A quick question. Does anyone launch their kite allready sitting in the buggy ? I launched in gusty weather the other day, and it took me 10 minutes to fight my way back to my buggy, upwind. Am I doing it all wrong ?
Thanks
Mongo

Low winds, I always launch standing up, high winds, especially when powered up, I always launch from the buggy, the thing has wheels, it can take the sudden jolt a lot better than my feet can. Here's a run down. Set up ground stake, leave kite bag by bright orange ground stake, so no one accidentally runs over ground stake in a low slung buggy (I no longer use metal spikes for ground stakes). Set up kite, put buggy beside ground stake, grab handles, keep on the brakes with the kite basically directly down wind from you. I hook in and give it a tug, the kite will pull like a SOB, ride it out directly down wind, as the kite's passing a 45deg angle, starting to near the top, carve across wind, use your speed to head into a cross wind reach. Depending on the wind strenght will decide how soon you can cut across wind.

I do the same. It works.

Susan

Just about everything I have read has said you should always Launch your kite standing up and then back into your buggy. This makes sense to a certain degree for safety reasons. Reading the before hand mentioned posts is saying something different. Any other opinions? Not saying they are wrong,,, I am not that experienced yet to have a say.. Launching while seated sounds interesting but can it be dangerous?

I find it a bit of a pain trying to launch sitting down in low winds. In high winds it may be safer in the bug. As Pab's mentions you can run it out easier ( safer ? ) than scudd it and then fiddle with getting seated.
In high winds when standing ALWAYS launch your kite from the side of the window NOT straight downwind, as with low wind. ( lay kite out flagging downwind, Fold over upwind wing edge and weight it down, walk so the kite is at the edge of the window, slowly pull lines and let kite inflate, give it a tug and it should pop up and sit at the edge with minimum power )
If you had that much trouble walking upwind you are at about the top end for that kite. Also when walking upwind keep the kite LOW at 10 or 2. It's easier + a whole lot safer!!! Walking upwind ( or standing around ) with the kite at zenith is a big no no ! ( but we all do it sometimes :smug: )

I would say it depends on surface condition.

On hard surface such as dry lake, it may make sense to lauch while sitting on a buggy in high wind.

On soft sand, however, it may be dangerous as buggy doesn't move as quickly as it does on hard surface. You might get lauched out of your buggy before buggy starts rolling on soft sand. In that case, there is a chance you hit some buggy parts such as foot pegs.... - Brian

True, never thougth about the soft sand, I'm always launching on hard packed sand or grass. I've never had a problem though on the hard stuff.

I actually feel a lot safer when at the top end of the windrange of a kite when in the buggy than I do flying static as long as you have a large area to move around in. When gusts hit in the bug you can simply swerve downwind to unload the kites, lull and you carve upwind, It's easy to keep the desired amount of tension in the sail/lines. Static it's often a case of getting yanked, then luffing, then yanking, then luffing.

Be sure to have the kite and buggy control down though before trying this. If you do it wrong it could end poorly.

Hold on a minute.
Let's start with all the assumptions...

You are assuming the kite is directly downwind and you must launch to full-power.
Puts a ton of strain on the bridle attachment points and the fabric.
It is the most common moment for kite breakage.

Love to do that to YOUR kite.
Not mine.

You assume there is a ton of room around you.
Your method does not consider conditions or location.

I love those over-powered starts right into traffic.

The facts of launching have to do with control - not where your butt happens to be.

By lowering your hands to just below the top lead on the handles, you may have a low-power start even directly down-wind.

By walking your handles (and so your lines) about 45 degrees off the wind, you may launch and turn horizontal immediately, the kite moving to the edge before it climbs up.

But that represents skills.
I know most of you just want to GO.

So don't bother to practice any of these before-hand.
It's just the wacky 'lama so you can ignore the tips.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Alot to think about.. Well Brian, you know that I have the soft sand here on the Wildwood Beach. Its still good to get all of these different points of view. As it was said,,, I will still do it by launching standing up and wait until my skills improve before I try the other ideas.

Dunno, I feel way less stress on the harness/handles when I'm in the bug pointing directly downwind than I do when flying in wind static. My feet and 250lbs of "ballast" do a pretty good job of acting like an anchor. The bug has very little rolling resistance so by the time the kite's 5 ft off the ground and just starting to make power I'm already moving towards it, I don't cut across wind until the kite power is under control. Usually happens pretty quick when you're going straight at the kite.

If you have someone around, of course you can get an assisted launch at the side of the window. Self launching at the side of the window also works, but with the size of kite I'm usually flying, by the time I walk to the side of the window the kite's starting to fold a tip or rolling over on the ground. I've been buggy launching for the last year or so now, usually well powered up and all my kites still fly fine, never broke a bridal, ripped/blew out a cell or anything either. I've never tried to save $$$ with cheaper kites though, so I have no idea how they'd hold up.

I do usually fly well lit though, launching on foot has been scary to say the least. I simply got tired of the 20-30ft skudds on takeoff. They suck when your foot catches something halfway through them and you go over forwards. I only fly that powered up in open areas as well.

Good info Pablo, When you make reference to "powered up" you mean launching in the middle of the window? I have a bigfoot buggy and will be using a beamer lll 3 meter on mostly soft sand,, weight about 160lbs. I dont use a harness of course because I am not that good yet.

By powered up I'm referring to flying my 13m Century in 10-15mph winds, 7.5m Brooza in 15-25mph, 5.5m Brooza in 20mph+

Launching at the center of the window in some wind is usually refered to as "Hot Launching"

You should be ok either way. I usually launch in the bug whenever there's enough wind to do it easily. I end up getting out of the bug when the wind's light and a couple steps backwards makes all the difference in getting the kite off the ground. If you're new to the game though, probably a good idea to get out of the buggy for now and work on one thing at a time. When you find that you're flying powered up enough to skudd 5-10ft on launch, the bug becomes a good option.

So I was under the impression that you launch your kite and you should expect to skud, this way you know that you have enough wind to buggy. Or could you just assume that you will have enough power based on the kite your flying and the wind speed. So then you should not really look to skud,,, just get it flying and into the posistion to drop it into the window edge to start buggying. Of course I know that I should know how to skud. And it appears to be fun when you want and intend to do it.

I'd have to agree with you, if you hot launch your kite and don't get dragged a couple feet at least, you're underpowered to buggy or atb. I'd also go so far as to say if you can't skudd 5-10ft at will then you're underpowered.

It is possible to buggy underpowered, probably better for your first couple attempts to be that way, but once you start getting used to it then flying powered up makes life easier.

When I head out and folks haven't figured out what size to fly I tend to be wimpy and start with the smaller option for said winds. Often I put up too small a kite and am underpowered. You just have to swing the kite a bit to know. Like wise if you are well powered / over powered.
As I mentioned scudding, while a whole lot of fun is important for later as a safety method all through your kiting days. You will find yourself in situations nearly all the time when you HAVE TO deal with the fact your kite is in the power zone and your on your feet ( or going to land on them after being launched ) Scudding downwind while you direct the kite to the edge of the window ( low power zone ) to save your :moon:
Plan for it and expect it every good day out !!!