Tips to avoid dizzy / vertigo for indoor?

[frob]

I picked up a Kaiju in March, and an indoor rev later in the year.  Over the past six months I've slowly built stamina for indoor flight, but still encounter a bit of dizziness or vertigo.  My collection of maneuvers is still relatively small, and 360s (or 180s) are my easiest way to recover and land when trying something new.

I know in indoor performances (in person and in video) the performers do relatively few 360s, more frequently walking zig-zag patterns before turning 180. Also common is slowly covering the entire gym as a large square rather than walking backwards around the center court circle.  Those will require increasing my pool of tricks, but that's my goal.

The tip of thinking about the gym as compass points has helped, both for orientation and for dizziness. My available floor is little more than a basketball court, nearly mirrored north/south and east/west, so keeping compass points in mind helps with orientation.

But even trying those, after about two minutes of indoor flying and a half dozen spins, I need to stop, land, and hold steady for a moment. It takes one or two seconds for the walls to stop moving from vertigo, then I can continue.

Any other ideas to help with the spinning?

[Wayne Dowler]

Try  making those circles  for the spins as big as you can. Try to walk in straight lines as much as you can. Can you fly the kite backwards? Try going forwards and backwards while walking straight from end to end. Try flying one big square around the court, tracing the borders with the kite, but you making the same, just a bit smaller.

Up and overs bother you?? Another good recovery move. Just try to make things as slow as you can. 

I've a stroke survivor and have balance issues. Indoor flying has mostly been with an indoor quad and gliders. I find the quad a lot less frantic than the dualies. More float and glide in that bigger wing. Gliders are a whole different ballgame. Depending on what you want to do, they can be as active or gentle as you make them.

I'm fortunate, I have access to an indoor soccer field!

[Breezin]

Man if I had a building like that the dogs and I would spend more time there than the house by far!!! Once you have to stop try cocking your elbow with your hand up in the air. Put your middle finger and thumb together. Do this with the hand that perceived spin is going. Look the opposite way.Move your arm and head as needed. Doc told me to do this when learning to keep my balance again.Gets me back on track quicker. Rough day yesterday (injections AGAIN 😠).Had gone 2 months without shots. This kite thing is REALLY working . When walking from the car to the house had to do that again. Wife started giggling which got us both laughing. Ya look funny as all get out when doing it. Works for me though and her mirth is all in good fun.Threads got me reflecting a bit over the last year.When 1st starting I couldn't fly for an hour most days.I'd get dizzy, disoriented, nauseated,at times go to my knees and sometimes fall from the pain. I'm sure I look pretty strange in the pasture walking around in circles at times with my arm up in the air,ranting,raving totally annoyed while the Alpacas watch with amusement LOL.Now 3 or 4 hours is common and oft times more.When struggling at the start, doubting if I could do this I'd think of Wayne often.NOBODY thought I'd ever get this well. EVERYBODY said kiting would do more harm than good. I'll get even more fit as I keep flying. When down in the dumps I go to town. Look around a bit. Doesn't take long at all to see someone struggling more than I. Makes me remember how fortunate I am and gets my head straight.Since flying I don't need to do that near as much.Love this stuff!!  Even when I'm dizzy 🤣 Kite Life is good 😊.

[Wayne Dowler]

For me - the hardest part was learning to trust my balance again. I was a good athlete before my stroke. Vision was messed up, can't run anymore, can't even throw a ball properly. But I remembered how to fly. Certain directions didn't come easy, the kite would face left and I'd be all relaxed. Kite faced right - PANIC BUTTON!!! Couldn't even remember how to  turn it away to the left, I was so froze up! But I kept working at it and it started to get better. Then I got involved in team flying and the rest is good. Now a member of 2 teams!

About 8 years ago, I got reintroduced to indoor flying. Still had balance and vision issues, and was concerned about keeping up with the kite. Amy Doran lent me her Skate glider for one of the indoor festivals held out here in the PNW. She set it up and let me use it all day. Get tired, put it in the  corner over there, use it as much as you like. Lucked out and the designer, Paul de Bakker was there too. He watched, asked to make adjustments, and away I went. So much so that I was asked to join in on the "mystery ballet". OK, sounds good, what is the mystery ballet? Well, flying to music you have no choice over is the mystery ballet. UMMMM OK!??!??!??! 1st up, no backing out, they played a Beatles song that I knew the words to. Sang and flew and never noticed the crowd watching. Natural ham!!! And I got to try a Rev. Couldn't fly it for beans. But fell in love!!!

A couple months later, picked up a used indoor Rev from their forum Looked for a place to fly and ended up finding this. In the beginning, 4 - 5 days a week, 3, 4, 5 hours at a shot. Paid off. Most see me now and say - "You make it look so easy!" They don't know how many hours were spent on that floor!!

Anyway the point I wanted to make - a physical therapist used to bring his little boy over. I would retreat to one end to give him room. One day we struck up a conversation. He said - "I bet flying has been good for you?" Well yes. "I deal with many stroke victims and many have balance issues. Flying must get your eyes up off the floor, not down at your feet!" I thought about it some and realize this was true. I had started to trust my natural sense of balance again. Think about it - when you walk or run, your eyes are focused on where you want to go, mine were down at my feet! Indoor helped me return to a more "normal" life. (NO crap from the peanut gallery!!!! I know too many of you!!) Anyway, the point is that flying, in or out, can help your body and mind overcome a bunch of obstacles!!

[wen]

First thing I do is do a couple of 360s starting by moving as little as I can, and  keeping my eyes focused on the kite. That gets me warmed up to walking backwards and also gives me an idea of how slippery the floor is. To minimize dizziness, try taking fewer, larger steps, and utilizing the full extension of your arms to minimize the amount of walking you need to do. ( For up and overs, I take one step back to load it up, pull the kite through with my arms going to/over one shoulder, and then pivot my body around-  it's helped a bit compared to backing through it and having to duck down.)