I’ve not flown for awhile due to lots of things but it’s eating at me pretty bad.

Need to run some air thru the kites. Had some good wind but too good I think.
On the days I could get out with some daylight left and the wind was kicking pretty good.

I choose not to.

I think I’ve got kite fear or something. Last few times out I was ripping up the wind with the 8m Ace, now I wouldn’t unpack that thing in the lightest wind.

Whats up with that? Do you guys get a little hesitant to fly after a few months off?

I used to enjoy the fight, big wind meant get in the car, now its oh no not me. I wouldn’t hook in right now for nothing.

Gesh, where’s my baby kite? I have a P3 around here somewhere. Maybe I left my skilz
In one of the packs.

Guess I have to start all over.

It happens. I'm right there with you. Its probably been close to 6 months since i had a buggy ride

We have talked about this out on the field before. After a long dry spell of flying when we finally get back out we are not flying the same kites we would have been previously. The big boys stay in the bag

Couldn't leave kiting for more than a month without going through withdrawal. Hijack-Check my post under lack of kiting and beer made me fat.-Hijack

I'm not really in the place to comment when it comes to kiting as I have been getting out as often as possible. However I'm sure its the same way as when a buddy of mine takes his bike out for a first run after the winter. He says that by the time he puts it away in the fall he feels there is nothing he couldn't do on it (wheelies, brake torques etc.) when he gets out that first day he is really nervous, not wanting to give too much power, scared about passing and getting passed by big haulers etc. I'm sure that once you've gotten out with the smaller kites that you would normally leave in the bag, you will soon get back your confidence. Hang in there and it will all come back to you.

Shaggs

Glad its not just me.

Guess after you learn to respect the wind/ kites, you know what can happen.

Get a little older and that ground gets harder also. But I'll taste the earth again soon.
:o

I get butterflies of excitement when I haven't flown for a while, on the way back to the handles ... you soon get over them though.

the only way to get over it cowboy, is to get back on that horse and ride....:D:D:D

Heh. I understand what you are saying. Right before my first downhill snowboarding run each season I normally have whacked out dreams about looking down the sloop and panicking, and then not able to drop in. However, by the time I get up to the top of the slopes, I'm normally just fine.

I dont think my kites stay in the bag long enough to suffer from withdrawal. My longest dry spell has been 2 weeks. I think. Hard to say. I've been flying a lot though. Still sore from last sunday...

adrenalin surge really can scramble the brain.

do what you know, warm up slow. the anxiousness washes out in a few minutes.

breathe in through the nose out the mouth....then hit it like your sanity depends on it!

pace yourself you only have a life time of wind ahead of you.

I wonder if you have a wind meter. Most of my hesitation comes with not knowing what the conditions actually are. I have the same problem though where I almost always fly underpowered and don't get the session I wish I could.

I'm half-way through a enforced two-month dry spell...

Had a few opportunities but they were mental, the last big wind to sweep over galiano island (where i am these days) knocked out the power for a few days last week. the arborists are still cleaning up, and a few houses were off the grid for a week!

I normally only go right to my big kites when I've been flying a few times a week. Next time out I'll likely have to work my way up through the sizes.

And my muscles are going to hurt!

Conditions get easier and easier to suss out over time. When I'm in doubt, I start small... been known to throw my snapshot 1.4 (.7 meter 2-liner) first LOL.

I"m a little off my game right now as well. Any time I might've chanced it and gone out, it has been quite gusty. My last day flying was at OOBE field 2600 miles away and I was sliding sideways frequently. I'll probably start small (pink skirt or at least a light blue one) for conditions next time out and then kick it once I feel comfortable with my big boy pants on.

Well I havnt been out since before Thanksgiving and went out last saturday, winds were really light 12mph but sunny and 38 degrees. thats like spring in January for me. Had the butterflies so bad. Out comes the Montana 9.5 winds died down to like 5mph after like 20min and I decided to get Dakitez's Twister II 5.6m and it has been quite some time since i have held some handles. LOL 5mph??????? and I was shaking like a leaf ready for launch. debating if i should launch to side. HAHA I know Ridiculous :dunno:...... Well even though the winds were light. that thing still pulled like a slow truck.

Thats too funny, launch to the side.

Thats me for sure.

