Plugus Maximus Posted August 26, 2003 Report Posted August 26, 2003 Looking cool, speeding along 'regular' stylee (although I'm naturally goofy) and the wind picks up. And up. Looking cool gives way to speed wobble and I'm now going down the beach faster than Jordan would hit the floor sitting on a wet bar stool. A particularly poorly placed boulder acts as a magnet to my wheels before a less than graceful chin surfing event occurs leaving me battered and grazed. How the hell can you reduce speed wobble at warp factor 9? Steer the kite the other way as an air brake? I didn't have the bottle for that ...... K Quote
matt21 Posted August 26, 2003 Report Posted August 26, 2003 I'd be interested to hear about this too, i've been in the same situation. I also didn't want to turn the kite back the other way! Best thing I found as a fail safe was to turn the board downwind, as long as the wind isn't really strong the kite will slack line and drop out of the sky and you'll roll to a stop, not very pretty though! At low speeds it's quite easy to get the kite to sit above your head whilst you slow down and then get going the other way. Matt Quote
Plugus Maximus Posted August 26, 2003 Author Report Posted August 26, 2003 I've tried that in the past but I normally end up running over the lines or I take too long to slow down and run out of room. Or the kite powers up again right in the centre of the wind window. Or in this case the sea was behind the kite so I couldn't go too far down wind ........... Quote
trebor Posted August 26, 2003 Report Posted August 26, 2003 Ive found that if you try and sit down by leaning back as far as you can you can significantly reduce your speed as you edge harder on the board. This works really well on grass so not sure of how it would be on sand - give it a try!!! :D Quote
Plugus Maximus Posted August 26, 2003 Author Report Posted August 26, 2003 Cheers to both of you! I'll give this a try next time ....... Quote
tom1599968574 Posted August 26, 2003 Report Posted August 26, 2003 get a dirtsurfer, you dont get speed wobble. had mine up over 70 mph now (behind a car), the faster you go, the more stable it is! tom Quote
goshen1599968577 Posted August 26, 2003 Report Posted August 26, 2003 What you describe is SO much fun - given the right conditions of course. The tips below is sort of a mixture of what's been recommended above - Ok, say you're overpowered, and you start accelerating really fast - I know what you mean by not wanting to steer the kite back. If you try and edge hard, the kite will just tear you sideways, not really doing much to slow you down, and you'll loose heaps of ground anyway. I've found that if you stay upright, and let yourself accelerate for a short time downwind (reducing the tension on the lines), then suddenly lean back, edge really hard AND while steering the kite back to the zenith. This should bring you to a complete stop, quite quickly. It's the same as a powerslide to stop, but use this when you're overpowered. It's a bit committing, but it's way fun. You still loose ground, but in a 'I meant it' kind of way. All the best, Goshen. Quote
nobby Posted August 27, 2003 Report Posted August 27, 2003 i've had this probbem too. last time out i was going a bit scaryfast and sort of accidentally leant right back, pusing back foot round. resulted in looovely sidey-slidy kicky sand up manouvre. came to a stop with kite above me and me on my arse still attached to board. next time out ill try and do it on purpose. slidy=tidy Quote
gareth Posted August 28, 2003 Report Posted August 28, 2003 whaT TYPE of board have u got it can be sorted by adjusting the trucks or the springs this will stop the wobbles but wont slow u down. the way that i use is to dump the kite and ride the board till it stops. Quote
fly_boy Posted August 28, 2003 Report Posted August 28, 2003 Come off the board ass over tit and collapse onto the ground in an uncontrolled heap with some form of serious injury to your lower legs.... It works for me... Quote
comedown Posted August 28, 2003 Report Posted August 28, 2003 Just get the kite doubled back the way you came as quick as you can, be sure to carve it back over to your direction of travel as you accellerate vertically to about X feet. Jump! If you're wobbling, you're wasting airtime! Andy. Quote
Plugus Maximus Posted August 29, 2003 Author Report Posted August 29, 2003 Trust me, my wobbling didn't cost me airtime! Next time I'd just like to do it with the board still on my feet and my arse below my head! Has anyone got any good megs of this slidey to a stop action? I know hwat you all mean but it's just sooooo much easier to watch and learn rather than read about it ....... K Quote
burgy Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 I find that dropping your arse a bit & bringing your knees together will help lockout your feet which kills speed wobble. other than that its just a matter of practice & trying to unload the board & let it float instead of bouncing from rail to rail. If all else fails do the back-leg-slidy-thing, wonderfull name hooly Quote
K-84 Posted August 30, 2003 Report Posted August 30, 2003 THE BEST THING I FOUND WAS TO JUMP OF THE BOARD>THROW IT HARD BACK. (the kite) had me big whobble in 'whitemans green' ,elbows and knees never recovered. one of the quickies things i thirst learnt. hope it makes sense.......G........ big kite bag!!!!!!!!! Quote
Plugus Maximus Posted September 16, 2003 Author Report Posted September 16, 2003 Wow! I tried all this advice at the weekend down at Saunton Sands in Devon and I am now a mountain board god. Actually, no I'm not but I did start to powerslide to stop/slow down and avoid speed wobble. Powerslides are actually so easy with a kite because as you steer the kite to the zenith you can hang on the kite a little to enable easy powersliding. Cheers all for the advice! Now for some air tricks ....... K Quote
rasga Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 hey hope you having fun, just wondered if you were down at saunton, did you pop over and have a go on theho! (x-zone). . . .was good Quote
Plugus Maximus Posted September 17, 2003 Author Report Posted September 17, 2003 Unfortunately not. We were camping in Croyde and on Sat the day took a turn for the worst with ...... http://www.flexifoil.com/community/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22118 ...... and I got my dates mixed up What I find would really help is calendar of kite dates somewhere on the flexi site. I know we've got the fly-in's/events forum but a calendar would be much better ....... well for me at least! K Quote
rasga Posted September 17, 2003 Report Posted September 17, 2003 the How-To or Rough guide area had some dates, and in the archive bit had the list froma while back (x-zone wasnt htere though), also check out aeolian.co.uk or kitecalendar.co.uk but yeah, even powerkite didnt mention it in the latest isue on the big calendar, even though andy preston mentioned it in his article! (about x-zone) Quote
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