Hi - been flying fixed bridles for a month or two. I just bought a new depower kite (ozone 10 meter access). Flew it saturday - not much wind but that was safer anyway since first time flying one of these. I got a few questions for you experience folks....

1) Am I supposed to feel a LOT of power when I pull in on control bar? I didn't really feel too difference when I pulled in control bar. Maybe because wind was so light (5 to 10 mph). Or maybe I need to adjust the clam cleat thingy? Or do you adjust brake lines? The Ozone manual didn't really talk much about adjusting brake lines.

2) the clam cleat (?) adjust the angle of the kite? Do you folks mess with this much? can such a small adjustment make that big of a difference? (I just left it on factory setting for now until I get more experience)

3) It it hard to static fly with a 10 meter depower? A few gusts caught me off guard giving me a little scare. Maybe it's easier to practice with the 10 meter on my landboard instead of static?

5) When you are flying depower with landboard do you mostly have control bar pushed away from you while riding and then pull in for the burst of power or does it just vary depending on the wind. I guess the kite turns faster when pulling control bar in?

Sorry to hit you up with so many questions!! I have the progressive landboarding video which is great but I couldn't find the answers on the video....

Thanks everyone!
Paul

Hey Paul,

Sorry I missed you on Sat. I saw you on Sunday but I was flying up by the Tides and didn't want to go way down by you and take the long upwind journey back.

Couple things...
No, you don't feel a large surge of power unless you are flying very powered. Use the bar to keep the back lines taught enough for good performance and then you just push the bar out when a gust comes along to smooth the ride or give it a little tug in a lull to boost a bit more power. The surges shouldn't be crazy.

I do play with my trimmer but not a whole lot unless I'm getting way overpowered. Slightly trimmed seems best for most conditions.

Depowers are only appreciated when moving. You can't depower them as effectively when static flying.

The kite actually turns faster when the bar is out. Pull it in to start the turn and tighten the back lines but once the turn is initiated, if you are sending the kite, let the bar out to accelerate the turn.

When the bar is in the power is up but the kite is flying slower and deeper in the window. With the bar out the kite is flying faster and closer to the edge of the window.

Flying depower is a balancing act. Tighten lines, losen lines, tighten lines, losen lines, to get the most out of the kite be it speed, power or turning.

Great info thanks!! That is a big help. Definately a lot more stuff to think about with depower kite than the fixed bridles I'm used to!

Yes - I saw a bunch of kites up the other end of beach by Tides Restaurant but I figured best that I stay down the other end since I'm still trying to learn/perfect my turns. I didn't want to be in everyone's way.

Why was everyone up that end? Is that wind direction smoother in up that end? Maybe there's more room to ride up there? Definately less seaweed up there!!

I tried to post this earlier but it didn't work so I apologize to folks on the forum if it ends up posting twice.

Thanks
Paul

Since the beach is somewhat crescent shaped, it can make a difference where you set up if the wind has a N or S flow to it.

The northern end of the beach, where you were flying, tends to get more of the weed and shells but not always. I generall don't fly down that end of the beach unless the beach is crowded or the upper parking lot is closed during winter.

Best thing to do is stop at station 2 whenever you first get there if the wind is anything other then directly on or offshore and get a view of the beach - how clean it looks, # of dog walkers, etc. and where others are set up. That way if most are riding from the tides to the halfway house you are in a good spot rather then setting up way far down and reallizing you have to redrive the whole length of the causeway to park with the others. Its generally pretty good riding right around where the beach starts to bend away from The Tides but there are usually a good number of dog walkers down there.

Also, the more you park with others the more you get to know the cars so no matter where the kites are when you are driving up the causeway you can look for the cars and know where everyone is set up.

Nothing wrong with carving out or finding a nice, quiet spot of beach to learn. I generally set up with the others and then stick to one section of the beach so while others travel the whole length I have a semi-private area to play while the others are still a long distance off.

Hey, Tele. I have a 10m Access. Flew it on Saturday. EPIC session on blades and bug.

I don't try to fly it static. :o You are a better man than I.

You got good insight above. If you have any other questions, let me know.

I'm still a bit of a newbie, even though I've been flying my 6 and 10 meter Access for a year or two now. Here's what I think:

1. No. As said, it's not an immediate difference especially in light wind. Especially on the 10, I really don't think about the bar like a light switch (always pull in for power, always let out for less), but rather like a constant adjustment to get the kite to fly like I want. Sometimes you will let the bar out for more power if the kite looks like that's what it wants. Hard to explain. Even in wind that is so light the kite will barely fly, you don't keep the bar all the way ion all the time as you might expect. Sometimes the kite will only fly if the bare is somewhere in the middle.

