Been out on a few sold southerlies recently with 6 foot plus waves. I'm finding it challenging to keep my speed under control and by the time I end up down the bottom of the face i'm really overpowered due to my high board speed. This means I often either have to edge harder than i would like to control my speed causing the kite to overfly (from a nice down the line position) or run out further than ideal onto the flats in front of the wave.
Any advice on how to keep myself under better control and more in the pocket on big waves? I'm generally out in cross to cross onshore winds 15-30knots on a 5'3" Evo with Pancho Sullivan large futures Naish slash 5,7 or 9m with North click bar.
Do you think a dynabar/ridengine rope slider would help or do I just need to commit to sending the kite sooner and accept i'm going to be going bloody fast and just get used to it??
Many thanks in advance
Some guys would say rig for the wave not the overall conditions, meaning rig a smaller kite but know that you might be a bit underpowered when not on a wave. Some guys would take out the strapped board on those kind of days. Have you tried pulling a lot of trim right before you drop in to the wave? Downside is some kites turn pretty crappy when depowered.
I had the same problem on my Vader, I found sending the kite whip putting a lot of back foot pressure helped. In the end I just try and use a smaller kite, pretty much just enough to get you back to the wave.
I'm already riding a 7m from 18-15 knots and my 5m from 25 knots and i'm 95kg too...
Thats why I got the click bar too - so I can quickly de-power without looking as I pull into a wave.
I wonder if this is where the width and early plaining of the Tomo boards begin to be a hinderence and I need to get yet another board with a more gun like pin tail and narrower outline. I just love how the vader and evo surf though and they let you use the smallest kite possible!
The slingshot Tyrant looks like it will shred in bigger surf but I suspect I would have to ride a bigger kite than I would like to and still end up over powered.....
Not keen on strapped as it just doesn't feel like your surfing and really dislike not being free to move my feet around on the board. But I guess sometimes conditions do mean you just have to strap in.
Sounds like uve got the right setup for 90% of ur sessions and u need another surfboard.
If u wanted another evo,something smaller then 5'1 or a completely different stick with sharper rails,less volume,square tail and pretty flat to maintain board speed? Keep in mind u'll hardly use the new board though caus ur already setup right
might be the waves you're on.
If your surfing lefts in a southerly and you take a line like you're surfing you'll head towards your kite and it will stall.
If you draw your turns right out and dump the speed (edge against the kite) by the time you turn back to the wave you've missed the section. This happens to me a lot on the goldie where the waves break pretty quickly down the line because the outer banks are often straight.
Im wondering whether the guys on videos are surfing more surfable reef breaks that are breaking on a better angle than we get on the south swell beach breaks on the east coast.
Thats my excuse anyway...
Evo isnt typically a well loved board in high winds, but whatever works for you in the end of the day, fins and boards are different for everyone. To me, it sounds like harder rear foot pressure off the top and setting up for your first bottom turn is whats needed. Find that rail super fast out of your top turn and use that rear foot to stall your board. Should be in that pocket no worries.
Select to expand quoteMain said..
might be the waves you're on.
If your surfing lefts in a southerly and you take a line like you're surfing you'll head towards your kite and it will stall.
If you draw your turns right out and dump the speed (edge against the kite) by the time you turn back to the wave you've missed the section. This happens to me a lot on the goldie where the waves break pretty quickly down the line because the outer banks are often straight.
Im wondering whether the guys on videos are surfing more surfable reef breaks that are breaking on a better angle than we get on the south swell beach breaks on the east coast.
Thats my excuse anyway...
guys like keahi and Ben looks good on any wave. But the right wave sure helps up
Select to expand quoteAdam'KiteRepair said..Main said..
might be the waves you're on.
If your surfing lefts in a southerly and you take a line like you're surfing you'll head towards your kite and it will stall.
If you draw your turns right out and dump the speed (edge against the kite) by the time you turn back to the wave you've missed the section. This happens to me a lot on the goldie where the waves break pretty quickly down the line because the outer banks are often straight.
Im wondering whether the guys on videos are surfing more surfable reef breaks that are breaking on a better angle than we get on the south swell beach breaks on the east coast.
Thats my excuse anyway...
guys like keahi and Ben looks good on any wave. But the right wave sure helps up
actually meant surfing RIGHTS on a southerly....
Select to expand quoteAdam'KiteRepair said
guys like keahi and Ben looks good on any wave. But the right wave sure helps up
Agreed & I don't think they would bother kiting in the crap most of us have to.
Because they don't have to.
I'm not a strapless surfer. So my advice might be moot.
Have you tried running Killing a lot of your board speed then using only the wave speed to negotiate the drop and bottom turn.
That way you don't get the combined power of apparently wind speed and wave speed.
Bigger waves are faster so ultimately you will have more speed at the bottom turn the farting around in sub 6ft stuff.
Yeah similar to what you say plummet - I've started sort of slaloming down the face to gradually knock off speed which seems to help. Or racing out into the flats and trying to time s big cut back onto the nearly broken face
Bigger waves i now take out the pyzel slab surfboard- the more conventional shape, narrower tail and sharp rails suit bigger surf much more than the evo
