Intermediate Kiteboarder Program.
– Kiteboarder Level 2 in the water (6-8 hours)
Now you will make use of all that flying knowledge you gained in Level 1, but make sure you wear a flotation vest,
and keep your helmet on because in this level you are ready to get in the water . Once you complete this portion of the program you will start riding the board.
If you haven’t received your Kiteboarder Handbook at the beginning of the lesson, now is the time to order it from the Intermediate
• Enter and exit the water independently and safely while controlling the kite
Water re-launch the kite
All you need to do to water launch a bow, hybrid or a delta kite is:
Keep tension in the kite’s lines. If the lines are slack, swim upwind to tighten them. Grab one of the rear kite lines (the lines on the outside of the bar) but the hand inside the bar and pull, but be sure to never wrap it around your fingers!
Note: If you grab the left line as shown in the picture here down, the kite will drift to the right If you want the kite to drift left, pull on the right line.
Keep pulling on the line. The kite will rotate in the water and drift towards the edge of the wind window.
Once the kite begins to catch the wind, release some tension in the line that you are pulling.
( if you don’t release you will over turn your kite and drop it back in the water, calling backstole drop).
Try to steer the kite up and out of the water.
If it starts to fall back into the water, keep pulling on the line until it comes up and out of the water.
As soon as the kite comes out of the water, push the control bar away from you
Fly the kite up to 12 o’clock .
Pushing the bar away from you gives the kite a more aerodynamic shape and helps it lift off the water.
Untwist your lines (if needed), find your board, and ride away!
Water re-launch
Pushing the bar away from you gives the kite a more aerodynamic shape and helps it lift off the water .
Extra Pointers
• It is possible to re-launch the kite quickly, and right through the middle of the power zone.
– if this happens you will be pulled very forcefully downwind, which can be dangerous.
Avoid this by taking your time and allowing the kite to drift towards the edge of the wind window before re-launching.
• The more tension in the kite’s lines, the easier the re-launch is.
Instead of drifting downwind with the kite, use your body to create as much drag in the water as possible. If you have your board, get into the water-start position and use it to counteract the downwind drift.
• Always keep the left side of your bar in your left hand, and the right side in your right hand.
Even though the kite looks backwards from your perspective, if you reverse the bar the kite will respond oppositely to your steering when you try to fly it out of the water and will crash repeatedly.
