TractionKiting.co.uk

Hay guys, Im really new to this, and am looking for as much help and advice as i can.

I have started small with a Radsail 3 m2 and i think iv kind of got the hang of flying it now. Iv also built my own buggy based on some popular designs iv seen online. it looks a little rough around the edges but it is very sturdy.

Was out on west sands today and took her for her maiden voyage. before you start giggling, i didnt chew sand or got dragged. but i did mannage to trundle up for a hundered yards, and it felt great. until i tried to turn LOL. there was penty of wind to go up the beach, but not to get back. tried as hard as i might but no chance. great. well best foot forward i thought and wheeled it all the way back.

really good fun though, dispite the walk.

really looking forward to meeting you guys, and getting some tips on how to do it properly.

will be seeing you soon.

Basically your aim is to make the buggy go 'across' the wind i.e. at 90 degrees to the wind direction, that way when you turn around you'll be able to come back to where you started. In practice, to start off, you'll generally always loose a bit down wind on each cross wind run but the plus side is you do a lot more distance before you need to take the long walk back up wind. Once you become proficient and depending on your kite choice, you'll be able to buggy 'into' the wind and hence gradually get further upwind than where you started off from. Time and practice make perfect! (eventually) :wink:

Well, practice makes perfect i suppose.

Oh, im from monifieth by the way, forgot to mention.

oh, has anyone else had problems with a sore back when they first started out? i feel like i have pulled every muscle between my shoulder blades, and i seem to get this for a few days after every time i fly it. am i just being a wimp or am i not the only one?

Yes i too noticed some sore areas when i started including my butt cheeks. dont know how that happened but its true and they are still sore :shocked:

Its very surprising just how much of a 'work out' your whole body gets when flying power kites, I'm sure as time goes by you'll find some aches disappearing and new ones developing. Then you'll start to wonder where on earth those 'new' muscles keep coming from :shocked:

Me I just ache all over generally but I think its the years more than the flying thats to blame in my case :wink:

Lol, very good.

so, whats the story with west sands? when do i get the opertunity to embaress the hell out of myself in front of some guys who actuall know what there doing?

you allong there most sundays? evenings?

whats the story with insurance, I heard this is a must, do i really need it, am i likely to need it?

Lol, very good.

so, whats the story with west sands? when do i get the opertunity to embaress the hell out of myself in front of some guys who actuall know what there doing?


I'm surprised you haven't already :wink: honestly it would be unusual for there not to be a few folk flying at St. A's both Saturday and Sunday, as for the 'embarasing bit', where do you reckon we all get our laughs from! its all part of the fun to watch the 'newbies' starting out you'll most likely get the odd pointer from somebody during the day especially if your really strugling. After all, we've ALL been there when we started out and you'll get the joy of watching others as you gain experience too


you allong there most sundays? evenings?



I'm over in the Central belt, so its high days and holidays when I get up to St. A's, I tend to fly mostly on the West coast.


whats the story with insurance, I heard this is a must, do i really need it, am i likely to need it?


It is very advisable for your own peace of mind. It is only third party cover so if for instance your kite gets pulled away from you in a gust and goes careering off along the grass, the handles are getting dragged along the ground and hook onto anything really, a toddlers push chair, a car roof rack, some ones neck!, you might even still be on the end of the handles and by crashing into someone else, break their bones, who's going to cover their loss of earning for the time it takes the bones to heal? any damage that is done is down to you if they decide to prosecute you through the courts. With the insurance cover you'll at least have a 'cusion' of £5M before they start to take what ever else you may own. Its really there for peace of mind and to express your own acknowledgement that you accept what your doing is an 'extreme sport'. At the end of the day no one can force you but there are events that take place where you won't be allowed access to unless you have cover.
The choice is yours!

Enjoy flying try and stay safe and always watch out for others, you never know when you might have the need that one of them is watching out for you.

My shoulders were still stiff yesterday from Sunday, and I noticed by the time I stopped attempting to buggy, my stomach muscles were sore!
Maybe something to do with the fact that Tom is taller than me, so I was sitting quite far forward in the buggy

Anyhoo, it was fun, and its very satisfying to go home and collapse on the couch after a hard day's play

hey nice one - from monifieth? i live in the ferry but i tend to fly at the monifieth footie pitches, ever been down there? fine for static and boarding but not too good for buggies i guess, especially if they've put the goalpoles up again

Im down there quite regularly these days, but ill look out for you.

iv only got a 3m blue black and white radsail, if you see me, come over.

My names Andy by the way.

who is best to speak to about insurance by the way.