Mr Salty, Botany Bay was nice enough to give us 15/20 knot sou'easter.

Today"s challenge: strapless ....

Well I did it and through in a healside to toeside turn, some toeside and a toeside to healside turn. Lots of firsts.

I was very chuffed.

Thanks to all for the advice on the forums especially "lessons learned so far".

Mr Salty, I scored a North Nugget over the weekend to counteract my 100kg (dry) of lard, and I would like to recommend the device as seriously awesome for a newbie wanting to do directional (strapped or strapless).

I was running a 17 metre kite in about 12/14 knots and had no issues cruising along and staying upwind.

Salty,
I think you should consider an IKO instructor course mate. It's all happening for you here. hehe

SaltySinus said..
I've gone for a 5'11" skillet which is the same height as me... which seems to work a treat.

I had a skillit for a while. Great strapless small wave/chop board, loved it. Gets difficult though when surf/wind is big.

SaltySinus said..

Good work Salty. Yeah, I hear good things about the Nugget. For the interest in others reading this, I believe an interesting metric is the height of the board and the height of the rider. Care to disclose the height of the board and yourself?

I've gone for a 5'11" skillet which is the same height as me... which seems to work a treat.

What 17m kite are you riding?

The nugget is 5 foot 5 inches long and 21 inches wide with squarish tail. Very flat through the length of the board. Four fins.

I am 6 foot 3 inches and 100kgs.

The kite is a North Dyno 17.

bigtone667 said..

Today's lesson: you start work early so you can finish early to enjoy the approaching 25 knot noreaster. You get to botany bay with your 27 kites and 47 boards and realise you left you harness, safety leash and full wetsuit at home.... Feeling pretty stupid at this stage.

But you are dedicated. You justify your need to kitesurf and buy a new harness and leash (thanks Kitepower). You get back down to the water and kit up with 10 metres of kite, your new harness and the 2mm spring suit you had in the car.

Off you go, tear arsing across the bay and back again and you realise that more important than harness, leash and kite is the wetsuit. OMG .... I think I survived another twenty minutes before I lost all feeling and some body parts.

Lesson Learnt!!!!!

Priceless!!!!! Some serious shrinkage going on there for sure.

SaltySinus said...
Testicles spectacles wallet and watch, every time.

I am ready to join the Bee Gees
But hey, at least you got a new harness out of it. What did you go for?

bigtone667 said...
But hey, at least you got a new harness out of it. What did you go for?

I grabbed another seat harness (dakine). Coming from an abseiling background, I am quite comfortable with them.

Welcome back BoardGirl. Your absence has been noticed, but I'm glad to say we will be taking no further action in this case ;-)

That's alright then! I'm glad to see you've had some time on the water!

Me and a mate kited all through winter (which is easier said than done in Victoria!) so looking forward to some more stable winds in summer!

BoardGirl said..

Salty, you're nuts kiting through winter down there...bbbrrrrr

Got out every chance I could through winter albeit with thermals and 3/2 wettie and that's in Brisvegas.

Ooohhh my news!!!! Raceboard....can go back and forth, long way from turning around, gybing etc but great fun.

Thanks... and I'd like to say it's not that bad... but it sometimes was! It certainly discourages you from trying new things (As the prospect of body dragging back up wind to get your board is not appealing!) but I'm glad of the experience.

3/2 wettie in Brissie? I thought wetsuits were band in Brisbane by the Tourism Australia...

Race board eh. What's the appeal (serious question, not having a stab). Is it the sensation of speed or ability to 'surf' on them, or both?

I'm still struggling with toe side so I'm a very long way off jibing! That said, I bought a directional also for the low wind days. Its soooo different to the Twintip

Good luck with it!

Thanks Kamikuza.

I'm not entirely sure I follow the QR section, but it's certainly good advice to practice pulling activating the QR whilst on the beach so its second nature if / when needed.

Thanks BG. OK, I see, you're a speed-demon.

"... but if you can carve turn .." I can't. My problem/challenge is the right stance. I'm one of those annoy people one sees at the gym with fundamentally bad form and posture. I'll get there, I just need some more steady sea breezes (Winter in Victoria is all about wrestling with the gusts and keeping your kite from racing over your head and stalling).

The directional board was purchased for light wind days in Victoria when you can't get a TT going. Plus I've this quasi romantic nature of loading up the car and kitesurfing down the great ocean road at various points. It'll most likely never happen, but I'd like to at least become competent on a directional should an opportunity like that ever arise.

Cheers Dl33ta. I'll persist. I think I'm pretty resolved to removing the rear strap of my directional, although I reserve the right to keep the straps on my Twin tip!

I'm also hopefully going wakeboarding in a couple of months, so I aspire to practice toe side on a twin tip (All be it, on a wakeboard).

I believe it means a change of direction say from left to right, by moving from heal side to toe side, i.e. a 'slowish' transition where the board travels from left (going healside) to direct downwind to right (on toeside) and gives a big C shape...