The wind window is a three-dimensional area downwind of the pilot of which a kite can fly. This is a common term kiteboard instructors will use to talk about the placement of the kite. Understanding the wind window will help make you a better kiteboarder!
Preflight Check
Before going on the water, take a minute to get familiar with the wind window. Draw in the sand an arrow showing the direction of the wind. You can figure out what direction the wind is blowing by standing with your back directly into the wind; with your back at the wind, you want to feel an even distribution of wind pressure against your face. If you turn slightly into the wind you’ll feel the wind blowing hard on one side of your face than the other.
Launching and Landing
Once you figure out what direction the wind is blowing and draw your arrow in the sand, you can draw two points perpendicular to you, labeling the one to the left 9 o’clock and the one to the right 3 o’clock. You want to be about 10 degrees upwind of 9 or 3 o’clock whenever you launch and land your kite, either on the water or on land.
If you were to launch your kite while you stand further than 10 degrees upwind from your kite, then the kite will be positioned closer to the “power zone” and will result in whats called a hot launch. It is the riders responsibility to position himself in the proper spot when launching or landing the kite.
First Exercises
For your first lesson, the instructor will launch the kite and will bring you and the kite to a safe distance away from the beach in knee deep water. One of the first exercises we will do is to practice steering the kite from 10 o’clock to 12 o’clock and from 12 o’clock to 2 o’clock.
The first exercises are maneuvering the kite in the neutral zones where the pull is minimal and you learn the basics of kite control skills. Later in the lesson, when you develop the muscle memory of controlling the kite, you will dive the kite a little more aggressively from 12 o’clock for body drags. This will position the kite deeper in the wind window allowing you to body drag from side to side. Each exercise is designed to teach you kite control in a safe and efficient manor.
The Wind Window
Take a minute before your kite session to get familiar with the wind window. Figure out where 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock are and when you launch or land your kite, start downwind and walk into the wind about 10 degrees from your kite. Kiteboarding is easy as long as you position the kite in the proper spot along the wind window! We teach you the necessary skills to make maneuvering the kite simple.
