I´m still having problems with the GK depower system. Today was incredibly gusty, the kind of day you need to be able to reliably sheet the kite in and out without too much faff. But I quote from today´s diary:

"As I seemed to be mainly underpowered I undid the knot on my depower system, cleated it in, intending to adjust it on the water and knot it again.

Going out again, I was about to hit the water and a massive gust took the kite. If that´s not bad enough, it knocked out the depower system and the kite powered straight up, launching me a good 6-10ft in the air. Luckily I landed OK and didn´t hurt myself, but getting the kite under control was impossible without bailing out. I HATE this stupid GK system.

The next time I did as Matt at Airjam told me, let go of the kite and try to adjust it then. But whenever I let go, the kite just comes crashing back down into the sea, where it then gets rolled in the shorebreak, gets completely tangled up, and once again *bing!* game over."

In the Sonic´s defence, when it IS trimmed it´s more stable than a lot of the other kites I see, and I do rate the kite. Just not this stupid trim system

On another note, I´m after yet more advice:

I´m still just learning to get up on the board. But what I found more than ever today is that the kite soars up and OVER my head, so it´s practically behind me. What am I doing wrong, or is this a sign of the kite being over/undersheeted? Not that I could adjust that easily, of course!


Cheers, Andrew

I personally find that once the kite is trimmed at the correct spot, you should hardly if ever have to change the setting. having spoken to many other sonic flyer, most are the same.


Id personally say that if your not getting up and riding yet, go back to just flying the kite, bosy dragging, etc, to get to know your kite properly.


As far as getting launched 6-10 foot, the whole point of the sonic is that you let go of the bar and then you dont get launched. If you want a kite that doesnt drop out the sky, has less trim settings, go back to flying a C kite. However get ready to have beatings when you get it wrong and the smaller wind ranges that a C offers!



get a local kiter to set the trim setting for you, or have a hunt on kiteboarder for pdf files full of advice. In short, you need to pull i the centre line, until the kite wont reverse. Tie the knot at that spot and you shouldnt need to alter it again. Good luck!

The symptoms you describe where the kite flys over your head is usually down to gusty wind conditions.

When a gust hits, the kite surges forwards and flys over your head. This will happen with any kite.

Try flying the kite a little to one side rather than directly at the top of the window. That way the kite will not go over your head when a gust hits & there is much less chance of getting lofted.

I love the my sonic but I must say it has the worst cleat system I have ever used. Tried new ropes and cleats and apart from when I really push it home into the teeth with my thumb it's always jumping out. My Stripe cleat just locks staight away.

As Shem said though once I set it I dont change it much. Normally run pretty much full power and I'm just careful where I put the kite if things pick up.

I never change my cleat..have it set so that if i unhook kite doesn't reverse..if too windy, i change to 8m.

BRING ON the SONIC2!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for that guys. It looks like it was a lot to do with the 'challenging' conditions of the gusty Levante in Tarifa, and me thinking it was mainly down to the kite, although I'm glad Fart Boy backs me up with 'nice kite, shame about the cleat' (cheers matey!)

It's all fine and dandy to say 'let go of the bar', but when taken by surprise you're 6ft up before you even realise what's going on! So do you let go and come down like a lead balloon, or at least go for a controlled landing...?

Either way, it looks like it was 40% inexperience on my part, 40% gusty wind (which was backed up by everyone on the beach) and only 20% not being able to adjust the kite.

It's just a shame I can't depower for those long slogs when walking upwind like my mate who has one of those new hybrid thingies with a decent depower system *sigh!* Oh the joys of being a novice

I'll be interested to see what Sonic 2 has vis a vis bar and depower system.

Hi Andy, I'm not a sonic owner but I have spent a few sessions flyin this kite. I fly C kites at the mo but have flown 5 or 6 different bows and cannot understand what your doing wrong if your kite doesn't depower, or ride gusts. In my opinion, all bow kites handle gusts better than C's but the sonic eats them up like no other.

As Leo said in an earlier post, once set leave well alone. Easiest way I found was to allow the chicken loop to be on full extensions, slowly pull the bar towards you till the kite starts reverse, at this point, measure the distance between bar and cleat, pull rope through cleat by the amount measured, tie off. As a gust hits move the bar away from you and the kite will ride the gust, you will be able to feel it through the bar. As you walk up the beach with your kite at the edge of the wind window, again just let the bar out and it will depower allowing you to walk up the beach without much pull on the kite

Like John said, getting lofted on a sonic just doesnt happen, you should instantly feel the power serge and push out. Thats why I suggested flying the kite and really getting to know it before trying to kite surf.

Will give that a shot, thanks. I think in Tarifa it was way too gusty to adjust it so.

A board-free session, now I've kind of got the idea of how much power I need, is also a good idea. An instructor in my hostel reckoned there's too much commercial pressure right now to introduce the board too early in the day. From a beginner's perspective, I say introduce the board but then, as Jem suggests, take it away again once you have an idea of just how much power you need to get up/maintain speed. Because when you start out, and you're flying a kite, you've no idea of HOW you'll be using it.

I also think that maybe I've taken some of the advertising claims a little too literally, and expect in any wind to be able to push out for zero power, and pull in for max power.

It's just gonna be getting to know the kite without preconception. Now all I need is for the weather forecast to be right - what happened to this morning's SW'lies after I got up at friggin 7 o clock?!

Two steps forward, one step backwards...