Newbie Journey, Rev learning tips

[happysuperbutton]

On 11/14/2017 at 10:37 AM, makatakam said:

Don't forget to rinse with fresh water after a dip in the ocean. The salt water speeds up the deterioration of the kite's components.

Ive only dried the kite outside overnight, seemed to do the trick. Knocked all the sand off too after it dried. Should I rinse it again? Don't have a hose either.. would have to be the shower  Talk about second love right? Now I'm showering with it. O boy.

[makatakam]

52 minutes ago, happysuperbutton said:

Ive only dried the kite outside overnight, seemed to do the trick. Knocked all the sand off too after it dried. Should I rinse it again? Don't have a hose either.. would have to be the shower  Talk about second love right? Now I'm showering with it. O boy.

When the saltwater evaporates it leaves a salt residue on ALL the surfaces it touched, inside and out. So, if the only way you can rinse is to shower with it, do it. It will add a lot of time to the life of the kite. The salt residue is very similar to a fine abrasive that becomes lodged in the weave of the sail material, and attacks the fabric from the inside each time the fabric moves. The sail fabric fibers are in constant motion while the kite is flying and the salt "crystals/powder" cut the individual strands wherever they are in contact. Each time you dip the kite in saltwater you add to the problem. After three or four times without rinsing the kite you can actually feel the grittiness. The salt residue has the same effect that sand does only it acts on a microscopic scale from the inside. It can do more damage than sand because sand only abrades the surface strands, whereas the salt residue affects every fiber in every strand. It can reduce the life span of the kite by 30%-ish.

A car wash/pressure wash is an option. Just keep the nozzle far away from the material. You want to rinse it, not blow holes in it. Another option is to dip it in a pond or fountain -- anything that's not saltwater.

[dragonfish]

Just use the shower.  You won't be the only one. And don't use hot water. 

[Wayne Dowler]

Bridle too. Use as gentle a spray as you can find, then let dry completely. Neither salt or sand are good for the kite, get in the habit of rinsing after using for, say a weekend. Keep them clean and they last.

[happysuperbutton]

Dunk sail in water to dissolve microscopic salt crystals that shred the fibers inside-out. Hang dry completely.

Got it. 

Thanks everyone appreciate it like always!! Need my darling 1.5B to last a lifetime. They be undergoing extinction. 

[makatakam]

42 minutes ago, happysuperbutton said:

Dunk sail in water to dissolve microscopic salt crystals that shred the fibers inside-out. Hang dry completely.

Got it. 

Thanks everyone appreciate it like always!! Need my darling 1.5B to last a lifetime. They be undergoing extinction. 

The only way you'll get it to last a lifetime is to never fly it. Forget that noise! Get out there and spank that puppy.

[Paul LaMasters]

Ride it hard, that's when they are the most fun, put it away wet too, rolled up tightly, stuffed into an overpacked kite bag, never rinsed a kite or anything else kite related in my entire life

(wait!, the misses does launder my Gortex)

Will it wear out?, sure but you'll want a new one long before it does anyway!

NEVER ever give a lesson if you are trying to preserve your new kite for your grand-children

[Exult]

Climate/weather considerations regarding the longevity of your kites

• Old rain = mud, and will get your kite dirty, dry conditions or new rain will remove dirt.
• Flying on a thick enough layer of soft snow - there are no limitations in handing over to a beginner - they can't crash it except for snapping the stand offs if the kite get stuck (no no why are you looking at me? ).
• Abrasion get much reduced on icy ground, but you might suddenly damage a split nock if you happen to tip stab or 2 point-land hard. Is it possible to damage an QLK LE end cap by tip stabbing on hard and/or frozen ground?
• Salt water - exotic matter occasionally encountered when travelling.

Must admit that I went soft though and did dry my f/v 1.5 B-series and my Infinity (but without removing the mud) after my latest session.

OMG I suddenly realize, will I be able to drive the (QLK) kite stake into the ground during the whole forthcoming winter (and if so would certain conditions require a metal detector to find the handles again?)? It will be my first winter as a QLK pilot so I haven't had to deal with this issue before and when handling a single DLK in everything except for very hard wind, a kite stake is not so important.

[Paul LaMasters]

Carabiner clip the handles to your kite bag if the tundra is solid

[Exult]

5 hours ago, Paul LaMasters said:

Carabiner clip the handles to your kite bag if the tundra is solid

Thank you for that piece of advice - just need to locate the one remaining aluminium budget carabiner at home. Could also serve as a bit far fetched argument to get more kites (to add necessary weight to the kite bag...)...
Was thinking, perhaps one can do without any stake here. Drive a part of the kite into the snow at an angle towards the wind and then use the handles to pull it lose from the snow back into action. However if there happen to be an ice crust on the snow, the any mesh panels might be damaged? For the B-series standard (non vented) at least I guess one could let the snow only hold the non meshed rear panels - not the LE.

