I picked up a single line parafoil, 27 inches by 35 inches, a few weeks ago because it was a nice big single line that I could easily stuff into a bike bag, given its lack of spars, and fly on the side when I flew one of my stunt kites. I'm no stranger to single lines and of the various types I have flown in the past none has been as wonky as this parafoil.
The first time I launched it was in light'ish winds and it went up easily and stayed steady, as I would have expected. However the next time the wind was much stronger and the foil, once up, started to twist and dive erratically. If I let some line out I could get it to stabilize but only temporarily. I just assumed it couldn't handle heavy winds.
The third time I brought this kite out the wind was moderate but again the kite would twist and dive unpredictably.
I checked the lines, but really there is no bridle like on a stunt kite so I wasn't sure what I could adjust. A local flyer said offhandedly that maybe the kite needed a longer tail ( it currently has two tails that came with the kite, attached to either side ).
I know that these parafoils are usually pretty reliable and generally fly with good lift. I have seen many at kite festivals and they generally seem to be flying steady and stable.
Any ideas about my parafoil's poor flying style or what I might do to improve its flying ability?