Sunday, January 19, 2014

Hampton kitesurfing photos from the beach

My spine fractures are still healing so I am not kitesurfing yet, but I am mobile. I headed down to Hampton to give my friend Stu Styles some tips and assistance with his kitesurfing.  Stu is adding kitesurfing to his water sports and is an accomplished surfer and windsurfer.

I rigged up a marine UHF radio for him but it got in the way of his harness so we took it off.

Stu has finished lessons and is now on the quest to get going and upwind.  He did exceptionally well and got up and going on his strong (natural) side, along with some water starts on his unnatural stance side.

Stu's big tip was:

After the water start and the first dive of the kite, let the bar out half way to give the kite some air and generate more pull and water speed.

Keeping the bar right in tends to "choke the kite" after a water start - you then lose speed and sink back in to the water.

Stu Styles ripping along

The Walk of Shame, not! Stu did exceptionally well

Stu ripping again

Stuart Webb transition

Stuart Webb transition



The debrief.  Kitesurfing vs windsurfing?




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