Hello,

I am relatively new to power-kiting, with my boyfriend teaching me, and was hoping somebody could provide me with some hints and tips.

Here is the situation: I currently fly a Flexi Foil Sting (1.7m) & have flown the 2.4m. I started out on the 1.2m & learnt the various manouvers ie twisting/untwisting the lines, flying to the edge of the wind window & vertical figure of eights.
I have my own IMP Quattro III (1m) and a 1.7m Sting on order.
My main problem is gaining confidence to fly the 1.7m plus in gusty winds (I don't live near the coast, so mainly fly in a field). I am quite small (~50kg) and find it a challenge to hold the kite steady in a gust, let alone try to land it!
This has made me nervous on flying the slightly bigger kites. Any confidence boosting tips would be greatly appreciated, as I enjoy the sport and on a steady wind day find this relaxing!

Small kites are very fast in strong winds and you should expect them to move around in gusts. There is not much you can do to add extra control to a 2 line kite but you shouldn't really need to! Once you move up to 4 line kites you can learn to land them using the brake lines and you can use a harness to help hold the power of the kite.

I'm not sure this is a confidence boosting tip but my 10 year old niece can hold a 1.5m in 20mph + so i'm sure that all you need to do is keep flying in conditions you are happy with and as you gain more kite control you can start heading out in stronger gustier winds.

Also remember that no matter how experienced a kiter you are there will always be conditions a notch up from what you can handle! This does not mean you can't enjoy flying at the level you are comfortable at. Be patient and push things a little at a time. Building up lots of time with the kite is the most important thing for a beginner.

Your doing great……. Its not fear, its respect….which you obviously have for the kite… gusts are part of the deal and you will deal w/ them better as you log more fly time. Same as w/ big kites, the more you are around them and start to use them the more comfortable you will feel doing so. Don’t try to rush anything, one step at a time, work your way up the MPH and foil size scale. Most important thing is to have fun! fly as often as possible. It’s the only way to push things along. I made it a pt to fly when the winds were marginal .......just to have more time under my belt. and 4 lines are better then 2 when its time to land or blowing hard

Flying my new 2.3m Vapor static has really taught me how to control the kite with brake input. That thing is soooo stinking fast, in a gust it can go from tame to "HOLY BUCKETS - HANG ON!" in one second.

The point is, with 4-line kites, you can learn to control power, especially with small kites, by controlling speed using break input. This is a good skill to have.

Are you SURE that it is powerkites that you are after? That pull you are trying to avoid is sort of what it is all about?

If you want to fly and relax yet have 4 line fun I highly suggest you look into Revolution kites. Endless fun and tricks you can learn without that nasty power of the power kite!

If you are wanting to progress with power kites the key is in kite control. Knowing the wind window and where the power is / isn't. Eventually how to control the speed of the kite with brake control. moving to a 4 line will help. It is not simple to land / relaunch 2 line.

Speed equals power.

Yeah, the whole purpose of traction kites is to have the kite move you. In general if you want a good day buggying or ATB'ing, you want enough power to drag you when you're standing/sitting on the ground if you want to.

Having said that, in gusty conditions I'd say go with a 4 line kite for sure. The extra safety and control you have over the kite is huge. At any point if the kite feels out of control you can stop it or if needed let go and let the kite killers deal with it. As well, not all kites are created equal. Usually kites geared towards performance will bounce you around quite a bit in gusty conditions. Kites labeled a trainer or entry level kite are usually made to be more stable in poor wind conditions. They do this to make them more beginner friendly. So you lose a bit of performance, but gain a lot of stability. I'd stay away from any of the high aspect kites(really wide tip to tip and skinny front edge to back edge) for now.

Like the others say, flying a 4 line with brakes gives you a little more control, ability to land the kite.

As for now, try landing your kite on the edge of the window. This will ease in landing the kite a bit. Literally fly the kite to the edge of the window, one side or the other, than maneuver it down with a little steering. This will move the kite closer to the ground and then you will be able to land it safely without damaging the kite or yourself. Someone there to help grab the kite when it is down close to the ground will also help.

Good luck with your learning and if you like the power, you will want more soon!