I found some kitesurfers in my area. I went out and talked to them about my experience and the next step. One of them was an instructor. He said I need to begin getting used to a bar.

So I guess I need a cross over bar for my fixed bridle foils.

He said not to spend to money on that cause I will move to a depower kite soon. He said just to get a dowel rod and attatch them like a 2 line kite. I can do this easily enough to my 3 meter, but I am a little scared doing that with my 5 meter. I think I could learn better off that power with the safety and control of a cross over bar.

Any suggestions or advice?

I had zero problems 'transferring' to a bar - seemed totally natural to me :dunno: all the instructors I've had lessons with are like "Dude I can't believe how good your kite control is" - I can't ride but man I can fly a kite

Get a strop and a backstrap or harness ... backstrap is cheaper but lots of people don't like them. It'll give the same 'feel' as using a bar although IMO it's better - you can park a stap at just the right angle and take your hands off the handles :D

When in doubt (or fear) do it static and be ready to let go ... hope you got kite killers? They great for putting to rest the fear of losing your kite ... I had to let go once - ran down the length of two rugby fields chasing the kite as it floated downwind ... never again!

Depower was very intuitive for me once I got past the fear of launching that 9.5m Montana IV in 18 mph winds one day. You learn SO much about what makes a kite fly with handles that there really isn't a learning curve when switching to a bar. I don't think you can learn on a bar and switch to handles with the same ease though. Handles give so many options that you don't have on a bar and you have to know what the effects of those options are. You don't get that learning on a bar so you would have new skills to learn if switching to handles. On depower, basically, it is pull left, pull right and what happens when you do that while pulling in on the bar. That simple. You do have to learn the effects of the trim strap, but you will develop a feel for that quickly.

Try out a depower with someone that has some experience if you can and then all the fear and questions will be insignificant. Tridude and acampbell held my hand till I got started and then I was off and at ease with 15-19m arcs.

I wouldn't bother with a crossover bar, but I would buy a cheap 4-line bar. You should be able to find something used for $50 to $75 and new for $100-125 I think. I don't really think you need a crossover bar and I don't see how it adds any safety, just somewhat increased turning ability.

If you make your own bar make sure that you use something nice and beefy. I bet that having a bar snap in your hands could end badly.

save the money on the bar and put it towards your de-power kite. You might use the bar for awhile to get use to it, but chances are you will not like it as much as handles. So you will basically be using it as a "trainer bar" to get yourself comfortable with a bar. Just wait till you get your de-power kite and get use to the bar then. Like others have said its not a hard learning process to go from handles to a bar.

Get a harness and start flying the kites you have hooked in!!!!!!!!!!!

Start paying a LOT of attention to how your brakes come in to play.

See how you can turn using only each brake. See how applying just a touch of brake makes the kite sit back. See how adding brake slows the kite down as it travels through the power zone. See how flying on the front speeds things up.

Think about a depower kite. How you fly on the front lines and control the kite with the back ones.

Doing all this will make you far better prepared for depower than going to a bar.

Thanks for all the advice guys. i guess I need to start checking into getting my first depower kite.

I think I will get a thick dowell rod and put some holes in it and put in a couple leaders and fly my 3M on it just like a 2 line kite to get a basic feel for a bar, while I save up for a depower kite.

So what kite should I get? I have hooked up with some kitesurfing guys around here and would like to move in that direction. Most of them fly Best Waroos. Would that be good kite to start kitesurfing with and maybe do some landboarding with someday too?

There is an instructor I have found that I plan on taking lessons from. So you don't have to worry about me just jumping in without some help. He is the one that told me to get used to using a bar. He said the two things I need to work on is get my kites on a bar and learn to fly them whithout looking. Then sit down and pull the kite into the power zone and have it pick you up. He said if I get those things down before our lesson. Our first lesson will be in the water with all the gear!!!!

Get that harness and keep hanging out with the locals. They will be your best source for everything. If you show the desire , odds are they will hook you up with gear. The BEST way to show that desire is to save up for lessons !!!!!!!

I'm pretty sure that the guy who says go to a bar also means practice flying hooked in ?

Trust me on the whole , learning a lot more about how a depower flies using handles thing. Try and use the handles to adjust the Angle Of Attack of the kite. This is what you are doing with a depower in many ways.

Why couldn't you just use a depower type bar on a fixed bridle kite? Why you ask? :dunno: I think if I put my Ace on a depower style bar then if I let the bar out the brakes would be on enough to slow the kite down. And when I pull the bar back then the kite is flying like a two line kite. i realize this won't change the AOA at all.

Then I could fly this kite in stronger winds and if I fee like it is about to yank me - I just let out on the bar some. Wouldn't this be better than letting go of my handles and having the kite killers throw the kite to the ground?

