OK, so I've cracked the basics of boosting and getting off the water, can do small jumps and land fairly smoothly, however once I start to really send the kite and get some decent air, I'm finding it nearly impossible not to hit the water like a sack of spuds.
I'm sending the kite from 10 o'clock to 12ish, getting off the water, and staying under the kite, no pendulum effect...bar pulled all the way in and kept in....and then I'm basically dropping straight down and landing on my butt/back. I've tried sending the kite back down from 12 as I approach the water, and pulling it to my hip to try and rotate so I'm pointing downwind as I land, but it's not seeming to help much.
Should I be:
a) flying the kite a bit more while I'm at the peak of my jump and on the way back down to try and keep it powered up? (ie zigzag from 10-1 or something...I'm not up to kiteloops yet)
b) sending the kite back down from 12 more aggressively (ie same as I send it up to 12 to get off the water) or earlier?
Ive been trying the last few days with a 2013 Airush VarialX 12m (18-20 knots), 2015 Neo 6m (25-30knots) and 2013 Fuse 7m (22-25 knots) - they've all been able to yank me off the water and get what feels like some decent height, so I'm putting it down to technique rather than kites.
Some kites do have a bit more float than others, but yes it does come down to technique.
b) is the correct answer. Also when you get to the peak of the jump try letting the bar out while steering the kite down and the pulling it back in when coming in to land. This gives a bit of a cushioning affect for a softer landing.
Most importantly...make sure ur board is pointing downwind when u land, as u will be carrying more speed with this technique.
Another little tip, I lift my front leg (ie: tail of board landing first) when coming in to land as it makes for a softer landing again.
Cheers
A smaller kite even in big winds doesn't bring you down softly, even a 6/7 edge needs much more movement than a 9/10 Mtrs kite in good winds, add to that a certain profile or kind of kite , the vx and fuse will have better hang time than the Neo , however a 10 Neo ain't bad
Technique on kite movement overhead just as you descend , slows you up, only when a Mtrs or so should you be looking to redirect kite or downloop, keeping a well trimmed /powered kite constantly until you land
Practice
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said..
Send it back past 12, so the kite goes from 10 to 1.
Or just loop it! So yeah is the answer is (b) as mentioned, but pull HARD on the front line and let the kite loop if it has to. As it does, whilst you're still in the air, it will pull you back up a bit more and allow you to land more softly. If you don't pull that front line, that's when the pendulum starts and you'll be dropping like a lead balloon with a stalled kite behind you.
Hi Shano,
Sounds to me like you're pretty close to nailing it. Here's what I think would fix your problem. Send your kite from 10:30 to 1:30. Don't stop it at 12. By bringing it back further you will give yourself more height and hangtime and will help you wash off forward speed mid air. It will also allow you to redirect your kite on beginning of the descent from the jump.
By sending your kite only to 12, it will quickly fly over your head upwind of you dropping you more quickly. It also has very little travel distance when you redirect so you don't get the speed or prolonged stroke if you had have sent it further back across the window.
Yes, you will need to be more aggressive in your redirect, but I am confident you'll nail it.
Go for it.
DM
When you say landing on your back, are you falling back on landing or literally landing legs in the air?
Landing and falling back is often a symptom of not diving the kite soon enough on the way down. The kite doesn't generate enough power and as you land (often hard) you instinctively lean back and there's nothing to give you any forward momentum.
Thanks for all the advice people, appreciate you all taking the time to respond.
OK, so I just need to be redirecting more aggressively on the way down, and also sending it past 12 o'clock on takeoff then bringing it back - I can work with that.
Downloops, I'll start by giving them a crack on the water, and then see what happens in the air - just need to grow a pair I guess.
Weebitbreezy - I'm basically falling back on landing, or landing with the board pointed too upwind so it just kind of scythes up and tips me backwards. Which as you say, is an indicator of everyone's general consensus - I need to be diving the kite forward more aggressively, not trying to use it as a parachute.
Occasionally if I know I'm coming down really hard I will lift my legs and take the sinus rinse rather than risk an injury. On the positive side, I've gotten pretty good at keeping the kite in the air by feel while being dunked - very rare that I drop it these days.
