Professional lessons with my gear.

Kite run #2

Firstly to be able to kite with my gear I had to untangle all the lines. I spent close to an hour last night untangling the lines, and another half an hour this morning. Getting home from the concert at midnight and waking at 6 didn't help but these things you just have to do.

After yesterday's blunders my next kiting lesson was going to be with an instructor. Kiran from Ireland. The guy who i did the last 3 hours of my 'get up and ride' lessons with from GoKite.
The wind was southerly, good for St Kilda, but was a little to strong for my North Rebel 12M. So we pumped up the kite and he ran through the 5th line element that North use. I originally bought the kite from the RPS store in Elwood 2nd hand. The origional owner used if for a while, busted his arm and wasn't able to use it for 12 months. So this kite being a 2009 model is reasonably new.

The kites we trained on are nothing compared to what it looks like the Rebel can do. With the ability to de-power quite easily and power up on the move, plus i find it really easy to fly.
Kiran took me through general tips to look after the gear. Wax the lines once every 3 months, using normal board wax. Give the kite a wash from time to time with fresh water. There was one more tip, but i'll have to find out the proper 'kite' name for it and edit the post later.

Once the kite was pumped up and we had gone through all that was needed to know about the kite, how to use it and best to care for the kite it was decided that it was too windy/gusty to get a 12 into the air to learn on. So Kiran quickly ran up to the 'office', grabbed a 9, pumped it up and we headed upwind to launch for the last half hour of the session.

One major point that was covered in this lesson but not others is the kiters right of way. Who has right of way when and where. Follow this link to see what I'm talking about.

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Right-of-Way-Rules_903070.aspx

With all that Kiran thought i needed to know to be able to kite I got in the water and launched off. Faceplant..... Again.
Too much power. Kite at 12 O'Clock, board at my feet, set kite to 1 and through the power zone and lift off.
Well sort of.
"Move the kite tom, really work it!"
Right, move the kite, work it. Back into position and pulled the kite though the power zone again.

I got up for about 3 meters, then fell into the water again.

"Tom, what you are doing is good. Your getting the kite through the power zone, its lifting you out of the water but your not working it from 2 back up to 11 again. You need this to so the kite continues to pull you through the water".

Kiran then demonstrated this and it just looked so easy.

So I got the kite and board back off Kiran, got back into position, flew the kite through the power zone and AWAYYYYY I went.
It was awesome. This was the first time that I have ridden the board for more than a meter, and i did 20 of those suckers. Kiran did tell me to go no more than 10 meters away from him and i think he got in trouble from the kite manager/boss lady but I was just happy to move on the water with the board.
Seeing as i was a fair way off shore I needed get back. I got back into position and tried to launch the other way, went too hard (low) and flew through the air like superman. Hands in front, legs out of the water and-a-flying i was.

I didn't care, i had a good chuckle. I can get up on the board now, i can go for more than 3 meters and I now have some faith that I can do this.

We picked up the board, flew the kite into shore and said my good day to Kiran. My lesson was over, confidence restored and I was buggered.