[Wayne Dowler]

Don't need a stake in this scenario -

Setup kite on its back, LE towards your flying position. Put some snow on the LE, then run your lines out to handles. Gradually pull the tips up as the LE is held down by the snow. We use this method a lot at festivals that have limited space and kites need to be cleared off the field for other performers. We call it - "red bulling" - gets you on and off fast!

[happysuperbutton]

Looking for pointers/technique preferences/video for mastering a "tip turn", especially horizontally. Right to left, and left to right. Not bicycle/center pivot spin.

This is when the kite turns on the end cap.

Imagine Ladder but horizontally. And also instead of 180 (tip up to down), doing a 360 tip turn.

Mainly looking for information on the starting hand positions and what fundamentals I'm actually going to be combining to actually achieve this move.

I can somewhat do the ladder vertically but horizontally sometimes I get one good tip turn and the follow up turns are a mess. And I'm not able to understand what I'm doing that made the one good tip turn. When the wind is gusting and I get a lot of speed, I can get a few tip turns too, but not consistent and perfectly on the tip, sometimes it will pivot around the verticle spar tip instead, and lastly, I can't do it slowly to show control/mastership of the tip turn.

Thanks and have a wonderful Thanksgiving all! (Please let there be wind..)

[makatakam]

There is not really any particular starting handle position for this move, since it can be initiated from any direction, position or other move that you are doing. One way to learn tip turns (pivots) is to fly SLOWLY in a circle in either direction and keep making the circle smaller and smaller until the kite is pivoting around the tip. You can even make it pivot around the top tip of the upright if you make the circle small enough. Usually it will be easier for you in one direction than the other. Practice both directions so you can do both equally well. Spend some extra time in the direction you find more difficult. On a side note, if your lines, bridle, etcetera, are not all symmetrically adjusted, one direction will always be "a little bit off".

There isn't really a good way to explain how to do this. It will come to you automatically if you just practice making your turns tighter and tighter each time you fly. Basic explanation is that you are retarding motion in one tip while flying the other forward. That means brake to one and forward to the other.

Ladders will look better, once you have your tip pivots down pat, if you abruptly stop all motion at the end of each half-circle. There is no miracle instruction that will allow you to just go out and do this instantly. These are refinements of the moves you are already doing that will become smoother and tighter with time spent flying.

Watch the basic control tutorials and keep an eye on what JB does with his hands.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[riffclown]

@happysuperbutton

Short answer is practice and break down the move into segments..

Instead of 180's try 90 degrees and an intentional pause to make sure you have a stable hover at that point. Then finish your rotation.. Many times you'll find that you have too much slip or too much lift at that 90 degree point and that's where you are losing your static tip point.. JB's Basic Hover drills video will make a huge improvement in this stepped maneuver for you.

As an interim drill, draw squares with your leading edge.. (90 degrees on right tip followed by 90 degrees on left tip rotating the same direction on the opposite tip, repeat until your LE has formed a perfect square in the sky and kite has made exactly one full rotation.)That will help you discern your hover when vertical as well as the transition between the maneuvers. Try flag out for verticals and then flag in.. (Sail on outside of square when vertical followed by sail on inside when vertical..) Basically start with kite upright for first drill and then start next drill from inverted start. It sounds harder than it actually is but it will attune you quickly to your kite and establish foundations to build upon. It will also help you see the sky as a grid since you are literally drawing LE sized squares on your field of vision.

[happysuperbutton]

Hi again Kitelife!

Gonna be traveling by air tonight with my quads for the first time. Was hoping my bags would be big enough for the rods... Guessed wrong shoulda checked sooner but no biggie at all. All the rods fit fine, diagonally too. But, just the ones with the ferrules.. argh. Too long with the ferrules! So gonna just handcarry a couple rods lol.

Been going through somewhat a withdrawal without being to fly..first down-season cycle for me. Sucks! Miss flying.

But I did manage like 30mins no more than twice, weekend winter winds gusted up a bit. Each time was basically a gianormous sigh of relief, satisfaction... Put in more time night flying too with LEDs, loving it so much seeing the lights ride up 120ft into the night sky and spin around. 

Parents came by asking me what it was, where to get one, one even asked "whether my 6 year old could fly that?"  lol.

Hope I'll be able to find some good flying traveling.

Happy holidays all, new favorite community and friends!!!!

P.s. Got 18 hours to deal with on the plane, thinking I could finally edit kite footage from the summer... Or sleep it out. Hahaha.

[dragonfish]

If you've still got time, get yourself a document tube. I got mine from an art store. Come to think of it, mailing tube might work too. Put all your rods in there (I'd put the whole kite(s) in there) to carry it on the plane. People won't wonder as much why you're carrying sticks, and if you do get questioned you have the whole kite to explain with. Good luck and have a safe trip.