Should also mention I've recently switched to the Dakine boardshort harness - it's amazing how much confidence (and comfort!) the seat harness gives to boosting, somehow seems much more controlled.
Hopefully I'll be reporting back with some positive news shortly!
Not more aggressively, just time it correctly. The later you leave the timing of the redirect, the more aggrestive it needs to be to get the kite moving fast enough to catch you.
Look, the most important thing to do is fly the kite. Play with it but note what happens when you do this or that. Trying to doggedly follow "the rules" will only hamper your riding...
Select to expand quoteshano82 said..
On the positive side, I've gotten pretty good at keeping the kite in the air by feel while being dunked - very rare that I drop it these days.
Good work! If your kite is still flying and under control, almost everything else becomes easier and less risky. Always know where your kite is.
As long as your bars powered and your kites overhead your not gonna do a huge amount of damage, you've also got to know how to crash imho and be aware of where you're kites at when you come unstuck
shootign the kite forward just before landing will soften up the landing and bend the knees so you can wash off some of the force
Select to expand quoteshano82 said..
OK, so I've cracked the basics of boosting and getting off the water, can do small jumps and land fairly smoothly, however once I start to really send the kite and get some decent air, I'm finding it nearly impossible not to hit the water like a sack of spuds.
I'm sending the kite from 10 o'clock to 12ish, getting off the water, and staying under the kite, no pendulum effect...bar pulled all the way in and kept in....and then I'm basically dropping straight down and landing on my butt/back. I've tried sending the kite back down from 12 as I approach the water, and pulling it to my hip to try and rotate so I'm pointing downwind as I land, but it's not seeming to help much.
Should I be:
a) flying the kite a bit more while I'm at the peak of my jump and on the way back down to try and keep it powered up? (ie zigzag from 10-1 or something...I'm not up to kiteloops yet)
b) sending the kite back down from 12 more aggressively (ie same as I send it up to 12 to get off the water) or earlier?
Ive been trying the last few days with a 2013 Airush VarialX 12m (18-20 knots), 2015 Neo 6m (25-30knots) and 2013 Fuse 7m (22-25 knots) - they've all been able to yank me off the water and get what feels like some decent height, so I'm putting it down to technique rather than kites.
I had the same problem (you can find a similar thread I posted several weeks ago). Watched all utube videos, have ‘Progression’ video, read forum threads, some of our esteemed forum members offered advice, some even volunteered their time – I joined their sessions to get a few tips, but I still could not get it. It seams it comes natural to some - quite depressing to read posts ‘I started 6 months ago, can go toe side both sides, jump and boost high, but have trouble with landing some of my kite loops’. 
It is nearly 3 years since I started kitesurfing and I had some ‘mental block’ when it came to landing jumps 
(like you, I figured out how to get up above the water, but could not figure out how to come down with grace). As a last ditch attempt I bought a ‘Learning To Fly’ video – next step was to be one on one instructions with an experienced instructor at $200 or so per lesson. The video is about 50 min long and covers in detail a basic jump. After watching it about 5 times and 4 sessions later I can jump twice as high as I used to and land 7 out of 10 jumps. When I don’t land them, I usually know exactly what I have done wrong.
The video has very little on landing – it is all about correct body position when riding, preparation for the jump, edging, and timing of the jump. After watching it for the first time I was disappointed that there is hardly anything about landing in it as ‘only landing’ was my problem. After putting the theory into practice I learned that I had many problems that I was not aware of. I learned that if my riding stance, edging, position of kite, and timing are right, the jumps are smooth, high, well controlled, and the landing ‘just happens’. Just like everybody says, couple meters above the water ‘redirect your kite and point the board downwind’ - but it works only when everything beforehand is done wright.
I have no affiliation with the author of the video (Anton) but I recommend it to all newbees and intermediate riders who reached the ‘mow the lawn’ stage. Even if you think jumping is not for you, the video will give you detailed description on how to improve your riding stance, greatly improve your upwind performance, teach you how to control the power of the kite so you don’t claim that you must change the kite or board when the wind picks up or drops off a little. And jumping? Jumping is so easy when you do the basics right! 
I wish I had this video two years ago - It would have cut out months of frustration out of my learning curve. Learning is part of fun, but it is not fun if you can’t progress through one basic step for a year. Best spent $25 - utube preview below:
