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Thank you thank you thank you!!

I was at 3rd ave. on Sat and lost my board after a bad landing couple miles from shore. I tried to recover if for 30min body dragging, but couldn't make much progress in choppy waters. I didn't want to exhaust my energy so I gave up and started heading back to shore facing a very long body drag session. Fortunately, a kiter retrieved my board for me and was able to head in just before the wind died. I wish to return this favor some day.

So it was a bad idea jumping far away from shore, but I can usually body drag well in flatter water. Does anyone have any tips on a good body dragging techniques in choppy waters? I guess the problem was that I kept losing track of where my board is, and also swallowed lots of sea water due to hitting the chops. Should I not worry too much where exactly my board is, but just make sure I go upwind of it first?

Thanks,
Tako

It's like swimming in the ocean: keep your head down, and only come up for a quick breath every ten seconds or so. Unfortunately, your eyes are closed so you have to control the kite by feel: sheet out and keep it low.

Using a waist harness makes it effortless to cruise upwind. It takes a lot of ab muscle to body drag upwind using a seat harness.

I was out there on Sat and lost my board a few times. It was pretty choppy, however, just get your body straight as an arrow with your lead hand pointing in the upwind direction, head and kite low and go. Too much speed can cause you to accidentally get sucked downwind. When it is really choppy I go in short tacks back and forth, keeping my head down, holding my breath for 10-20 second intervals, popping up and keeping an eye on the board. Works like a charm every time. I have only used a seat harness in my short span so far as a kiter, but I have yet to lose a board.

Thaks everyone for the tips. I do have a Dakine nitrous seat harness so maybe that's making it a little more difficult. But looks like I just need to hold my breath and keep my head down. I will just have to dedicate some time practicing.

Hey Tako:

I also had to body drag back to my board a couple time @ 3rd on Saturday. I use the same harness as you and just laid straight and took long tacks. Maybe you were pretty far from your board.

I found the chop made it harder for me to stay upwind even when I was riding. I spent so much effort staying upwind, I finally just said to heck with it, there's always the lower launch.

john

I wasnt saying you cant do it. I just noticed when I switched from seat to waist how much less ab strength it took to maintain an aggressive tack upwind. It makes sense if you think about it because more of your body is dragging behind so you dont have to force upper body to the desired angle. But putting your upwind arm out and your head down does work reliably. Actually, you can point further upwind doing this than being on the board.

I find that keeping my kite powered up helps me body drag upwind. So if I'm riding sheeted in, I may fully unsheet to drag.

Yuri or any bow kiters,

Do you have to sheet in when you body drag on a bow kite? I saw one guy trying to body drag on his Crossbow @ 3rd but it looked not working by sheeting out (depower?) his bar with one arm body dragging.

Its no different on a bow, you just need to be powered enought o move you through the water enough you are tracking upwind, but not so much power that you cant hold yourself in the water.