So what do you think the pros and cons are of Gusting, Dirty winds?

For me i hate these types of winds, the only pro that i can think of is that its good if you really want to be scared/adrenaline

So cons are many-

Unpredictable Gusts, yank you off your feet even if your not ready and can result in injury

Unpredictable as in you go for a pendulum jump and when you lift off it gusts and you go much higher than you want and expect to.

One second the pilot is overpowered then the kite drops out of the sky, leading to the kite falling to the lowest and most powerful point of the window then snapping back open and dragging you across the field on your face.

I could go on.

What do you find the pros and cons are of gusty and unclean wiinds?

There are no pros to gusting, dirty winds. You can enjoy yourself in them but the more you ride in smooth winds the less you'll even want to bother with dirty and gusting winds. Gusts can't be avoided but bumpy, dirty, gusty winds (especially when they swirl inland and shift the window 180 degrees) just plain stink.

ditto at b-roc

hard to pick a line when the winds are shifty...

Pros: Good advertising for arcs

gusty winds suck--i only fly in them as a last resort

Well I can think of one pro and that is only if the wind is not overly gusty (ie. 180 degree changes, differences over 10mph, etc).

Don't get me wrong, I would love to fly in nothing but clean coastal winds, but I do feel that my kite flying skills have improved immensely due to my inland flying conditions.

i loved a good, short gust at the buggy field in austin... i hit over 30 mph the first time... ive never hit a nitro switch in a car, but i bet it feels about the same...

i dont much care for them on a board, though.... gust injured me a few times in those circumstances....

all in all, i find them aggravating, but when i moved coastal, i started to miss those little nitro boosts... always greener on the other side, eh?

i agree with what lunchbox said, gusty inland winds have helped me learn alot, although i still cant stand them.

i learned how to jump in very gusty winds--i would do little bunny hops and small jumps w the blade 4m--then later with the blade 6.6--all in choppy gusty winds--really helped my control and kite awareness..........

I've flown stunt kites since the early 90s and I do believe flying those in gusty, crappy, inland winds can help you become a better flier (but then again, I fly a Utopia and the same can be "said" of that kite). I flew my foils for 3 years before I ever made the time to ride with them at the beach. I also used to think that flying in the conditions I flew them in made me a better flier but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I progressed more by riding for three hours at the beach than I did during the three years I rode in crap winds.

Do I know how to handle and deal with gusts - sure but I never encounter those types of conditions at the beach so I can focus on my riding and make improvements so much faster.

If it came down to flying in crap winds vs. not flying at all I would fly, but I don't believe that flying in crap winds makes you better. Flying in general is all that is needed to make you a better flier but flying in crap winds, while giving you the benefit of improving just because you are flying, also slows your learning curve as you can't focus for any great deal of time on doing what you want to do consistently. We all deal with the cards we've been given but I'll repeat again, there is no "pro" to flying in crappy winds.

Well maybe the turbo boost thing. That can be a pro if the winds are mostly clean but gusting. I hit my personal best speed record on a day with the winds were in the mid twenties but gusting to 30+.

Being inland near the middle of the US, I have little choice on wind conditions being gusty and unpredictable.

I got frustrated as BRoc stated that I was having to concentrate more on the kite than on my landboard skills. I would love to kite on the coast where there is constant sea breezes but that is seldom and only when I am on vacation.

My new kite being a depower (bump to DaKitez) really helps busts the gusts. I am not having to worry about being turbo charged with a fixed bridle foil anymore. That's my experience with what I am dealt with. The positive side to flying in gusty winds you are better prepared to react in an OSh*t situation.

