So, I flew my kite for the first time Saturday and the beach was wet due to lots of rain. We could slide a couple inches, but not smoothly. Is this due to higher friction in the wet sand versus dry sand. It almost felt like the kite would come out of our hands, so maybe we were just too weak. Anyway I just want to make sure we were doing it right.

What kind of kite and what kind of wind?

There is not much to do wrong with skudding. When you feel the poswer coming on, sit back in a make-belive chair and adjust your foot posture to be heavy on the heels and light on the toes. Then just hang on and enjoy the ride.

On the beach, almost any shoe is OK. On the grass, you can't use anything that is "grippy" like a lot of running shoes. I like my Topsider-style boat shoes for that since they are smooth on the bottom. They work well for wet sand, too.

If you happen to come over to Seaside or Sunset Beach, drop me a line and I'll be more than happy to fly with ya.

I understand the technique. I am just trying to understand whether wet sand would be harder to scud in than dry sand. The kite is a Beamer 3.6 and my 85 lb son should have been able to get some motion going.

Jimmy,

I would love to fly with you if I am down there. I will probably be down next weekend over the holiday. I will be coming down Sunday afternoon and coming home on Monday afternoon. Maybe we can get together if the weather allows.

cool, I'll keep my eye out for ya

Usually it's simply a power thing, Some days I'm skudding across grass/sand with my work boots on with a 2m kite, other days I can barely get sliding on wet grass with the 13m

I thought so. Maybe it is easier with a harness than just holding handles. I am not sure I could hold onto the handles if there was enough wind to pull me. Is it easier to scud with a harness on?

Just different, a little easier to ballance, but the same amount of pull.

As for foot positioning, you want to stay with your heels dug in while positioning the kite, then point your toes a little to keep your feet level with the ground to slide nice and easy.

Option #2 is the pop bottle scudd shoes, take two 2 litre pop bottles, cut holes out of the sides towards the bottom big enough for your feet to fit in, wear them like slippers, should be sliding no problem.

hey flyflinger you definitely want to learn to scud with handles before strapping you or your son to harness!! I have no experience with a beamer but it should be able to drag you. Fly kite from side to side about half way between the ground and straight up. This is the power zone and you'll be scudding in no time

OK I think I get it. So let me simplify things with this question. Is it easier to scud in wet or dry sand?:puzzled:

Hard to say but I think the same.

I've often wondered what a strain guage would indicate while skudding. The two times I have had a line part and dump me on my butt (both due to knot failures- one on a bridle toggle and one at the handle pigtail) have been while skudding in sand and not while being lifted.

In soft dry sand any shoe will plow through. In moist hard-pack, my smooth-bottom topsiders slip easily but my running shoes with treads would offer more resistance. Some day I'll figure a way to measure it.

My exp has been, wet sand is a bit harder to get moving, but once you're going, it's easier to go farther.

Thanks everyone. I think my tennis shoes may have had too much traction with the amount of weight I put in them. I am going to try a few things this weekend and will let you know the results.

Hey Pablo! I saw something out on the beach a few days ago that looked pretty cool to use when skudding, so you can finally get rid of those pop bottles. (and all those funny looks when you wear them) They're about 12" long and they look like Sandals but they're hard plastic, and the noses turn up like a ski. Apply a little sand wax and pweeooww! Wet or dry, your off like a rocket!!

I think they're called "carpet skaters" or something like that. I'm gonna get some. I think they're only a few bucks each.

Just found "Carpet Skates" on the net for $14.99

So who is going to be the first to try them?

If the wind is low for the kite you are flying you will have to dive the kite deeper and and that changes the angle of force. In a bigger wind the pull will come from a better direction for slidding because you won't have to swing it accross the bottom of the window to create power.
Get a harness for the walk back upwind at least. It will allow you to rest your arms a bit before going again and greatly extend your fly time.

It really does, hehe.

If you're only getting a couple of feet - the chances are theres just not enough power; regardless of the state of the sand. I skud through all kinds of sea-mud, loose deep sand, wet sand etc. And its no problem - but thats with a big kite and plenty of wind.

Im dying to find out what my ProFoil will do at the "Beach" with really steady winds that arent always cutting out, like they do here in Portland at the nearest im able to fly at...

It only takes 10 minutes to walk to, but in that length of time I can get there & the winds died down & I cant do squat with a kite, let alone being dragged around by the wind, & having to deal with the wind shadows of all the trees around the park itself (its a small park)...

Plus the beach at the River, is NOT the same kind of sand that one finds at the ocean...

Sounds like you need to hook up with Archkiter and head to Sunset Beach !!!

Bigger kites will help as well.

I still remember the first time I flew the 13m, set up in about 3mph winds, could barely feel it, thought to myself "Yeah right, like this is going to work", gave a tug of the handles, she jumped a couple feet off the ground, paused for a second then slowly started climbing out filling along the way, when it hit 1/2 way up the window it finished filling and I went for a good 10-15 ft skud. Of all the kites I've owned, there's only 2 I really miss, that 13m and the 6.5m Century, they were both perfect in their own way.

Well I'll get my 1st chance at the beach friday (With the newer foils, 9.0m² "Buster" & ProFoils 1.5m² & 3.5m²) since the last time with just the RushII 250, So Im hoping the winds decide to co-operate...Im looking for some "Good Long Scudding" & maybe a Teeny bit of Air...

UpDate;10/24/07; Got plenty of great scuds... Yesterday at the beach & put the ProFoil 3.5m² through some good paces

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