This tutorial looks at bodydragging in detail, to support your lessons.
First we will take an overview of bodydragging to the left.
You need to hold the kite steady at 10:30 to pull you to the left.
You should find it very easy to park the kite here using just your right hand. If you don't
find this easy, then you will probably crash the kite when you attempt the bodydrag.
The reason we use just the back hand to hold the kite, is that we use the front hand
(in this case left hand) to point in the direction of travel.
To travel efficiently through the water, your arm, body and legs should form a straight line.
However, many people instinctively kick or swim, which just causes more drag.
To body drag to the right side, we move the kite to 1:30, and use the left hand (or back
hand) to hold it in place.
Your right hand points where you want to travel. As you bodydrag, try to keep your right arm,
body and legs in one line.
When you turn you should move the kite over slowly. If you move the kite quickly across
12 you will get pulled downwind.
As you body drag, you can control the direction you travel to a large degree, simply by pointing
your front arm and body.
You can point you arm and body towards the kite and head downwind.
You can point yourself crosswind, and you will head this way
You can also aim yourself upwind.
Bodydragging upwind is very useful.
To bodydrag upwind, you should aim your body approximately 40 – 70 degrees
up from the kite. As shown here.
However, if you try to aim much further upwind than this, the bodydrag will not work. Here
the kiter is aiming, way too far upwind, almost 90 degrees up from the kite's pull. So instead
of dragging in the direction they point, they are dragged sideways towards the kite, and
actually head downwind a little.
You should be able to feel when your upwind bodydrag is not successful – as water will
be pushing into your side.
When the bodydrag is successful, you should feel water flowing smoothly from your hand
towards your feet, and you should make good progress upwind.
One reason that the upwind bodydrag is so important: is that when you fall or make a
mistake, the board is often upwind of you.
To get the board back quickly, start body dragging upwind immediately.
After a short distance, turn around and bodydrag upwind again. You should be straight back
to your board.
When people fall, a common mistake is to hold the kite at 12 and try to reach or paddle
for the board. But a kite a 12 slowly drags you downwind, further from the board.
Bodydragging downwind is relatively simple.
As mentioned, just holding the kite at 12 to takes you downwind slowly.
To head downwind quickly, you start to work the kite back and forth across 12. The quicker
you steer, the faster you travel downwind.
You can bodydrag very efficiently while holding a board.
Just bare in mind that the board needs to form a straight line with your body in the
water.
You can hold the board by the handle or foot strap. Pressing your elbow into the upwind
edge of the board and tucking the board into your hip will lock it in place.
This skill is useful in locations with a shore brake. You can easily bodydrag beyond small
breaking waves near the beach, and reach calmer water before putting the board on.
Good luck with your kitesurf lessons.
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