right) ... what happens to your 'bacS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K- leg? It has to bend the knee to allow your hips to twist. That's what you should be doing on the board (keeping your front leg straight but not knee locked) and that'll put more weight on your back foot simply by the way you're standing. You can lean back more to apply more weight if need be.

Read that article about Stance at ikitesurf.com - it's total guru!

Now while I can't comment on the speed... yet... to scrub speed, make sure you are on your heels AND push on your back foot hard to dig in and turn up wind AND bring you kite lower. Hold on and you'll scrub speed. Riding at 45-ish when perfectly powered is fantastic. Make sure you lean back, you should have feeling of being held up and the board is there for direction.

Speed comes from going downwind and making long reaches
Make each reach short to keep your speed down as u bear off and probably downsize the kit sounds like u were powered for a downwinder Andrew told me when I was struggling with downwinders that if you fly the kite in the opposite side of the wind window and cut back allot the kite won't fall out of the air and you make it downwind fast

great advice here...............unless I missed it (blaming the chemo) correct size board too............pointing upwind with rear heal pressure with the right size kite you cant go wrong.................

point ! edge !

Could u please clarify if you were trying to go downwind or up wind I think I put this with your other post about trying to do a downwind and self rescuing if this is the case then my advice is valid if not and you are trying to ride unwind then the other advice here serves u best I think I am just confused

I was just riding....it was a big downwinder but there was no downwind/upwind goal.....just ride. Wife had given me 3 hours to make it to the boat launch (the end of the downwinder) so I was just playing around but man alive did I get ripping. When it all got hairy I was able to lift the kite and slow to a waterstart to catch my breath - MOST times. When it got away on me the wipes were over the top of the board, not skipping out from under me so I must have been nowhere near edged hard enough.

Another thing I noticed from the chop was excessive splashing in the face and I think it was coming up from water that washed on top of the board and hit my forward foot so again - probably not carved in nearly enough.

Tried Kami's "try this" stance and can definitely feel the focused pressure on the back foot. I'll give it a go. I had been shying off such a hard edge because last time out I had the opposite problem - edged nice and hard but ended up feeling like I had to work the kite 'cuz I'd power out shooting too far upwind and ending up in a stalemate with the kite. Was told afterwards to bear the board off a bit instead...even just 5 degrees. I guess I need to figure out how to bear off with a good edge rather than a flat board....somewhere in the middle between last time and this past weekend.

Yep, sounds like you're ready to go upwind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8WAIJBYRkU

See how from about 0:58 he bobs up and down - edging hard then flattening the board? That's how he's controlling his speed - when board speed drops, he flattens the board and picks up some speed then edges hard again to control it ... as you get better, you'll get more finesse with that skill and will be able to edge without stalling the kite ... ride along in a 'set' stance, lookin' cool

You can bear off downwind to pick up speed, but keep tension in the lines don't head down too much!

(I might be wrong, but) think about edging as a course correction - I edge up hard and drive the kite upwind then try to keep just enough power in it to allow me to ride upwind on the new heading ... when there's enough wind, you can doddle upwind at about walking speed If you can't ride like that then you have to choose a more downwind bearing ...

Oh edge hard AND sheet out - you'll feel a burst of power from the kite as it shoots upwind and then it'll be further to the edge of the window ...

SPEED is your PHRIEND!