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First Quad Ever!


KiteKouple
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My wit and and wisdom shared,.... from my own experiences

#1./ Stake all four lines down TIGHT (insure they are each clear and straight, no wraps or nesting) and yank the handles backwards towards your eyes like your were sighting along a weapon, slowly give slack and the  longer line "will show itself".  Make any necessary adjustments until those two TOP lines align perfectly, at the handles, when pulled tightly. Best to do this act directly downwind.  

Now switch the handles to the opposite hand (you should mark 1 with vinyl electrical tape, so you always know which one goes into your left/right hand) and try it again!  Do they align perfectly still? This action is like a front-end alignment before taking the race car out onto the track.  Is perfectly aligned really, absolutely necessary? No you could counter-steer the "pulling towards one side" out, as the driver.  But wouldn't you rather have it "track true and straight" all by itself?

Next, do the bottom lines (the same way).  Put the opposite handle into your left hand and align the handles together, holding them perfectly aligned next to each other.  Now pul tightly, then SLOWLY give slack until you can't see any differences.  Again "perfectly aligned". Maybe that correction is using different knots, close together (on your leaders) so you can make little tiny bit adjustments, maybe you add an overhand knot into the leaders on the longest flying line. (if you don't use sleeving, make sure your knot is a figure of eight ~instead of a double stranded overhand~, so the knot can't travel away from your desired destination)

When completed both the tops & bottoms should pull back tightly (you had better have placed that stake into the sand VERY well!) and align perfectly.  your lines don't need to be even, nor do your leaders, but that whole rig had better equal "perfect", otherwise you kite will turn easier in one direction compared to the other.

#2./As you work on stuff,.... make sure you do it both ways.  If you can only "throw an axel" going out from the center towards the left bottom corner, then guess what?  You can't do it yet!  Work on both directions immediately.  Want to fly one-handed,... don't you dare work on your weaker hand for the first 14 years (like I did!)  No, you work one hand for a few minutes and then immediately switch to the other for some more practice.  Do the reverse-octagon in both directions.

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