[happysuperbutton]

On 12/19/2017 at 5:30 AM, dragonfish said:

If you've still got time, get yourself a document tube. I got mine from an art store. Come to think of it, mailing tube might work too. Put all your rods in there (I'd put the whole kite(s) in there) to carry it on the plane. People won't wonder as much why you're carrying sticks, and if you do get questioned you have the whole kite to explain with. Good luck and have a safe trip.

Haha thanks yah, great idea im gonna take a look at the tube thingy when I can. TSA person asked me "where the kites at?" after I had told him the rods im hand carrying were for my kites. I had folded and ziplocked the sails into my check in.

Regretting big time now not jumping on shorter lines. My 80ft's too long for the smaller parks/open fields here... So instead of being limited by flying space, I'm locked by my lines for now.. time to get a set of shorties!

I have 80 and 120, love both wish I could do 120s all the time but I have to work harder on the 120s. So now I can't decide if I want a longer-shortie or short-shorts. 50 or 30? Both sets are priced the same from TKS. If I could I'd wallet out for both sets but the hole in the wallet is still not patched up yet.

Hope all had a splendid Xmas!

[makatakam]

Most people go with 30's, so if you want to cross lines with someone else on shorties that's the way to go. I prefer 40's for that little extra bit of window when I'm flying alone, but have a set of 30's to play with others. 50's will give you even more window. Depends on if you fly alone most of the time or with others. Ideally, wait until your 120's are wearing out and you're about to replace them and cut your old set down to whatever you want.

[SparkieRob]

An 80 set chops down to 30 and 48ish....

Sent from my [device_name] using http://KiteLife mobile app

[makatakam]

17 hours ago, SparkieRob said:

An 80 set chops down to 30 and 48ish....

Sent from my [device_name] using http://KiteLife mobile app
 

And don't assume that an 80-ft is exactly 80 feet long. Some are shorter and some are longer. Measure twice, cut once. Same for all lengths. Remember that when you form six-inch loops at each end you shorten the finished line length by a foot, so you must compensate for it. In addition, the length of the leaders you have on your handles will make a difference. So, if you have a set of 120's that have stretched and long leaders, you can be two feet longer than the people you are flying with.

[Paul LaMasters]

I make shorter sets (from older & longer lines), when perfect doesn't matter as much,... little frayed, little less slippery, a lot discolored, being hacked to shorter and shorter lengths is just economics.  Shorter is usually going to be flown solo anyway, eventually down to indoor lengths!

[happysuperbutton]

Need advice, if any.. 

At beautiful Bali for another two days, winds here by the beach are awesome and few people around which makes even more awesome..and it's super hot under the sun here too.

Trying to take my mind off it, but I really want to do some flying (it's an addiction okay). Once I am back home it'll be another month or so before the Spring winds kick in and I'll have to bundle up to be outside.

Problem is, there's only like 40feet of open space I can find/on the beach and the shortest I have on hand are 80ft lines. 

I'm open to anything, maybe ill find a pair of scissors and snip my lines down to length. Is there a trick knot to shorten the lines and still fly? I am a desperate newbie with an addiction.

Thanks friends and blessed New Year <3

[Exult]

2 hours ago, happysuperbutton said:

Is there a trick knot to shorten the lines and still fly?

A suggestion which I haven't tried is to remove the handles from the lines, undo the knots around the sleeve on the handle side, slide the sleevings to where you would like to have the new knots, make the new knots. Obviously you would need to thread all now excess line through when making the the new knots. Now connect the handles again. Then use rubber bands to hold the excess lines tightly against the handles. Perhaps too much time would be consumed of your remaining stay.

To undo the knots I like to use a corkscrew of the thin helix type that just got air along the centre line (I'd say the most common type). Carefully widen the knot with the tip, squeeze the knot, widen, squeeze, widen...

An ugly quick fix if you are really desperate, fold the lines double and larkshead the line directly to either handle or kite sides and accept two sleeved knots on the other side. Nope haven't tried this one either. Could perhaps lead to some "interesting"  cases of tangled line if unfortunate.

And whenever travelling, check distances to the field, communications and size of fields before, but I guess that this is now redundant information...

Have a nice (remaining) trip.

[Exult]

If using the above "ugly fix" perhaps one could try to get from the situation of having eight lines and approach kind of four lines. Before folding the 80 lines double to get the 40 lines, twist each line about 100 revolutions by rolling it between your thumb and index finger a couple of times. Now fold it double, let it slowly release while keeping the 40 foot double line stretched and with some help it will twist to form some kind of a two strand twisted rope of half the original length. If this would be an improvement or not remains to be seen.

[makatakam]

Stand in the water and fly over the beach, or stand on the beach and fly over the water depending on wind direction.