Inverloch Andersons Inlet light wind kitesurfing with the Zero

Session 327. Another kitesurfing weekend with the crew, yeah!  The dodgy forecast earlier in the week improved closer to Friday to our relief.  We headed down to Inverloch early on Saturday morning with our usual stop at the excellent Kilcunda General Store cafe.

There was some very light wind around noon so I decided to give the Zero another go while the others pumped up my Flite 14.5 as well.  I got going o.k, just, but found the now familiar problem of staying upwind, even on the trusty Nugget.

In light winds working really hard I can just hold ground.  If the wind gets stronger you have too much power and get pulled off your edge downwind.  Its hard to slow down to. Coming into the beach I misjudged the distance and the time needed to slow the kite, came in a bit hot and leaped to the shore. I managed to scratch the top of my foot on something and got it a bit bruised.  Not enough to stop me kiting though.

There were a few kites down in the patchy wind so I landed the Zero and pumped up my new Naish Nalu inflatable SUP and headed out to assist.  Stu Styles was floating and drifting up into the inlet with the strong tidal current.  I got to him and pulled him to the nearby sandbar.

Meanwhile Eric was taking ages to relaunch the Flite from a sandbar but just as I got to him he relaunched and was on his way.

GPS Log

Kitesurfing Rosebud in fickle then good wind

Session 290. A northerly was blowing ahead of an afternoon wind change so Stuat, Tarren and I headed to Rosebud.  The wind was light when we arrived in the morning so I setup my Lithium Zero and got on the water.

The kite was flying nicely, but staying upwind was again difficult.  Heading out from the beach was good, but the run back in seemed to have lighter wind.  Off shore the wind dropped off too.  I did a couple of runs and walked back along the beach.

Tarren had a go of the Zero while I had a rest.  Then the wind picked up. It was hard to shed power with the Zero. If the kite flies high it tends to pull you off your edge.  I came into shore and landed it, then took out my Lithium 12 which had plently of power (and depower!).

Stuart took the Lithium 12 out for some runs too.  Tarren and I had lunch at the Tasting Station Cafe.

I drove back past Mentone after a nap (tired!) and the southerly change was coming in hard.  Nice bay surf there but I didn't go out again.

GPS Log

Cruising downwind in 8 knots with the Zero

Session 285.  Watching the wind all day. A light sea breeze arrived in the afternoon and got to 10 knots by 4pm so I headed down to Brighton.  It felt like less than 10 knots on the beach as I pumped up my Lithium Zero.  The kite was easy to launch and keep in the air, so I headed out on my surfboard.  I was going well enough with the kite de-powered, but on the return tack I was loosing ground and heading in towards the Brighton Baths.  Powering the kite (toggle adjustment) actually seemed to slow it down, so I depowered it again on the way back out.

Decision time- bail out now or go downwind?  I went downwind.

I passed a couple of fishing boats then headed out past the Brighton Marina.  Coming back in I was not going to make it to the sand so I went out again eyeing off the long section of rockwall downwind.

I didn't go too close in as I was fearful the wind would drop out, but I wasn't going too far out either in case I had to swim in.

I got some nice tacks in then landed at the south end of Elwood beach, passing a windsurfer along the way. I landed the kite without difficulty in the light wind and chatted to the windsurfer on the beach - he had a new big sail but wasn't able to get going as well as he hoped.

It was nice to be out though - nobody on the water other than fisherman and a couple of very noisy jetskis.  It was a longish but pleasant walk back as the sun headed down to the horizon.

The Lithium Zero flew well in the light wind, but I am still having a lot of difficulty staying upwind.

Kitesurfing Gnotuk Ave Aspendale with Lithium Zero

Session 265.  Tarren and I made it to Gnotuk Ave Aspendale where Cesar and a group of fellow kiters training for the 2014 Across the Bay to Conquer Cancer were assembled for a training downwinder.  There was very little wind and nobody on the water.  I decided to give the Lithium Zero another go.

