Suds after thuds - 20-7-2014 at 09:26 PM
One day I will learn to ask strangers for help. I was at Jaws Bridge on MV winds were in the low teens (NE 10-16 knots)and I was about to try to solo
launch my new kite. Two guys were watching, but they had left their gear in the car, so I thought they might be clueless curious gawkers. "You want
help launching?" one asked. Sure did.
it was such light wind that I didn't feel any pull on the lines. "Are you going to go?" I stopped waiting, took a couple of steps back, pulled the
power lines and flew right to the top to the window.
This kite handles so fast. I was zipping around, doing some eights between 11 and 2 seeing what it was like from 2 to 10 and then I over flew luffed,
landed nose down in the water. After an eternity I got the kite to flip back over. After this first one I got better quickly, but still couldn't
really do it with confidence in deep water. Good thing it was low tide and there are plenty of sand bars in Sengekontacket. I spent a couple of hours
practicing body drags and power strokes until I finally felt like I had a feel for the kite and grabbed the board.
There was just enough to consistently get a pop up onto the plane, but I had to sine it almost down to the water and back to 12 to keep going. I had
several runs back and forth and and some point I decided that I was going on as long a run as I could muster, so I wound up on the other side of the
pond. Took a half hour swim to get back to the sandbar. Now I can cross practice self rescue off the list.
I kept going for another 2 hours, doing the best I could to hold my ground then walking back, safety deployed, dragging kite back in the water. If I
didn't dive deep enough in the power zone, the run was over.
I think I would have been able to hold my ground if I'd had a bit more wind. Nevertheless this was far and away the best day I've had in the water
solo. Other than birds I only saw 1 motor boat and a pole dancer in the water.
Once I'd finished packing up some other kiter's had arrived, pumping up a light breeze 16m. I think I did alright with half the kite.
Wednesday calls for 18-25 knots and should be perfect for this kite.
abkayak - 21-7-2014 at 05:16 AM
cool story bro...tell me more about this pole dancer
BeamerBob - 21-7-2014 at 07:09 AM
Who makes the Reo? What type kite is it?
Edit: Ahh, found it. Ozone LEI.