2. I think the trim IS more like a light switch. Either all the way or all the way off is the only adjustment I make. Even then, I only find a subtle difference in most conditions. Like #1, any adjustments will make a much bigger difference when the kite is powered up.

3. As said, static flying an access terrifies me for some reason. I always try to get in the buggy ASAP and then feel much better. I guess it's much easier to burn off excess pull from the kite when you are in the buggy. Good luck on your board!

5. It varies according to the wind. See answer #1.

The real reason I am posting is to tell you some other stuff I learned about flying an Access. The 10 was my first one as well and I was shocked about how imprecise the controls were, and how how it was like flying a big old sheet. Sometimes this quality was great, as I could just let the kite fly around wherever and it would always give me some smooth power. Other times I really missed my Broozas. Then I got a 6 meter Access and they are like two completely different animals. The 6 is really fast around the sky and responds immediately to control input. Everything feels tighter and faster. I find myself flying the 6 fairly often when I should get out the 10, but I just like it more. It feels more like a Brooza. You should think about getting one, if only becuase if you only have the 10 you might be tempted to fly when it's a bit too windy for your skill level. If you have the 6, it's less likely to happen.

The other thing is that even when fully depowered, they are both a really fast kites when pulling you across the ground. Many times I have felt minor panic when cruising along, letting the bar out and finding my self just going faster and faster.

Perhaps the trim works differently on different kites. With all of my Flysurfer kites, I pull in the trim to varying degrees depending on what is going on. Sure, sometimes I pull it in all the way, but quite often, I'll either pull it in a little bit, halfway, or let it out a little bit... I'm always adjusting it to find that sweet spot for the conditions.

good info jimbocz - thanks!!

Yeah the static flying was a little scary with a kite that big even in the light wind. I want to get used to safety systems on the new kite just to be on safe side. The "flag-out" saftey thing is really cool. Drops kite out of sky like a rock - just like it's supposed to. that's somewhat comforting!!

I have 3 meter fixed bridle and a 5 meter fixed bridle that I usually landboard with at the beach since wind is usually less gusty there. This 10 meter depower will be my main winter snowkite. Hopefully will help with the gusty wind when snowkiting inland. The 3 meter will be the high wind winter snowkite. The 5 meter gets to hibernate for the winter.

I'm trying to use 10 meter now with the landboard for practice so I have better experience with the kite when the snow comes.

Thanks for your tips!!

I'm surprised to learn the access is such a squirrely powerhouse.
It's always marketed as such a stable "beginner" kite. Never woulda thought it could become unpredictable so fast.

pretty much answered already...I'll chime in a bit too

1 - yup, to notice the bar power you need a certain amount of tension on the lines. Get enough wind flow through the foil, have enough line tension (sit back against the kite a bit), pull the bar and you'll notice it.

3- " It it hard to static fly with a 10 meter depower" As long as you don't have mega-gusts, and choose slower wind speeds than if you were moving, it's reasonable. if you get out when your kite barely flies so you can move it around without huge power surges, should be managable.


2- regarding the cleat (trimmer)"Do you folks mess with this much? can such a small adjustment make that big of a difference? (I just left it on factory setting for now until I get more experience)"

hehe, no no, use it immediately, don't wait, it's not an 'advanced feature'. The bar throw and the cleat do the same thing, but the bar is for more immediate access (dumping power from gusts, or powering up for a jump), and the cleat/trim for increase or decrease in the average wind speeds. Without it, you are limiting your wind range for sure.


5 - " When you are flying depower with landboard do you mostly have control bar pushed away from you while riding and then pull in for the burst of power or does it just vary depending on the wind. I guess the kite turns faster when pulling control bar in?"

I generally have about 1/3 to 1/2 pulled in, so i can dish power in gusts. If you have it too far out, and there is plenty of power in the kite, you might have problems getting rid of enough power during the gusts.

Fly safe!

hey it's great getting all this feedback. It's all very helpful. Thanks!!

Trim strap does make a pretty big difference but I don't mess with it much.

I usually launch / land with the strap in about 85% . Move to about 50/50 if the wind is good. Open to about 85% if I want extra power to jump etc..

For me, keeping the trim at about 85% seems to help when flying in lower than rated winds.

Depower is a bit of a confusing term. I try to think + talk front lines and back lines. Speed the kite and have it sit forward on front lines . Slow the kite or have it sit back with the back lines.

Speed equals power also!