The Kitemare Before Christmas

Ok that's a crap title...

If you've followed the threads on foilzone, you'll know that noboby loves the guidance blocks. And now, I hate them...

Out last night in 'light winds' on the S3 21 and my favourite board, Flyradical L. PERFECTLY powered, and I mean it couldn't be better - flattest water I've seen on the lake in months and enough power for big jumps but not over-powered so I get pulled off my edge... I was loving it!

Then... I discover that one of the balls on the leader line has wedged itself under the guidance block and no matter how much I pull, twist or tug it won't unhook and the kite is powering into a dive to the RHS... I think the smart thing to do is hit the QR.

Nope recover the bar and the kite is inverted and bowtied with one side of the bridle wrapped around the middle of the bow-tie - it ain't coming out... I think I'm too close to the marina wall to continue trying to fix it so decide to self-rescue.

I wasn't that close after all long bloody swim, big messy soggy kite, long walk back up the beach. Sigh.

And to top it all off - my favourite boad is MIA couldn't get back to it when I decided to self-rescue so I let it go, thinking it would end up on the beach right behind me. Nope...

Bloody guidance block - it's all your fault.

Ackshully saw that thread on here yesterday about the lost board and thought "Yeah I should name my boards too..."
Hows that for irony? Got me thinking though...

Talk to John @ PowerZone, he has a replacment kit that isnt too expensive. It is quite easy to install.

Block replaced

Block Gone

IIRC ... check out the Speed2 manual .pdf at flysurfer.com
It'll be the safety line attached to a ball, and the flying line attached to that but behind the ring on the black rope, so that when the flying lines are loaded, the ball is pulled tight into the ring.
... imagine grabbing an Oh-#@%$#!! handle - that's all the safety does. Again, IIRC ...


The safety line would attach to the 'bottom' ring ...

There's a couple of video's I have on my HDD called "SPEED2-FLS-Explenation.avi" and "SPEED2-FLS-Demonstration.avi" that show the original Speed2 system ... but I can't find them on the interweb

... the only thing that bothers me about the fx3eric mod is the ELC ... something else up there to tangle

To make it more simple FLS is what makes it problematic I think ...

FDS is a middle-of-the-kite line, that folds the whole thing in half - more like a true 5th line.
The original FLS used a single front line like in those videos I can't find :o or as a PL kite.

Why the change? I'm betting that when the kite wasn't loaded, the weight of the leash etc would pull the FLS line and risk tangling. And people believed that it stretched that center line more than the other one.

The 'new' FLS uses the block and a small knot way up near the kite to stop the bar running to the kite or bashing the splice between center line and mini-5th. According to a post by Armin (I think it was anyway) using a stopper ball is risking tangles ...

The Unity FLS is the same system, just with the cylinderical guidance block ... and the center lines larS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s headed to the black rope ...!

2 swims within a week - I'm a bloody legend!

This time, the wind just totally died I was body dragging back to my board and not paying attention to ... anything enjoying the cool water, nice sunny evening. Suddenly, the kite stalled and I waited for it do something so I could pull a line and recover - but it actually flew forwards and almost landed on top of me :o

Naturally, I was way the hell out the other end of the beach, as far from shore as I could be - same place as last time basically this time though, I wrapped my lines up properly and got the board before swimming in ... another hour or so hauling the kite in.

At least this time there was NO wind so I wasn't missing out

Resurrecting this thread cos I've lost my Flyradical again this time, I've no idea where it could be... got a buoy caught in my lines and by the time I'd freed myself, the board was nowhere to be seen.

Hopefully I'll get a call from Miyachi telling me he's found it again...

In the meantime - what are some good options for me to dream about? :D I want a small, freeride board with max bottom end, good at coping with chop and waves, for "high" wind (at the limit of the kite, usually) and for jumping as high as possible

> Switch MJComp 138x42... dunno about the rocker or how freestyle dedicated it is
> ABoards Z-series 140x42.5... don't like the stepping on the tips :D
> Axis (ex-Underground builders) Vanguard 138x43... dunno about the channels, looks to wakeboardy
> Naish Hero 140x43 or Motion 142x42...
> Cabrinha Tronic 140x42... again, rockers and channels...
> Flyradical4 L 138x42 of course... but I don't like the straps!

I might be able to demo the Naish boards... if I'm lucky... maybe even LF or Cabrinha if I wait long enough

Unlucky with the Board. One of my kite buddies lost his board at the weekend. I keep trying to tell him he needs to learn to body drag properly!

Inflatable kites are a lot less trouble don't you find? much easier to swim with also

I'm really loving my new Slingshot Misfit. Its got much more performance in strong winds than my oldschool Airush Switch (its 2006 or something) but its still quite user friendly. I have the 136 but they do a 142x42 which fits in with the other boards you mention. Nice graphic on the 2013 aswell - simple but cool looking.

Used kites, mates-rates on the first 2 flyboards and a super-deal from Flysurfer on the new 'door... and I don't drink (much) or smoke :D

Wasn't planning on losing it though

Also looking at the Nobile T5 - but $800? FFS that's as much as a surfboard! Is it just me or is this sport getting more expensive as the years go by?

Huh, just checked the count... 105 session on the Flyradical - that's about $10 a session. I feel slightly less depressed now

BTW who fixed the US dollar? Bastards, the exchange rate blows now...