Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1993 22:47:07 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Body Surfing Last weekend, I went down to Weymouth, to meet the Amature Yacht Research Society on the last day of their speed-week. I had talked to them about kites and boats earler in the week at a meeting and wanted see them on the water. The plan was to borrow a sort of catamaran consisting of a pair of surf-boards and a platform to join them. Unfortunately, they had some new fins for the boards which they were really excited about and I spent most of the day waiting for them to come back to the shore. With time pressing on, I got tired of waiting, got out the 15 square meter Peel, attatched my shortest, 50' lines (a limit imposed by the harbour anthorities), persuaded some-one to man a rescue boat and launched the kite. I had been warned to be wary of a submerged and unmarked (!) pipe, just downwind of the slip-way, but this proved not to be a problem as I started to shoot off on a beam-reach away from the quay. I had expected to be dragged slowly through the water, but once I was in the clear wind away from the shore, I was easily plaining across the water at speeds check made me turn round to check that the rescue boat (a small dingy with an outboard) was able to keep up. On the better stretches, it would only be the lower portion of my legs and my feet that would be in the water. Without a rudder, steering and upwind travel was impossible, all I could do was a broad reach in either direction. Changing direction was fun, because the kite would lift me high in the water, where only my feet were submerged. Getting 'air' would be easy with longer lines. I never dropped the kite, but instead clambered onboard the rescue boat when I began to get tired. From here, we pulled the boat around a bit, but until (not unsurprisingly) we broke one of the lines. Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Car: +44 831 527 614 Interested in kite traction? mail kites@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 12:08:27 -1000 From: Message-Id: <93287.180827PJM120@psuvm.psu.edu> Organization: Penn State University Subject: Re: Body Surfing Body Surfing!!!! This summer a friend and I were doing some team flying with Hawaiians when the wind decided to shift into the ocean. After doing some flips over chest high waves, I lost my footing in a wave and was dragged out to sea. Immediately, My friend joined me and we hydroplaned parallel to the shore. In the water, once we got used to the feeling and pressure, we tried some patterns but almost lost the kites in a collision. We hitched a ride in with a surfer an d went bayside Hattaras to connect the kites. The bay, and two kites on one set of lines proved incredible. We did get chased out by windsurfers though, but can hardly wait to try it again. What kit es are best, in your opinion for this sport??? - Pete McCallum, PJM120@psuvm.psu.edu - = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1993 22:13:22 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Body Surfing writes: >What kites are best, in your opinion for this sport??? First choice would be a stonking great Peel. Something that is powerful enough to have you planing while holding it at the edge of the wind. The 15m seemed about right for the 10mph or so that was available to me. A 7.5m will probably work if you have a strong enough wind. Smaller kites and lesser winds should give reasonable results but will require longer lines (I only used 50') and more weaving to get you going. A decent stack of Flexies, with their high MMR may make surfing difficult but should give good jumping performance. Most of the dangers of jumping on land don't really apply on water, provided that the water is deep enough that you don't hit the bottom and that you have a rescue boat to hand. Andrew -- Work: gaffer@rec.com Phone: +44 793 614 110 Fax: +44 793 614 297 Play: andrew@tug.com Phone: +44 256 464 912 Car: +44 831 527 614 Interested in kite traction? mail kites@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =