Kite surf: guide to understanding kite surf -2- The flight window
The flight window is a very important notion meaning the space within which the kite can move. If the cords which connect the kite to the surfer are, for example, 20 metres long, the kite can move 20m to the left or to the right, in front of or behind you, that is a quarter of a sphere with a 20m radius with the surfer at the centre. At the edge the window develops little traction, therefore it’s the point from which to launch or stop the kite surf. If the kite is perpendicular to the surfer it’s in a relatively neutral position and represents a safety zone.
The boom
The boom gives control of the kite and they have 2 or 4 cords. Booms with 2 chords are mainly used at the learning stage, with small surface wings to simplify the apprenticeship. Short cords tend to be more reactive in controlling the kite. A very common length of cord is 25 metres.
Why 4 cords?
The 4 cords which link the wing to the boom are made up of 2 in front and 2 behind. The 2 frontal parts are connected together to a rope which passes through the boom and goes on to fix to the belt making up the rapid release device. So these cords are fixed. The 2 rear parts are directly linked to the ends of the boom. Sliding the boom along the rope linked to the frontal parts reduces or increases the relative length of the rear parts. Direction control is achieved by inclining the bar left or right, an apparently simple mechanism which however takes a lot of learning, especially to compensate the kite’s movements.
Boom safety
The boom is complete with two release systems: the first allows the neutralisation of the wing’s power remaining connected to it, whereas the second allows you to free yourself completely from the wing, which is rarely necessary. You need to get used to the safety systems before needing to use them. After use in the sea, to lengthen the life of the boom, you should rinse everything in fresh water after each use.
The board
There are different types of board to use with the kite:
The directional board, similar to those used in surf or windsurf. As its name suggests it has an front and rear part, with two belts on the front part. The surfer has to change foot to change direction: this manoever is called jibe and such a feature makes them unpractical for jumps.
The Twin-tip board is the most common and is symmetrical or almost and can be used in both directions without jibe.
The Wake-board looks like the twin-tip, but is smaller. Mutants (or hybrids) are halfway between directional and twin-tip. The general shape and the tip resemble a twin-tip.
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