The info on this page was written by BLADENUT who often posts in the flexifoil forums. it is reprinted with a few spelling corrections, but mostly as it is.

ok, this should cover most of the do's and don'ts, and how to's of kiting.

jumping.

what every newbie to kiting wants to do, but can get hurt doing if not properly (even the good guys get hurt on a dodgy jump)

first things first, don't start off by trying to do a pendulm jump, keep it simple, swing the kite from one side to the centre, so the kite should lift u a bit, but not off into the sunset.

this is to give you an idea of how the kite will move once u r off the floor, as in the air, the kite should be as much over ur head as possible.

once goin off the floor is easy, try getting the kite to about 40 degrees off the floor, then swinging it up, this should give u more lift, and the 'up' motion is vital, as otherwise, u just get dragged from side to side.

once u've got that down, here comes the real jump, when u take it out left or right, make sure it is powered a little, as u have to move it fast. pull the kite (again, start high, then move the kite lower at the start to get more hight, start high or u'll hurt ur self) accross the window, swinnging it upwards at the same time, when u start the pull, u should run towards the kite (if its on the left, run left, not directly towards the kite, thats pointless) and as it hits the middle of the window, it should be pulling up, depending on the power, u now have to jump. most of this is timing, and it will take a while to get right, but it feels good when u do.

when u get real good and confident, run in the same direction, but diagonnally back wards, this will give more lift.

pit jumping.

right, this is easy, and can be done on either beach, or field.

on a beach, always take a spade if u want to do jumping, dig a hole, about one and a half foot deep, and about 4ft across in a circle, above high tide if ur on hoilday there for a few days as then if the wind changes one day, the pit is still there, and ready to use.

use the sand from inside to build a smallish wall round the out side, in a field u will have to use a big piece of wood or something, as digging a hole there is a bit odd.

there are two ways to jump, both get height, not distance, unless u realease early.

the first is the same as b4, just take the kite to the side, then swing it low and drag it up, using the pit to stop you being dragged away, when it gets to about 60degrees up the window, jump out of the pit, the pit should give you some extra height, as you weren't dragged b4 hand.

the second stytle of jump is dropping the kite completely (u can hold it just off the floor, but i prefer a takeoff) then, pull the kite straight up the middle of the window, pumping on the way up, and again at 60degress, jump.

one thing, always bend ur knees on landing, or you will really hurt urself

once you can jump properly, tricks are easy to pick up, if you have the balls.

bits 'n' bobs

harness; essential for bigger kites, make sure the one u get is the right size and comfortable for you. bump 'n' jump is the most used i think, best possible for kite surfing, but make sure u can get into a buggy if thats what its for when u get the harness. make sure the strop (rope on the handles) is strong, u don't want that snapping mid air.

stakes; there has been a question about this recently, and its had the piss take, thats unfair as it is a valulable piece of kit. a small peg that goes in the ground, it keeps the brake line on, so u can leave the kite and sit down for a bit. small ones are prefered, but corkscrew ones are recomended for the beach

sunglasses; recomended, as u will be flying into the sun often.

kite killers; attached to ur wrists then to the break lines, basically breaks the kite if u let go, worthwhile if ur new to the sport, can save ur kite in a lot of ways.

bars; great piece of handling kit, no breaks though, unless u have a good one with the right holes, even then u need a harness to make it work.

VPS; depower system for the bigger blades (they are used on other kites, but this is the flexi one i'm talkin bout) after a bridle set up, it can cut the power of the kite, giving it a bigger wind range, also increases the power, if thats wrong tell me, i wan tto get this right.

(or simply being dragged along - under perfect control of course !!)

You'll need plenty of power for scudding. During a downwind launch if you're pulled forwards a few metres that should be OK. The kite should be fairly low in the window and you need to balance the pull. If the kite pulls hard don't try to run forwards - it usually ends up in a fall !

Fly the kite from one side of the window to the other through the centre of the wind. Turn it fast towards the edge of the window to maintain speed and hence power ! Keep balancing against the pull and just "go with it" - let the kite drag you along

Work the kite hard - its physical but a real buzz. Don't fly too high or you'll be pulled upwards and don't go too far to the edge where the kite slows down and loses power.

Remember to go with the " flow " and lean back to mantain balance with your feet at about shoulders width apart. Bend in the elbows for any gust compensation and anticipate the window edge turn and balance your body accordingly.

More advanced Scudding involves the use of a harness, this is great for reducing the strain on your ams when tired but as you know a greater risk of losing control and eating sand for 20 meters if you catch a heavy gust and cannot depower in time. You can add small jumps and use just one foot.

Also a great way to exfoliate the soles of your feet

basic buggy tips

ok, first things first, make sure that u have the right kite, i mean size, blades are fine.

i find it easy to get the kite up, then get in the buggy, some find it better to just sit in the buggy and start up.

make sure the kite is lowish, this may sound odd for blades, but trust me, if its low and forward of the window it won't lift unless a big gust comes along.

get moving, and once u've got the hang off going forward, its time to turn.

take the kite up, but not too high. turn the pegs, slowly, not too sharp or u'll spin outand get yanked out the buggy, let the kite pull u a bit down wind, and finish of the U turn. make sure you are travelling 90 degres to the wind, so it goes across ur body.

once you get used to moving and turning, try and really work the kite up and down the window, that will produce more power and speed.

to stop, there are a number of ways, jump out the buggy, bringing the kite up. putting ur feet and kite down, slowly coming to a stop. stacking a turn or just bailing in general.

i think thats it, to get you started any way, angin, make sure its the right size kite, don't worry bout it being a blade too much...

wheelies and spins (180's 360's etc)

spins first;

this is simple, start with just doing normal turns, but turning harder and spinning the back of the buggy, this should send u into a 180 and a stop (has to be done at some speed, and i find the pl-comps have less grippy wheels than the flexi, so it might take some effort for some if on grass)
once thats easy for u, here comes the hard part, doing the other 180. u do have to be ready to be pulled out backwards to get this right...
a bit of speed is needed for this, do the same as before, but have the kite above and slightly ahead (so it keeps u going, i had to figure this out, i kept stopping) and as u face the other way, slam the pegs the other way, like u would in a car, and keep ur arms up, to avoid decapitation. to get that extra spin, u need to really swing your arse out, so the buggy spins round it.
to do more spins, get more speed, and repeat the 360, possitioning of the kite is vital, as it needs to keep pulling u into those spins.

wheelies;

now, this is easier than you would think, the hard bit is keeping the buggy in the upright possition and under control.

first things first, the kite needs a bit of lift, i use a 4.9/3M blade2 depending on wind, vipers are do able, but tricky to get up with at first.

now, the kite doesn't have to be overpowered, not in the least, as long as the buggy is moving, u can do a wheelie. go along as usual, then take the kite up high, and slightly behind u (not too far or its OBE time (OBE= out of buggy expeirience, if we haven't covered that already)) kick the front wheel a bit upwind, causing more force on the buggy, and lean into the side bar, and pull on the habdles.

this should lift the back wheel off the floor, it will take a lot of practice, on the bright side, u can just step out of the buggy if you go too far, as u should learn at slowish speeds.

now, if you can get the back wheel up at about 60 degrees (or as close to the floor as your pegs will go) now the kite has to come back forwards, into the possition that u would normally fly to go forwards, tweaking the pegs to keep you upright.

this is the hardest to explain, it takes a lot of balls cos the likelihood of you falling out is very high. once you manage to get it up though (this will be difficult for some of you out there (oo-er)) its just a matter of staying up, and getting the kite to keep you moving

the wind window is the area in which your kite flys in.

the kite always flys down wind. if you think of the wind window as a 3D object, this is easier.

right above you is the top of the window (as far away as your lines are long) to either side of you is the 'edge' of the window, this is bout 75 degrees from the center on either side, as the kite will start to luff (collapse/fold) at this point. there are 2 or 3 other sections, and they are all in front of you, straight ahead, and down wind is the middle of the window, ground level, this is normally where the kite will go down to (3-8ft off the floor) in the buggy, going up and down to produce more power. about 15-60 degrees is the most powerful point in the window, where the most power is produced by the kit, and blade will pick you up and forwards. not recommended to be in with a big kite in high winds.
Finally, the top of the window, ahead of you above 60 degrees, this is where the kite is weakest, as it is 'catching' less air(in theory, for in a really strong wind a blade will pick u up and throw u about a bit)