I recently purchased a 5.3 and have used it winds on its low end (not by choice, I've been waiting for better wind). My question is the few times I've tried it with the buggy it seems to get me going and overfly the window. It's not a high ar kite so that kind of surprised me. It will overfly in the direction I'm headed and I will turn upwind to keep the lines tight but then I'm nearly headed directly upwind and the kite stalls. The winds were 8-12ish so I'm hoping that more wind will fix the problem. The weird thing is it's starting to look like the wind range of the 5.3 viper and my 4m twister are going to be about the same. Any thoughts?

I've found when I had that happens with a kite (I believe I have to do it with my 2.6m) I really have to exaggerate the sine wave. I almost fly the kite backwards at a 45 or 60 degree angle on the upstroke, then shoot it downward.

Maybe add another knot for your brake lines to take up just a bit more slack, or ride them just a bit more.

like 3shot said, a lot of the buggy kites want a little brake, I would second his suggestion

Thanks guys. I did tune the brakes a couple time to no avail. This kite, unlike the other fixed bridles I have had, seems to have a larger window and like to be out in front rather than to my side. Which with a little more wind I think will be an advantage. Soliver, I eventually did start to sine it backwards and that was the only thing that kept me moving. I think 99.9% of my problem was not enough wind. The wind was really light with only periodic usable wind. Very frustrating when you've waited all week to run a new kite through it's paces and only get teased by the wind.

When you really do get some clean wind, edging just a bit more upwind or riding the brakes will correct it. Now add janky inland wind and its two steps forward and one step back. Signing backwards a little will yank you out eventually (although we all do it). The kite outrunning you will only be amplified in higher wind. Its just going to move faster to the edge of the same window.

All in my most humble opinion only. This is what works for me. Pretty dang sure we have the same wind conditions.

Update: Absolutely no problem with the viper. Today the winds were high teens gusting high 20's mixed with some lulls. There's a storm front rolling in tonight that's making the wind crazy. Anyway, the viper performed great besides the fact that I was way overpowered. I had a feeling I just didn't have enough wind the last couple of times I used it. I was concerned about not having a big enough power difference between it and my 4 meter and I was wrong about that. I flew the 4 meter immediately after the viper and the viper has a lot more power in the same winds. Yesterday I went home wanting to sell off all my gear and give up and today I had nothing but tight lines and powerslides. Much better mood today.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Yesterday I went home wanting to sell off all my gear and give up and today I had nothing but tight lines and powerslides. Much better mood today.

LOL. We all feel that way some days. It really does suck a lot of days being cursed with janky winds, but when it does work, Its a blast!!!! Glad you got your skid on!:D

I have a tendency to fly underpowered and have experienced what your original post described a number of times... It used to happen a lot with my 5m Core. What always worked best for me in those situations was the maneuver I was talking about earlier... Not always necessarily to sine the kite "backwards", but mostly just to really exaggerate the sine wave mostly in an attempt to keep the kite further back in the window... Not to mention the benefit of the apparent wind.

This didn't happen as much when I expanded my quiver and it was easier to size my kites to the wind conditions better. I think your initial assessment about wind speed was a good call. I say try that Viper S in 8-14mph wind and you'll be super pleased.

@soliver: I realize now that the kite was not overflying during light wind, it was just hanging out on the edge of the window until stalling. Without sining backwards or enough wind for it to pull at its optimum, it just reaches as far forward to the edge with me being and anchor or pivot point. I didn't initially realize that because it's "it's park and ride" location in the window is much further forward in the direction of travel than the twister. Probably a characteristic of most kites meant for buggy but I hadn't flown one until this one. That will end up being an advantage so I'm not so loaded directly to my side, but in lighter wind and in lulls I have to sine this kite very differently from what I'm used to. It's stable with good performance. It's going to be a great kite for inland conditions just like you said.

Just to throw my 2 cents in…
I was out flying my 3.9 Viper yesterday for about 8 hours straight (hooked in) ….winds were from the south but not too sure what the wind speed was…I just knew the 3.9 was perfect.
The beauty of the vipers I find is that they are such a stable kite in higher winds.
I also find that they eat the gust quite well and if they do collapse…they usually just drift back into the window and inflate(make sure your pointed downwind if this happens)
They fly to the edge of the window and usually just sit there for great park and fly’s…unlike the higher aspect race kites which fly to the edge and beyond which means you have to constantly be on your toes so that the kite doesn’t fly past the edge of the window and collapse.
If your kite was stalling out at the edge of the window, you need to down turn your kite and loop it back into the window to generate the power to keep moving.
Ken(K3)

Thanks for the tips Ken, I'm hoping to find one in the 6.8 size eventually for the lighter wind days or maybe even an npw wing.

sining a Viper when first starting to roll is normal , if once up to speed and you are still sining to keep your speed ,then you are under powered or on soft ground , maybe both. In soft sand, soft ground , deepish snow those kites will fly forward and lose any decent pull , sining them keeps them deeper in the window for more "grunt". When in gusty slop and the kite is surging ahead practise pulling on both brakes , with enough practise that fixed bridal can almost function like a depower. Love my Vipers!

Quote:

When in gusty slop and the kite is surging ahead practise pulling on both brakes , with enough practise that fixed bridal can almost function like a depower. Love my Vipers!

Thanks, I'll try that. I assume that works best when hooked in?

Yeah I'm always hooked in.

Good luck. Love my Viper s kites 3.9/6.8.
The 6.8 is my go to kite during the summer low wind conditions I experience. You will love the 6.8, I hope you find one...

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Quote: When in gusty slop and the kite is surging ahead practise pulling on both brakes , with enough practise that fixed bridal can almost function like a depower. Love my Vipers! Thanks, I'll try that. I assume that works best when hooked in?

I had fun doing something like this on Jekyll once... There was just enough wind to cruise at lower speeds with my 2.6m Viper S... I'd give it a little brake on both handles as it was low down in the power zone and watch it drop back in the window, then let off the brakes and get a little power surge as it jumped forward... Fun times!

Finally! Today I had good conditions for the viper and for practicing riding hooked in. Wind was somewhere around 12 mph. It was fantastic. Hooking in really gave me the control I needed to get every once of power from the kite when there were lulls and in the small gusts I would slide a little sideways without all the arm strain and risk of flipping since I was being pulled from a lower point. Thanks for all the advice. One thing I'm going to need if I ride hooked in more is back support. I didn't notice that being an issue when I fly off handles but I can tell I will need a backrest to ride very long hooked in.

Glad to hear you had a good run bud!