Keep the Stoke and fly safely!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by B-Roc I've flown stunt kites since the early 90s and I do believe flying those in gusty, crappy, inland winds can help you become a better flier (but then again, I fly a Utopia and the same can be "said" of that kite). I flew my foils for 3 years before I ever made the time to ride with them at the beach. I also used to think that flying in the conditions I flew them in made me a better flier but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I progressed more by riding for three hours at the beach than I did during the three years I rode in crap winds. Do I know how to handle and deal with gusts - sure but I never encounter those types of conditions at the beach so I can focus on my riding and make improvements so much faster. If it came down to flying in crap winds vs. not flying at all I would fly, but I don't believe that flying in crap winds makes you better. Flying in general is all that is needed to make you a better flier but flying in crap winds, while giving you the benefit of improving just because you are flying, also slows your learning curve as you can't focus for any great deal of time on doing what you want to do consistently. We all deal with the cards we've been given but I'll repeat again, there is no "pro" to flying in crappy winds. Well maybe the turbo boost thing. That can be a pro if the winds are mostly clean but gusting. I hit my personal best speed record on a day with the winds were in the mid twenties but gusting to 30+.

youre lucky to have clean winds at the beach--most of us dont have that luxury,and so we have to deal w gusts or not fly at all.........

Gusty winds, I just won't put a kite up, not when freestyling, its to dangerous, not worth the risk.

Launching 15ft off the ground in 20 knots, coming down in 10 knots, or switch is a great way to land in hospital.

If your land based (not freestyling) its not quite as much of an issue.

My local is right on the coast fortunately. It is very small, we have some other inland areas but would prefer to kite in a milk crate that fly inland if I can.

I hope the pros of my gusty dirty as can be Arizona winds are when I get to nice clean wind I am in such heaven I don't even know do. Who knows if it's true but I tell myself it's going to make me a better pilot.

to luke- I feel the same about flying in a small area at the coast, i would rather fly there any day rather than go to the big field with crap wind, our winds been north westerly recently so ive had no choice but to opt for inland.

Quick side question, Can inland winds become constant again inland if your on a huge grass plane or desert or something?

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack1988 Quick side question, Can inland winds become constant again inland if your on a huge grass plane or desert or something?

I kite ski on inland lakes and ponds and while the quality of the wind isn't "beach like", in the center of the ponds, its usually pretty good so while it may not be "constant" the bigger the open space, the better / smoother the winds become. How constant they are depends on how much wind is blowing.

Gusty wind is why I fly nasa wings. They have kept me safe.

Susan (npw goddess)

Quote:

Quick side question, Can inland winds become constant again inland if your on a huge grass plane or desert or something?

I remember my friend taking me to El Mirage for the first time. We got there about 2pm and there was hardly any wind. He said, don't worry, the wind will kick up around 4:00pm.

...well he was wrong...about 3:55, the wind just turned on...solid 18-22mph. It stayed like that for the next several hours..I don't think it got below 15mph the entire time. Funny thing is, I remember thinking, I can't believe how strong and how smooth it was for an inland location. Maybe not quite as smooth as the coast, but pretty damn close.

...God, I love that place!

feels bad man...


and you get a weird look from the doctor when you tell em you broke it flying a kite

Ouch, that's not one of your nicer collarbone fractures, is it?

Hope it reduced OK, those look like bone chips in the photo.

What with e-room painkillers and the like I'd be telling the doc my entire kite journey from beginning to end LOL.

best wishes for your recovery....

:bigok:

so i was out on the 4.5 ace last night, winds were 3 to 11mph so i wasnt expecting any big jumps, lil did i know a big gust would catch me out, i was swinging across the zenith getting lil lift when i swung back on my opposite side not expecting a gust of 18, bang im ripped off my feet about 8feet on grass jumping my wrong way, before i know it im on my knees lol.

that will happen if you put in enough hours in gusty winds, getting a gust coming through with a smaller ace off to the side of the window would get me unbalanced really quick. fast kites will respond really quickly to gusts...

"jumping my wrong way"? you mean you have a good side and a bad side already?

As wrong as it sounds, i actually enjoyed getting lofted after a day of mini jumps, i must be going mad, ive been flying in 13 plus and relishing it, only on the lil ace but the thrill is excellent so a whole say of 3 to 11 was frustrating on the handles.

Yeah man its weird, ive figured which side im most skilled and confident with, i can jump the other way but i dont go for full blown pendulums, like i said i was doing lil ones and i got the gust on my bad side, no injuries thankfully, it was unexpected but if it happend on my right side im sure i could of landed correct.