Here is the correct way to self launch. If your launches involve the kite sliding more than a few metres, you are not doing it right and you are damaging your kites leading edge.
One issue I often seem to have when selflaunching is that when I'm tensioning the lines after walking upwind, the kite seems to slide all the way until it is downwind (rather than side on to the wind) before the tip comes up to allow launching into the air. What is going wrong?
One issue I often seem to have when selflaunching is that when I'm tensioning the lines after walking upwind, the kite seems to slide all the way until it is downwind (rather than side on to the wind) before the tip comes up to allow launching into the air. What is going wrong?
Watch at 1.38 how my bar is turned to actively steer the kite and force it up onto one tip. Perhaps you are not walking far enough upwind, and/or are applying too much tension when walking upwind and dragging the kite?
I very rarely self launch, but when I do, I sometimes put the kite on the water and let it drift downwind for launching. It ends up behaving quite similar to the video in the first post, but on the water. Is there any issue on doing this?
Probably the main one would be a line tangle.
Wet kite don't do it in surf
Otherwise its just an unusual way to self launch, but people do it in places where they have no clear ground.
Probably the main one would be a line tangle.
Wet kite don't do it in surf
Otherwise its just an unusual way to self launch, but people do it in places where they have no clear ground.
makes sense. I mostly do this at a river with no ground for self launching any other way.
Today I marked the flag out line with a small tape to identify it and attach it to the upper bridle, to launch and land as suggested by the videos. Thanks for the idea.