how to waterstart kitesurf

LEARNING HOW TO DO THE WATERSTART

The waterstart is a maneuver that allows you to get on the board from the water helping you with the thrust that the wind makes on the kite and stand up, this tactic can make your life easier once you learn it and master it. To get to know it you have to have a lot of patience like all kitesurfers. As always, to perform any maneuver you need to have complete control of your kite, even with one hand.

What will you find in this article? 

1 HOW TO MAKE THE WATERSTART?
2 THE WATERSTART TECHNIQUE IN KITESURF
3 TIPS OR TRICKS TO MAKE THE WATERSTART EASIER
THE WATERSTART TECHNIQUE IN KITESURF
To be successful in learning this technique that is basic for all Kitesurfers, since once you master it perfectly, it will allow you to enjoy sailing and the landscape while practicing your favorite sport.

The first thing you should do is go a few meters into the sea. Take your board with one hand placing it so that it does not resist the wind, the other hand you must place it in the middle of the bar.

You should tip the kite slightly so that it does not resist wind resistance either.

When you are in the water, you must keep the kite towards the zenith, which is the neutral area of ​​the window, which will prevent it from pulling you and allowing you to slide to one side or the other without problems

So if you want to do a waterstart and navigate to the left, you must start the kite at 12:00 and move it around 10:00, on the contrary if you want to sail to the right, you will move the kite from 12:00 until 2:00.

You must consider that the movements should not be very rough and they will depend on the speed of the cent and the resistance that you feel.

Then proceed to place the board in the water, for which you must put it in a position similar to squatting and force your legs until you are able to stand up.

One of your hands must hold the board and with the other, which you have placed in the middle of the bar, you must keep your kite at the zenith. It is imperative that you always keep your back to the wind, thus avoiding losing the position of the wind window.

Once on the board, position your body so that the leg you have at the back of the board is semi-flexed, and the one you place forward more stretched, thus you will ensure that the board remains horizontal and that the front does not dive into the water

During navigation, try to keep the board edged, which will allow you to resist the kite and that it does not fall into the water.

In short, to carry out a successful waterstart you must comply with at least the following simple steps:

You walk a few meters into the water. In the right place, keep your kite in the neutral area of ​​the window, 12 o’clock or zenith. Then put your board at foot height and sit in the water so that you can control the kite with one hand centered on the bar and grab the board with the other.

You should always keep your back to the wind, which will guarantee not to lose the window, if you lose your balance you can help yourself with your legs flexing and extending them until you return to the starting position.

Before starting the waterstar you should flex your legs so that the board is close to your body. During the first attempts, move the kite, for example, from 11 o’clock in the wind window (we always start from the zenith) to 3 o’clock, in case you start the maneuver with your right leg forward.

Starting the waterstar with the kite slightly at 11 o’clock will guarantee greater power, however this is not necessary if you have considerable wind power.

When you feel that your kite is strong enough to get you out of the water, extend your right leg and flex your left leg (this in case the right leg is the one you have in front, as I suggested earlier).

You should always keep the board in the direction of the wind, as you master the technique you can progressively nail the edge.

We will always remember to raise the kite again at 1 o’clock – 2 o’clock in case of going out with the right leg and we will repeat the movement as many times as necessary if we consider that the kite’s traction is insufficient.

I suggest that your movements be more or less abrupt depending on the wind. And always keep the tip of the board out of the water during the maneuver.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS WHEN TRYING TO WATERSTART

INITIAL POSITION OF THE WATER-START IN KITE
In the initial position to the WATERSTART you must be floating on your back, the legs flexed with the feet inside the straps and your board in favor of the wind in a precise way, and the kite in the zenith. It is very necessary to achieve this initial pose to be able to complete the movement and get on the table to start navigating.

TABLE IN THE RIGHT POSITION
The board should always be upwind in front of you. Sit in the water and focus, bringing your feet to the straps of your board. If it has a handle, take advantage of it to achieve this more easily, keeping the kite in the 12 o’clock position with the other hand. If necessary, change your hand to the other side. When changing sides, always keep an eye on the kite and don’t let the board float away.

ENTER THE STRAP
Always avoid holding the bar too hard, as this will cause the candle to move unnecessarily and this in turn can destabilize you. Hold the board by its handle or by one of its straps. Put your feet on the straps keeping the kite on the zenith. Keeping the bar still while doing these moves is key. It is always a good idea to put your foot opposite the side you are holding the board first. Once this is done, you place the other foot on the remaining strap.

CHECK, RELAX AND CONCENTRATE
With your feet in the straps, keep the kite with both hands on the zenith. Look around your surroundings to make sure you have enough room to maneuver. Relax, breathe and focus on the movements to perform.

FUNDAMENTAL TO MAKE THE WATERSTART

The waterstart consists of two important parts: proper body movement and good kite control. In order to summarize and “distill” the body movements that are made, we will divide them into three:

 

SHRINK. Bending your knees, bring your upper body forward. Starting from a compact position, with the rear leg very close to your rear and the front slightly extended in the direction of navigation. You have brought your body axis closer to the board and your elbows are touching the knees.

ROLL FORWARD. Place your body weight above your feet, making your axis of gravity as high as possible without losing balance. Rotate your entire body slightly in the direction of navigation. And with the bar at the comfortable point, steer the Kite actively and stop it at 45 degrees. Let the kite create only the minimum power necessary to get you on the board. Put your body weight on the board.

waterstart kitesurfing home
GET UP. Synchronize the pull of the kite with the forward swinging motion of your body to stand up. Keep your body weight on your back leg, to avoid falling face first into the water. Use your front leg to push the board in the direction of navigation. Maintain good posture and get up as straight as possible, without leaning to either side. And finally, fly the kite in a dynamic motion to create enough power to continue sailing and achieve greater stability.

In case you haven’t managed to get up, direct the Kite again until 12 o’clock and start again, perhaps making the movement faster this time. Do not despair because you have not managed to get on the table, it is the most normal thing. You will achieve it by trying and following the advice of your instructor. This is a synchronous movement that once you master it, it will be very easy for you.

Focus on kite control and correct body position. Do not hold on to the bar to get up, it will be the harness that with the traction of the kite will raise you up.

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN WE DO THE WATERSTART

It is very normal that we repeatedly make mistakes when starting the maneuver, we will determine which ones are the most given to be able to put a solution and that we learn the movement as soon as possible. Do not be discouraged because you are not capable in the first attempts, you need several attempts to synchronize all the movements.

INCORRECT POSITION AND CONSTANT TURN ON START
Your body turns on itself and you do not keep your back to the wind so you cannot start the maneuver.

Possible solution: the kite is not in place at 12 o’clock, before getting into position make sure your kite is at the zenith. Keep the bar up so it doesn’t generate any power.

THE RIDER CANNOT STAND ON THE TABLE
The kite does not generate enough power by steering it too close to the edge of the window, slow or shallow.

It does not start from the zenith so when positioning the kite around 10 or 2 on the wind window clock it does not generate enough power.

Possible solution: always start at 12 o’clock, throw the kite towards the area of greatest power in the window, the deepest part.


THE EAGLE OR SUPERMAN
You jump off the board without any control over yourself or the kite. The kite produces too much power since you have thrown it too fast and deep into the wind window. You carry a very large kite for the intensity of the wind that there are or there are too many knots.

Possible solution: Launch the kite smoother and closer to the edge of the window so that it generates less power. Firm your legs once you start the maneuver, before you must have them shrunk. Rear leg supporting the weight in the heel and stretched front, marking the course of navigation

 

how to do the waterstart