Hello to all, I would really appreciate some advice on a few problems I seem to be having, so here goes...

I was on the beach the other day with my home made buggy and 15mph of 'on shore wind'. To get moving I fly my powerforce velocity 4.1m to the zenith, and when seated and poiting about 45 degrees off the wind, I bring it down through the power zone and start moving. Turning slightly up wind to keep me on a 'broad or beam reach'. after only a few yards, the kite looses power, and to keep lines taught I need to pump them. To prevent me from stopping, I have to fly it back across the window and tack, and so going in the opposite direction whether I want to or not. What sort of minimum and maximum wind speed do you guys go buggying in ?. Is my technique wrong ? As soon as get the chance I will post pics of my buggy, for your comments, good and bad. In the meantime any help would be greatful
Thanks all
Mongo

Greets, Mongo!

15 mph is a little low for a small kite, might take a 5-meter or so to get good "umph" in that breeze. The trick is, don't turn *too* upwind, and start way out at the water's edge, so you've got room to run slightly downwind until you achieve speed. Once you're rolling at a decent pace, you can "scallop" upwind in small curves, controlling speed and keeping some beach on the downwind side, so you can turn slightly downwind in a luff.

Also, be sure your brake lines are adjusted correctly... most performance kites need just a little brake applied, to keep powered up out at the edge of the window, and to prevent overflying the edge and luffing out, losing power. Apply more brake as you near the edge of the window, to keep the kite back in the power zone and pulling. Don't "think it", just "feel it", and when it clicks, you'll know it instantly. On a day when this is happening, find a buddy and borrow a bigger kite for a session, just to see if that does the trick, too.

I've gotten kinda spoiled over the years, and now I seldom attempt to buggy in anything less than 15-18 mph, and use my largest (5 meter) kite at that wind speed. Once it starts gusting up over 20, I downsize, usually to a 3-meter.

Hope this helps...

-Dooley :moon:

If the kite's loosing tension on the lines, you're allowing yourself to go too far down wind, a common mistake with beginners. You've got to get more tension on the lines by cutting more across wind quicker, it's a fine line, too far down wind and the lines go slack, you lose power, too far upwind and the kite will race ahead and stall out/luff, if you get it just right you'll be able to sine the kite and keep a nice steady pull.

A couple ideas here.

Flying static, practice doing a figure 8 with the kite, but keep it on one side of the window, so it'll end up looking like the figure 8 is on a 45deg angle, this will keep the kite pulling you in one direction even when working it. As you pick up speed it'll be more of a sine wave than a figure 8.

Try working the kite straight up and down when in the bug, if you're going left, don't let the kite point to the right. You'll generate more speed, less downwind drag this way. If you're underpowered though, you'll have to work the kite pretty hard to get rolling, less as you get moving.

Another option is to loop the kite. It's really not that scarry when in the buggy. Just be prepared for a big boost in power. If it gets too much, swerve downwind to unload the kite a little and it'll lose power. If you're starting off to the left, bring the kite hard over to the right, as the kite rounds the bottom of the loop, start cutting hard across wind with the buggy, the kite should follow and give you one really long powerstroke. Then as the kite's reaching the edge of the window, loop it the other way. You'll go downwind pretty quickly this way, but if you get your speed up fast enough, you can sometimes manage to get going cross/upwind off apparent wind.



Last bit of advice. I almost never buggy with a kite that won't get me scudding at least 5-10ft when flying static, anything less will be frustrating at best. The more power you have the less work the kite has to do and the wider the angle upwind/downwind you'll be able to travel. I like to be able to sit in the bug, park the kite at one side of the window and go that way, pump the kite or tap the brakes for more speed, fly kite high to slow down.

Don't let the experts intimidate you with the need for speed. Although I can zip along the beach pretty well and always come to a stop in the same tracks I started out in, I am still a relative novice and can still think like a beginner.

I'm 200 lbs and have driven my heavier wide-axle flexi in 7 mph winds with my PL reactor 4.9. OK, that is slow and boring after a bit, but it is good practice for finessing the kite. At that speed you can really take in what is going on.

First, Pablo is right on about walking the figure-eights. It was the only way I got my mind wrapped around the sequence and timing of a proper gybe. Absolutely invaluable.

That being said about lower wind, I was out yesterday in winds of 11-15 kts and my Rage 3.5 in the bug and had a fine time, topping out at 25-30 mph. I had a Reator 4.9 with me but got lazy as I had a small time window so I stuck with the rage.

Higher winds and a smallish kite is good for a beginner in my opinion as it is easier to keep the the lines taught in a gybe and it has already been pointed out that that is often the most difficult thing to learn. Put the kite to your side and a little high, then start hardening up (point up wind slightly) so the kite is a degree or two behind you- enough to slow you but not pull you out the back. When you are comfortable with the speed, bring the kite all the way up, start its turn downwind, then turn the bug behind it. When you get the timing right the kite will dip, power up and pull you out of the last half of the turn.

Like a lot of things in life, many good things are learned at first by accident. One day while flying in light wind where I was fearful of slacking the lines in a downind turn, I put the front wheel full over for a quick turn. I ended up just spinning out in a 180 degree turn right in place with the kite powering up in the opposite direction. "How convenient!", I thought and continued to replicate it in the future, learning to throw my hips into it and leaning forward to keep my center of gravity down.
Prictice this at higher and higher speeds, remembering that if your outside wheel rim catches something (dried jellyfish last time for me), you can flip the bug.

One way to practice is to start a turn soon after you get going, before you build up a lot of speed. After the gybe, go one power stroke, then gybe again right away. As you become more comfortable and improve timing and gracefulness (and comfort) lengthen the distance between turns so your max. speed builds gradually.

The other advantage of a smaller kite in moderate winds is that when you make mistakes, the results are evident and instructive, but not violent.

What does gybe mean? Not sure about sine either.........

I'm no sailor, but I think gybe is changing directions by turning downwind with the bug, tack is by turning nose into the wind to change directions.

You can learn the basics underpowered, probably safer to do that. It really depends on how much power you're used to be holding on to. One thing you'll find though if badly underpowered is that you'll be doing down winders, if you're just a little underpowered you'll be holding your ground with some thought. When you're fully lit, you can point in pretty much any direction and have to start learning interesting methods to get back down wind.

I just had a really wicked ride last night on the ATB, me and a buddy made it out. He was on my 7.5m Brooza having fun in the 6-8mph winds, he was rolling but having to work it and stay on the nice short grass. I was on my 13m Century fully lit, doing small jumps on the transitions. Park and ride with the kite. He could barely hold his ground while I was heading upwind at a sharp angle.

Work on the technique first, when you figure that out and want to stay upwind with ease, then start flying with more power. Upwind is simply a power trip.

sounds good. Its amazing that in such low winds you can get moving.. but I guess when your using a kite as big as 13 meters,,, it makes all the difference.

Don't worry bout the kite size, average person in low winds only needs a 7-9m kite, open cell fixed bridal foil is the way forwards in the low wind. By the time you need something bigger than a 9m to get moving it's time to head home.