Beginners → setting up a kite
Before you start acquainting yourself with the contents of this page, we strongly recommend reading the Safety rules.
Lohe pumpamine
- Place the kite on sand, grass or some other surface while avoidin sharp objects (stones, rocks etc.)
- Turn the kite with its leading edge (front tube) facing into the wind, and the underside of the canopy facing upwards.
- Place a weight, e.g. sand, gear bag etc. on one wingtip of the canopy, while making sure its heavy enough to stay in its place.
This is the spot where differences in kite construction come into play. Some kites have a so-called "Lazy-pump" system, which enables one to inflate a kite with air from a single pump-spot. With other kites one must fill all air tanks separately.
If you happen to have a kite where you need to fill up all the air-tanks separately – first fill the (ribs) and then the (leading edge)
- When inflating the air tanks, make sure to cap the valves properly and secure them with the strip of velcro that came attached.
- When inflating the airtank of the (juhtserva), make sure that the hook+line assembly is attached to the kite as instructed. When the kite becomes more and more inflated, it starts to take shape and will rotate itself,while remaining attached to the pump via the assembly. Because of this you must keep standing on the pump – otherwise the kite might take off due to lack of ballast.
- Maintain adequate airpressure in all of your kites airtanks (pressure levels vary between kites - consult your kites user manual).
Securing your kite on the beach
If your kite is not in use at a given moment then you must secure it on the beach to prevent its takeoff. To do so, you must turn the kite upside down so that the (ribid) are facing the ground and the kites (juhtserv) is placed in the direction of the wind.
After that place a surfing board or adequate amounts of sand on the kite so that wind cannot turn or move it on the ground.
Connecting lines to your kite
One of the most common user errors in kiteboarding is mixing up steering and flying lines. So when attaching any of the lines to the kite be sure to mount them in the correct manner and in the correct spots (NB! Consult the instruction manual that came with your kite).
The majority of kites attach their lines in the manner as illustrated on the right.