This video will revise how to re-launch your kite from the water.
It should assist your lessons NOT replace them.
There are several ways that your kite can land on the water.
I will look at the most common scenarios and show you how to deal with them.
A very common way for the kite to sit on the water, is on its corner like this - usually
at 3 o’clock … or 9 o’clock.
Firstly, you should let go of the bar.
This applies to all types of water re-launch.
Next, check your lines are not crossed, and that red is on the left.
Now you need to reach forward and pull very gently on the upper steering line.
In this example the kite is in on the right hand side, so the upper steering line is the
left line (usually coloured red).
Since you are pulling on the left line, you should be using your left hand.
It is vitally import to not pull hard on this line.
Grip the line loosely like this … and apply just a small amount of tension.
If you get the amount of tension correct, then the kite should climb slowly.
If you pull too hard, however, the kite will collapse like this.
If you pull too hard in strong wind, the kite could launch with too much speed and power.
Let’s look at another re-launch scenario.
Here, the kite has landed with the leading edge down.
You can see the large inflated leading edge is in contact with the water.
As always, you must first let go of the bar.
Next, we want to turn the kite by 90 degrees, so that it sits on its corner.
We do this using either steering line.
To get the kite onto its corner, you will need to pull more firmly than before.
In light wind, you may need to pull the steering line in almost a meter.
Once the kite is almost on its corner, you MUST stop pulling this hard.
Switch to the gentle grip used previously, and use light tension - otherwise the kite
will collapse or launch erratically.
As soon as the kite is fully on the corner like this, maintain light tension on the steering
line, so the kite climbs slowly to about 45 degrees.
In this next example, the kite has landed with the leading edge pointing up, and the
trailing stuck in the water.
This usually happens in light wind as a result of the pilot back stalling.
If the kite lands like this, let go of the bar.
Next, reach past the bar and grab the middle lines.
Give several large pulls like this, until the kite flips over.
If this doesn’t work at first, it may help to depower the kite, or reach further up the
lines, or try moving yourself upwind while pulling.
Once the kite has flipped onto its leading edge, you can launch as per the previous examples.
Relaunching can be particularly difficult in light winds.
In light winds you may need to make sure that your kite is sitting further downwind of you.
In this example, the kite is only a little downwind; and you can clearly see only part
of the kite is catching the wind.
Usually, if you wait a few seconds, the kite should start drifting downwind by itself.
Once it drifts, the kite should fill with air for a better chance of relaunching.
If the wind is very light, it can help to move yourself.
Here I move around so that the kite sits completely downwind of me.
Which makes the relaunch possible in lighter winds.
In part II I will cover some more advanced relaunching techniques.
These were just the basics.
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