You know, when I first got my twister I was stupid and took it out in winds that were far beyond my level at the time. I did know enough about how to keep myself safe while flying, but it wasn't any fun the next few times because I felt I had no control. From there on I was 'scared' (maybe) to go out. Once I learned good control I could confidently take it out at the high end of the kites wind range. However, the stress on your arms gets REALLY old after a while. Which leads me to my question.
Are you using a harness and a strop? My fun level soared once I got those two things. Kiting wasn't a workout on my arms anymore.
I'm not convinced you're "scared".
Besides, what's a bunch of nylon going to do to you?:evil:

Those strops are great. Especially when you get pulled off your landboard and dragged onto the ground and just have to wait for the kite to crash:D

Oh, yeah, don't use them in gusty conditions....unless you're a real man like me...:smug:

Yes I use a harness also, well sometimes. In what I'd call perfect wind for me where I can hold my ground if need be.

I don't like scudding around hooked in but your right, you can fly much longer and really enjoy it. I'll pull up chair, hook in and just have a sit n fly sometimes.

Really scared? maybe worried is more like it. I'll get over it as soon as I can find a day. Don't have time after work and we been working Saturdays also for so long.

I have a vid on tips and tricks where I was learning to spin the beamer. Hooked in is the only way I can do it. I found I can handle more wind with better break control while hook in, more just flying with the breaks.

So one day it was kicking pretty good, I'd say 10 to 15mph. I thought well I'll hook up and tame these gust flying on the breaks and do some spinning.

Very stupid, I covered 50 yrds in a couple seconds but I didnt go down. Was the first time ever I tried to let go in an emergency. No luck, LOL. I let go then re grabbed the handles to put the kite in the edge of the window.

Well, thought I would just hit the Z and edge and walk the kite back to where I was, nope, never took a step back and I was snatched off again.

My heel hurt forever and had pain in my lower back for a few days. I was shaking, scared the crap out of me.

Thats the great memory I have now when the wind seems a bit strong and I'm wanting to pull out the harness. But that just replaces other great memory's of not being too smart.

Reminds me of what I was trying to accomplish this past summers end. Spinning that 8M Ace. Not sure it can be done with the tips folding in. But maybe if things are just right, who knows.

Yea, scared might be a bit over the top to describe a break in the action.

I get that too at times... after not kiting for a while after
Snowkiting and getting back to water on certain days.
That's the time to pull out the small kite 3m fixed foil
and just have fun flying it in the lighter stuff...
and build back up... get back in the groove..

Quote:

Originally posted by Hardrock Whats up with that? Do you guys get a little hesitant to fly after a few months off?

Sounds like a healthy survival instinct to me.

This sport is a lot like kayaking - in that it's easy to get into the #@%$#!pit and launch yourself into a situation that's way over your head very quickly.

Like ol' Dirty Harry said - "A man's gotta know his limitations" - and if you're not sure where those limitations are, better to err on the side of caution and save yourself and your family a trip to the hospital or the morgue.

Quote:

Falstaff - Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One, 1596 The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life."

InsectOman,
Couldn't agree with you more about how the two sports are the same, being able to get in trouble quick.

Ever put that Hydra up in front of a kayak? Its a real pain in the butt trying to make that work.

I got it to work on one occasion, not for long tho. Hope to give it another go when the weather warms.

Quote:

Originally posted by Hardrock Ever put that Hydra up in front of a kayak? Its a real pain in the butt trying to make that work.

Not the Hydra but I did experiment with a smaller no-name single line foil some, boy, 18 years ago now - in 1992.

Anyhow it was um... very exciting; and quite entertaining for onlookers. Nothing like having a loaded harbor-tour boat full of folks who are staring at you while you're skimming along, trying to reel in a kite on rolling seas and not capsize.

I had in mind to use the kite while paddling from LA Harbor to Catalina Island. In the end I still made the trip but with no kiting - as the winds were against me on the way out and the seas pushing me on the way back in the next day.

It took me a year to train and prepare for that adventure.

Now, sans ocean, I have the notion of "surf" kite-yaking on a lake/reservoir. We shall see

I did the single line thing a time or two. The wind is always in my face when kayaking no matter how I plan.

The hydra was a good try. Launched it from shore, water launch just wasn't happening while drifting in the kayak. Couldn't deal with the lines and keep em tight.

Had sweet thang hold the boat, got in, she was continuing to hold my boat along side with hers to prevent a roll. Then we were both moving pretty good.

Trying to steer two boats to keep the wind right wasn't working out. Got pointed towards the kite, lost wind and had to wind it up.

I bet you have some good memories of your trip. All we ever take is overnighters. Paddle, set up camp, fish, sleep, paddle, go home and go back to bed to recoup. Thats about all I can take.