Being Overpowered

Hi folks,

Last summer while we were having drinks after a nice kiting day at Pantano del Ebro, one of the guys that was learning stated; "I know that I´m overpowered when I drive the kite at 12 pull the bar and I can´t hold the kite, because it pulls me". After imagining what he said I´d answered, "no, you know that you are overpowered in the very first second the person who is holding the kite releases it for launching and you see that you can not hold the kite at 3 or 9 with the bar completely depowered".

I think that this is a good explanation (I may explain myself better in Spanish), on when you know when you are overpowered.

What I would advice to a newbie? If you see that this is happening to you, land the kite and rig a smaller one.

I´m saying that being overpowered is bad? No, you just have to know what you can/can´t do and adapt your riding style. You also must be aware that it´s less confortable riding overpowered than with the proper kite for that wind speed. But there is a nice thing about it, you can really boost high!!!

What you can´t/should not do:

• Being overpowered while learning the sport can be dangerous, and more for learners as they may not control the kite. Any sharp movement of the kite will create a huge amount of power, and if you are not "prepared" it will make you fly vertically, horizontally or both.
• I also underline that if you are an experienced rider you should not get overconfident (I´m sure that you already have heard more than a couple of horror stories about people being draged, so be careful). 
• Do not trust blindly the wind range proposed by the marketing dept of the kite you are riding. These wind range charts should be used as a guidance only. As I red somewhere, there are 7m days, as there are 9 meters or 5 meters days. 
• If you are new into one spot and the wind speed is on the top limit of your kite range, first ask to the locals, and then wait patiently and see how the wind performs (if its blowing hard, the odds of suddenly drop of wind are rare anyway).
• Do not stay on the beach flying the kite any longer than necessary as you may do in normal conditions. Any gust can put you in a critical situation.
• Do not leave your kite at 12 or you risk that a gust can make you fly (did have my own experience with my Takoon Scoop 2 11.5 flying 5 meters over the beach for that reason in SA).
• Watch out with C kites as they do not have much depower as other types of kites.
• Ride at normal speeds (the ones you are used with "normal" wind conditions) as it will be much harder to hold the edge, therefore less control.

What you can/should do:

• If you are riding in the top limit of you kite, you must accept the fact that if something goes wrong you must release the kite (better to lose the kite than the the life, right?).
• Try always to launch with the kite pointing to the water, as if it does drag you it will drag you in it (if you do launch with the kite facing the beach that´s where you will go in case something goes wrong).
• When launching/ landing always have a hand in your release system in case anything goes wrong. (all can happen in a blink).
• When riding, steer the kite between low and medium height, this allow you counteract the pull of the kite by hedging, if you park your kite higher you will feel the lift all the time complicating the ride.
• A good tip to hold the kite in huge gusts is to edge harder by trying to go more upwind and also by going slower (both things at the same time). You will be surprised how you can hold big gusts by doing this technique.
• What about landing? if somebody can grab your kite while you are still in the water is perfect. If not, try to make yourself noticed by the people on the beach that your attempting to land. What you dont want to do is to be on the beach waiting for somebody to appear to grab your kite. If no one is there, keep kiting till you see somebody. Self landing? well, I would not do it in this kind of situations unless you can flag completely your kite (depends on the safety system of your kite).

Hope these tips are useful.

Take care and buenos vientos.