Fractured Axel

On a slightly different tangent:
be careful of the sun. Hat and / or sun-block, sun-glasses, perhaps even long sleeves.
BUT never, ever wear sandals with socks

Stuart

This is all good stuff, the advice about running forward rather than pulling back when in a nosedive may prove useful. I would definitely have got that wrong in the heat of the moment....I still might!

I am now more convinced than ever that I am going to crash it......hard. I am glad that I only spent £20 to start with, the blurb for the kite said it was 'extremely docile' but it is only 1.3m which seems quite small.

I am just waiting for the weekend and some good weather now.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply, it will all be helpful.

There is also the resemblance with riding a bike!
Huh?
Some wonder why their kite keeps spinning . . . . . well, they keep pulling a line.
Bring your hands together, an the kite wil start flying a 'straight' line.
Just like when steering your bike

Well, even though the weather wasn't promising my son managed to 'bully' me into taking our kite out for its first attempted flight today.

Went to the local park and surprisingly managed to launch it off he ground straight away.

Unfortunately the wind was all over the place... one minute the kite was really tearing through the sky and the next it was just dead, seemed to be changing direction too! So frustrating!

On the plus side I enjoyed it while it lasted and no major crashes.
Rain stopped play in the end, I'll be back though!

p.s does it matter if you wind up your lines while they are wet?

Learning to be at peace with the capricious nature of wind is the primary skill in kite flying - pulling off great precision or complex trick combos is a doddle in comparison.

The lines will be fine, but don't store them wet - let them dry somewhere (I find just in the porch gets them dry in a day or two, no need to put them anywhere hot). Don't store your kite wet either, let it dry by leaving it out of the bag for a couple of hours before storing it. If it was really wet when bagging up the kite, turn the bag inside out (if applicable) to dry the inner surface of the bag.

Infinitive wrote:

Learning to be at peace with the capricious nature of wind is the primary skill in kite flying - pulling off great precision or complex trick combos is a doddle in comparison.

The lines will be fine, but don't store them wet - let them dry somewhere (I find just in the porch gets them dry in a day or two, no need to put them anywhere hot). Don't store your kite wet either, let it dry by leaving it out of the bag for a couple of hours before storing it. If it was really wet when bagging up the kite, turn the bag inside out (if applicable) to dry the inner surface of the bag.

Top tips mate...thanks!

I take your point about the learning to live with the wind...it didn't help that my 4 yr old just kept saying 'why do you keep letting it crash daddy?'

Armand Tamsarian wrote:

Infinitive wrote:

Learning to be at peace with the capricious nature of wind is the primary skill in kite flying - pulling off great precision or complex trick combos is a doddle in comparison.

The lines will be fine, but don't store them wet - let them dry somewhere (I find just in the porch gets them dry in a day or two, no need to put them anywhere hot). Don't store your kite wet either, let it dry by leaving it out of the bag for a couple of hours before storing it. If it was really wet when bagging up the kite, turn the bag inside out (if applicable) to dry the inner surface of the bag.

Top tips mate...thanks!

I take your point about the learning to live with the wind...it didn't help that my 4 yr old just kept saying 'why do you keep letting it crash daddy?'

Why is it that chrildren say things so clearly!!!

"I take your point about the learning to live with the wind...it didn't help that my 4 yr old just kept saying 'why do you keep letting it crash daddy?"

that doesnt stop ever... so no hope for you there...

you can fly all the tricks in the book , they will stil ask you why it's doint them strange things in stead of going up and making cirkles with a big tail behind it

Arie,
I personally think your signature says it all. Learn the old school and the new school come easier.

That is why I have been flying my BoT and OS lately.

Those people who created the new school did not do it in a vacuum. They built in the old school.

It may take long but you will have the old skills to use as a foundation to build the new skills