Power Kite Forum - Kites without wind?

Kites without wind?

rofer - 6-20-2015 at 08:46 AM

Hi all,
With the summer here the winds are even lighter than normal and I've started wondering if there's anything I can do with my kites without any wind, or at least without any external wind. What I'm thinking is if I'm using something where I can get moving without the kite would I do thing like jump using just the apparent wind?

I'm thinking maybe pick up some speed on inline skates then throw the kite around and see if I can get any air or something similar.

Another option might be riding an innertube with one hand steering the kite and the other holding on to a tow rope. I know better than to actually be towed up by a boat, but I imagine if I'm just holding the rope and staying relatively near the water things can't go too badly.

Has anyone tried anything like this? Do I just have to give up on using the kites in this weather?

Windstruck - 6-20-2015 at 10:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by rofer

...things can't go too badly...

Can you say "famous last words"? Sure you can... :crazy:

PHREERIDER - 6-20-2015 at 11:32 AM

...and a tow rope " choosing wisely ancillary activities because your gears dismemberment as well as your own is just around the corner.

caution advised

its wind dependent, thats where you are at now . having breeze is kinda check point Alpha...if its absent its an all stop situation.

RedSky - 6-20-2015 at 11:38 AM

No wind, no problem. Just place a bid on my blade 10.5. 11hrs remaining.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281722275509?ssPageName=STRK:MESEL...

rofer - 6-20-2015 at 11:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RedSky

No wind, no problem. Just place a bid on my blade 10.5. 11hrs remaining.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281722275509?ssPageName=STRK:MESEL...

Heh, I'm talking about wind that won't even get my 10.5 NS3 up. I'm not sure a blade would do much better, otherwise I would have placed a bid already :p

PHREERIDER: I'm just talking about holding a tow rope in with one hand, not attaching it to myself. I realize the hazards involved there, but my thinking is that my grip would give long before my equipment or body did. Do you think otherwise?

bigkid - 6-20-2015 at 12:07 PM

longer lines will help. 300 foot lines with a 10m will let you buggy in ZERO WIND.
i do it quite often.

rofer - 6-20-2015 at 12:12 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bigkid

longer lines will help. 300 foot lines with a 10m will let you buggy in ZERO WIND.
i do it quite often.

My other problem is that I rarely have the space for 20m lines. Anything beyond that and I won't have room to even make a full power stroke. When I finally get my water lesson (which keeps getting canceled because of the wind conditions) I should have enough space to run longer lines, but until then nothing longer than 20m is reasonable and 10m is better.

Life really seems to be telling me to give up, but I can't.

Windstruck - 6-20-2015 at 12:34 PM

@ rofer - in your idle moments you may wish to read up a bit on Chaos Theory, sometimes referred to as the Butterfly Effect.

From Wikipedia:

Chaos Theory is the field of study in mathematics that studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions—a response popularly referred to as the butterfly effect. Small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for such dynamical systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general. This happens even though these systems are deterministic, meaning that their future behavior is fully determined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. In other words, the deterministic nature of these systems does not make them predictable.

The Butterfly Effect is derived from the metaphorical example of the details of a hurricane (exact time of formation, exact path taken) being influenced by minor perturbations such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier.

Believe me I get where you are coming from, but you may just be setting yourself up for Toad's Wild Ride. :frog:

@ bigkid: I know we'd all love to see some video of your no wind 300 ft lines buggying!!! :wee:

PHREERIDER - 6-20-2015 at 06:31 PM

a descent in light to zero wind will be challengeing, IF you could get one hard loop off you will drop like a stone. after that just a matter of time.

be careful

Michael Gaylan - 6-20-2015 at 07:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by rofer

things can't go too badly.

ROFL

Windstruck - 6-20-2015 at 07:20 PM

Michael - great minds think alike. Look earlier in this thread.

BANDWIDTH WARNING FOR MOBILE DEVICES - Danger Will Robinson Danger

indigo_wolf - 6-20-2015 at 08:31 PM

ITW Skate

ITW Manta (the Skate's bigger brother at 10.5 feet)

TrickTail

Revolution kite (race rods)

Pro Dancer Super Ultralight (SUL)

Horvath Long Way Home

Platz Glider

Skyburner Aerolite

Skyburner Tyro

ATB,
Sam

acampbell - 6-21-2015 at 09:45 AM

Sam, I knew you would come through.

We once saw an off-Broadway show (inside of course - zero wind) with an ultralight delta kite as one of the acts. Way cool.

Wind is one of my favorite relatives.

Randy - 6-21-2015 at 10:17 AM

If you have a dog (or 3 or 4) you really don't need wind.

1oldkid - 6-21-2015 at 11:36 AM

Now there ya go!
All ya gotta do is feed 'em...
And watch out for cats.....or squirrels...

indigo_wolf - 6-21-2015 at 12:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

If you have a dog (or 3 or 4) you really don't need wind.

I see you pit bulls, and.....

ATB,
Sam

Randy - 6-21-2015 at 03:52 PM

I'm not sure I'm believing that one. Cats are just not that cooperative.

Windstruck - 6-21-2015 at 04:41 PM

Randy - I almost wet myself watching your video with the dogs!!!! :lol:

Classic moment at about 35 seconds in when the pickup starts to pull up. Doh! :evil:

Now that guy had STONES. Got to say rofer, this looks like your better option. Too funny.

rofer - 6-22-2015 at 07:48 AM

Heh, we had a pitbull who would pull a special dog-powered scooter thing. The cat thing looks crazy though.

So, looks like there's little I can do with power kites without any real wind. I might just stick to my other hobbies then, but I guess ultra light stunt kites are an option too.

PHREERIDER - 6-22-2015 at 08:32 AM

ok rofer , these are my solutions to no wind. built both of these units last year during fall/winter when the wind was weak.

this one, serious offroad tow unit, i have about 300 hours running it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mwomRawE1I

this one , perfect street tow. well over 500hours on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP57LFBOak0

caution advised for obvious risk involved, but man the PHUN PHACTOR is off the charts!

rofer - 6-22-2015 at 09:15 AM

PHREERIDER: I actually U2U'd you about that before. Been thinking about those recently, but I probably don't have the funds to build any RC things right now.

PHREERIDER - 6-22-2015 at 09:25 AM

thought it felt like a repeat, circle of phun !

rofer - 6-22-2015 at 09:27 AM

Yeah, I definitely love the idea. At some point I'll probably get something to tow me offroad and and something with treads for the snow.

1oldkid - 6-22-2015 at 12:06 PM

Haha!
That is just WAY phun lookin"!
I got a couple old riding lawn mowers out back that I was going to build racers out of...now i'm gonna re-think that!

PHREERIDER - 6-22-2015 at 06:00 PM

endless phun :eekdrull:

yep ...thats a common destination for me , it will take you to disease level phun where there is no waiting my man!