Ok ok, then why won't I just fly it with handles and put on the brakes a little? Handles have tons more control you say? Well, my instructor guy said to get used to flying with a bar. If eventually I am kitesurfing and landboarding. I may not even use handles anymore. Maybe I will, but maybe I won't.

I can see you all now shaking your heads!!! I realize that this is a little more dangerous than kite killers and just not flying in high winds. BUT if you had it adjusted right I think it should work.

Ok let me have it . . . . help me realize why that is a stupid idea. :P I just trying to have something to do while I save up money for my next kite, which will be a depower.

Quote:

Originally posted by DAKITEZ save the money on the bar and put it towards your de-power kite.

Quote:

Why couldn't you just use a depower type bar on a fixed bridle kite? Why you ask? I think if I put my Ace on a depower style bar then if I let the bar out the brakes would be on enough to slow the kite down. And when I pull the bar back then the kite is flying like a two line kite. i realize this won't change the AOA at all.

If you re did the a,b,c,d bridals in theory you can make a depower-ish kite. But i don't know how the ace would work if it were converted.

From my experience foils generally don't depower as significantly as LEI/SLE's. so if you did try to convert a kite realize you're not going to get anywhere near 100% depower. You'd almost be better off making your kite a 3 line. Those bar are much cheaper than a crossover, but still I wouldn't recommend it

Foils and LEI's are just a different styles of kite. If you want to get into kiteboarding on water, I'd suggest getting a super cheap used, small RTF LEI... or just getting comfortable on handles for now if you don't have the cash. The transition to a bar from handles is imho very easy... no worries... now a transition from a bar to handles, that's another story

Ok lets see if we can help you out. Hold your hands out like your riding a bike. Put the handles in your hands with the brake lines in the center, now its like flying with a bar. Its not a big change at all. Putting your money into a bar is a waste. Unless you really really want to fly with one dont bother.
Putting your kite on a 4 line bar dosent really work either. You end up using the bar backwards of what a depower kite is. Not good, youll pick up bad habbats.
Hooking in with what you have isnt a good idea either, unless you go with the proper setup with safety, Again kinda wasting cash.
Just fly what you have, Kite control is what you want out of it. You can try the sitting and using the kite to pull you up. that will teach you to manage the power sum. Once you have good kite control go right for the lessons. Even better if your using their gear.
Save for the lessons and proper water gear. If your looking at Waroos, watch the 07 models, they had problems with the safety not releasing properly.

Ok Ok. Y'all have me convinced. I just need to get a depower kite.

:bigok:

I recommend a 7.5 Apex II - Dakitez let me fly his and I promptly bought one.

BUY a harness !!!!!!

Save for lessons !!!!!!

Keep asking us questions !

Look at and think about exactly why a depower is different and how it works. Use your handles to imitate these actions. Try holding your handles with the tops touching and vertical like a bar ( that is how the Pro's hold them ) .

Get real used to being hooked in and not looking at the kite. Sit there and pretend you are getting into your board. Then imitate a board start and run along.

There is a TON of valuable stuff you can do while saving for lessons with handles and a harness. Moving to depower will be FAR easier if you have fully thought out what the bar and kite will be doing !

Transitioning to a bar will be easy compared to getting used to being hooked in !!!!

Great Advice Bladerunner. Thanks!! I will do that.

So I found a local forum of kiters here in central Kansas and have met up with them. They advice me to get a Best Waroo. They all have them and kitesurf a lot and landboard with them some too.

What harness should I get? I should probably get one that will work to hook into the Waroo. I plan to both landboard and kitesurf - if that matters.

I will do just what you said. I think that is the best advice I have gotten. Thank you. I will get a harness and practice hooking in and save for lessons.

I kitelandboard and kitesurf with a waist harness and my Waroos. Seat harnesses will feel a little different because the towpoint is lower, but that might feel more comfy to you. Try different ones on and see what you think.

Are you going to go with a used Waroo or new?

Thanks for the advice. I guess I need to check the weather and see when the locals will be out there again and go out in my trunks and beg to try all their gear!!!!

Or just stand there and drool :eekdrull:

Because of budget issues I will probably be looking for a decent used one. I have been advised to get a 13M first and fly it in low winds. Locals said that would be easier to learn on. They say larger is more stable.

Out of my whole quiver, I think my 13m is the prefect size. It's got a really huge range if you've got the right boards. I've seen my buddy use it in 12-13mph winds on a 135x46 Crazyfly Cruizer. I've used the exact same kite (he sold me that 13m) up into the low-mid 20mph range on a 130cm twin tip.

I've used my 13m every water session since I got it (3 weeks ago) and only had to switch down to my 11 after the winds were holding steady at around 23mph. Corpus Christi has been awesome lately!

We both weigh about 150lbs, btw..