Once again there was not enough wind to go upwind (less than 5 knots?), and this time the wingtips of the kite were folding in.  The bridle attachment on the leading edge seemed to crease the leading edge in. Pulling the rear lines (bar ends) popped it back out but it kept happening.   I think the air pressure in the bladder was too low - this may have caused the problem.

I swapped over to the Sector 60 board and was immediately screaming along with the kite depowered, but still unable to wrestle it around to point upwind.  The northern out and back track log shows this run out and back.

The Lithium Zero shows some promise but the wind range of the kite is quite narrow and its not easy to go upwind.  I don't think its a suitable kite for beginners.

GPS Log

Kitesurfing Inverloch Andersons Inlet on Lithium Zero

Session 264.  After a relaxed breakfast in Inverloch at the Beach Hut cafe, Tarren and I decided to try to the Lithium Zero out in the 5-8 knots of wind in the inlet. It is certainly strange setting up to kitesurf with people pottering about on SUPs and out fishing in canoes.

There was enough wind to fly the kite but not really enough to stay upwind.  Looking at the water you can see flat glassy sections where there was virtually no wind.  The kite flies well but turns quite slowly. Tarren did a couple of runs out and back then I had a go.

It was nice to be on the water, but not really what you would call a "cracking session".

I tried a relaunch in the light wind and eventually succeeded.  Without struts, the leading edge of the kite can trap water which is then difficult to dislodge.  I was standing too, relaunching would be much harder if you were floating in the water.  In light winds it is best not drop the kite.

Tarren was impressed by having a kite in such light wind conditions.  We headed back to Melbourne to check out bayside conditions where some stronger wind was forecast.

GPS log

The Lithium Zero on Anderson Inlet at Inverloch

Session 259. We arrived at Inverloch on Saturday 2 November for a long weekend with the families, and hopefully some kitesurfing.   There wasn't much wind about but Stuart and I headed down to the inlet to see if there was enough to fly my Lithium Zero kite.

There was about 6-10 knots so we decided to give it a go.  The kite launched easily and had plenty of power as I zipped across the flat water of Andersons Inlet near the Fishing Club.  I was trying hard to stay upwind and could just manage it.   I was not overpowered, but getting the massive (18m) kite to fly upwind with its fat leading edge is a challenge.  This is not a kite for beginners.

Stuart had a couple of runs and was impressed by the speed and by the fact that he was kitesurfing fast in less than 10 knots of wind!

We were the only ones on the water.  We swapped the kite a few times, then packed up just before sunset, both happy that we has scored a short session.  

Taming the beast, first kitesurfing session on the Airush Lithium Zero

Session 252. I got down to Brighton in the early afternoon with a mild northerly blowing.  One other kiter was out testing the conditions and going downwind so I bit the bullet and decided to try my new Airush Lithium Zero 18m light wind kite.

Two other curious kiters assisted as I pumped it up and rigged it.  It takes a while to pump up the big leading edge bladder.  Once pumped up it really wanted to fly.  The breeze on the beach was lifting the leading edge, even with a lot of sand on it.   One of the kiters remarked that with a kite that big up the wind would come in stronger . . .

It launched easily and flew up to the zenith smoothly.  The power was immediately apparent.  On the water with my S-quad surfboard I was well powered and soon screeching along.

This is the B52 of kites.  Massive power and it really wants to fly!  I was having trouble slow it down, bringing it high made it want to boost.  Wow, I was feeling like a beginner again!

The wind was a bit over 12 knots though, possibly 15, so I was actually overpowered.  I came back in fast, very fast, losing ground as I was unable to hold the board edge and counter the power. I did another run out and back then decided to land it.

One of the kiters (who also took the shots of me on the water) came down and landed it.  By then, other kites were out so I packed away the zero and finished the session on my Lithium 12 and my new Firewire board (strapless).  The wind dropped out a few times, but the sunny weather was nice.  The board feels great - riding strapless puts you in closer contact to the water. Its nice.

GPS Log