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north kiteboarding
vegas 08 manual
5. kite tuning
Adjusting the line length has an impact on the performance of the kite.
We recommend that all lines be the same distance from the control bar,
this however does not mean that, even if the lines are the same length, every
kite is perfectly tuned for all kiteboarders and wind conditions. Every
kiteboarder, every kite and all spot conditions differ from each other, thus the
recommendations can only be guidelines.
The kiteboarder must adjust the length of the lines before every flight,
but also during the flight, using the “North Flight Control System” (or
comparable systems).
E.g, Sit-harnesses require a longer basic depower setting than waist-harnesses.
The speed at which a kite responds to control input – its response rate – varies
with the amount of tension on the kite lines. The greater the tension, the quicker
the response will be. The tension on the lines varies in turn with the size and
skill of the boarder.
For example, a kite used by a lightweight boarder in light wind will have low line
tension and will respond relatively slowly, while the same kite used by a
heavyweight boarder in strong wind will have high line tension and will turn
quickly. This means that the construction and the design of the kite control the
response rate only to some extent and that there is no canopy that suits boarders
of all different weights and skill levels. The response rate of the canopy can
also be varied by the two different width adjustments of the bar. With a wide bar,
the canopy reacts and turns faster than with a narrow bar adjustment.
North Kiteboarding recommends flying the larger size kites using the wide
adjustment and using the smaller Vegases with the narrower adjustment. The kite
is equipped with several attachment points and can thus be tuned in terms of its
turning ability and de-powering qualities. The hare symbol stands for a fast
turning canopy whereas the tortoise indicates a slower turning of the kite.
In order to trim the kite quickly, please turn to the illustrations below. These
show an optimally trimmed kite and over-taut adjustment.
5. kite tuning
