Got motivated to unhook today. (Thanks rowdy)
Maybe i would enjoy it more if i threw some gnarly flippy spinny strapless moves,plus 5 points for a pass?
Dont see the point of opening ur body up more in the **** mush many of us have to ride in.
Whats the point,when its not down the line?
Don't thank me, for the sake of all forumers 
.
But I guess you have found out pretty quickly that un-hooked riding with a surfboard isn't always for every condition. People have this idea that once you un-hook you can only ride un-hooked from then on haha. Just pick and choose when is the best times to do it.
Personally I do like to un-hook in the onshore stuff most of the time as it still free's you up quite a bit and really lets you whipe it vertical if you time it right, you just need to have your kite size and placement right. Some days I'm just cruising though and almost don't un-hook at all.
Select to expand quotegcdave said..
Is backhand where its all at? 
I like doing it either way, but backhand is more tricky I think. My mate that surfs and kites a lot still has trouble un-hooking on his backhand. I think on your backhand is probably more useful than on your forehand though because you are much more free and less wrapped in the chicken rope (same benefit on your forehand though).
One of the things I actually like most about un-hooked is that there is another element of kite positioning and timing and that the pull no longer comes from the waist (which for me takes away some of the good feeling of riding a board).
Unhooked cross off i reckon works, only caus the waves clean up so board speed is less of an issue - wave kite specific or not
More volume,flatter stick or unhooked specific fins?
whilst unhooked i think you can ride the wave rather then being pulled by your kite, since you just park your kite somewhere in the wind window. I could be wrong but it feels better unhooked
Sounds better if u say 'just use a board u would paddle'
I wouldnt paddle any of the kite specific boards i own - lack the litres.
Next stop,new 6'4 stick?
Who kites a 6 plus footer just to unhook in mush
Select to expand quotegcdave said..
Unhooked cross off i reckon works, only caus the waves clean up so board speed is less of an issue - wave kite specific or not
More volume,flatter stick or unhooked specific fins?
Funny you say that, because I actually prefer dead side shore, or even slightly onshore wind directions. Too much off-shore and it's hard to get a decent wrapping turn in and airs start to become pretty impossible to do proper.
@lotsofwind - I don't think it pulls you any less than hooked really. I think it's just because you are no longer fastened to the kite and are more aware of putting your kite in a position that doesn't pull you. Also un-hooked you have the range of motion of your arm to adjust the kite from falling out of the sky, whilst hooked-in you couldn't put your kite in that same position as well on a bottom turn as it would likely want to fall out of the sky due to the positioning of your body and arm. You usually have to swing your kite around a lot more hooked-in to keep it flying right and I think this is where that extra sense of "pull" comes from.
Select to expand quotegcdave said..
Sounds better if u say 'just use a board u would paddle'
I wouldnt paddle any of the kite specific boards i own - lack the litres.
Next stop,new 6'4 stick?
Who kites a 6 plus footer just to unhook in mush
I never really kite boards I would paddle and if I do it's just because I don't have anything else. I think one of the best aspects of kiting is being able to use different boards. If it's windy you can practically ride anything, there's no need to kite on a boat haha.
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said...
If it's windy you can practically ride anything
I do punt in qld
Rarely see someone unhook round these parts in the surf. Never seen anyone unhook strapped - do the even in WA?
Select to expand quotegcdave said..sir ROWDY said...
If it's windy you can practically ride anything
I do punt in qld
Rarely see someone unhook round these parts in the surf. Never seen anyone unhook strapped - do the even in WA?
It's because they are lazy .
Ryland is from WA and un-hooks pretty much all the time, even lit on a 5m haha. Pretty good to watch in real life when you've been out and know how hard the conditions can be there. I heard Walcott (photographer) say he is probably the best guy he's seen in high wind.
As above.. i find i can get a better angle on the ride, pivot from a different point and whip the board around.
definitely adds another dynamic, sometimes find i unhhok and pick up a lot more speed than expected, makes it a bit tougher to edge against but great feeling.
When the donkey dick is removed for regular un-hooking do you have many occasions where you accidently unhook?
Select to expand quoteWillyO said..
When the donkey dick is removed for regular un-hooking do you have many occasions where you accidently unhook?
I never find it an issue, but if you are choking the kite a bit too much it will obviously happen. If anything though it will just train your technique to get better, which is always helpful.
Cheers for the post austin. I reckon i tend to give unhooking a lash when its not blowing tits off. Maybe thats part my issue with it in the mush?
I think theres more to the slack lines/kite position i need to work on too
Select to expand quotegcdave said..
I reckon i tend to give unhooking a lash when its not blowing tits off.
Thats when it's easiest to learn.
12m, glassy waves and just enough wind so the kite isn't flying backwards.
Stop mowing and give it a go gc.
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said...
Stop mowing and give it a go gc.
Picked up a few good mowing techniques last trip
Busting to get out, take my helmet off n push some unhooked bliss
Why o why would you remove the ability to lose almost all the kite pull i.e. depower??
This whole freeing up the body is just crap
It gets totally free when you dump the power
Why would you want a high centre of effort continually pulling your body from up near your ear anyways??
Wake up hipsters
Or maybe your all riding undervolumed boards and need that constant pull??
Select to expand quoteJedibrad said..
Why o why would you remove the ability to lose almost all the kite pull i.e. depower??
This whole freeing up the body is just crap
It gets totally free when you dump the power
Why would you want a high centre of effort continually pulling your body from up near your ear anyways??
Wake up hipsters
Or maybe your all riding undervolumed boards and need that constant pull??
hahaha, good one.
If you think you can't remove the pull when un-hooked you haven't kited enough.
It's not crap, you are never free of the chicken-line hooked-in and as long as the kite is in the air there is pretty much always tension on it, which is tying you up.
Same could be said for - why you would want a line attached at you hip pulling you around by the waist when surfing???...
Most people who hate on un-hooked wave riding are the very people who will never do it properly. It's just like the crowd of old days who hated on boots because they knew they would get served up if they rode them, so they tried to make out like boots were stupid because if they didn't ride boots then people would think they aren't good anymore... It's easy to see why people don't like progression.
I think it's actually the reason why wave-riding is so popular worldwide. It hasn't progressed as much as freestyle so everyone can kind of still relate to it, everyone can still kind of pretend like they are one of the best. If proper un-hooked stuff starts becoming the norm they will lose that ability to relate and pretend, thus I think some people (even sub-consciously) fight against it. (It was the same with riding un-strapped for a long time)
p.s.
Remember how many people used to go to National comps when the level was lower and they all thought they had a chance of winning??? Now there's a few good guys suddenly most people are like "comps suck",... yep, same mentality.
The funny thing is you can make all the same arguments for staying hooked-in as you can for keeping straps on your board...
Fishing is fun
But no your wrong
I'd compare it more to cars that have those wings on the back, like the ones on formula 1 cars that make down force
Select to expand quoteJedibrad said...
Why o why would you remove the ability to lose almost all the kite pull i.e. depower??
Trim before u unhook?
Load before u pop?
Bare off downwind either way to control line tension
I ride with straps and love them but the video Austin posted got me thinking... I totally rate him as a brave and gusty wave rider, and him riding unhooked, how far the bar moved away from his body as he was doing turns sort of showed how if you disconnect the power transmission train it changes how you ride. I'm pretty crap, but I can see how it would enhance your style.
So it's not the act of unhooking that matters, but how it mighty enhance your experience that matters.
Still reckon that op video was unreal but. However he did it!
Select to expand quoteDave Whettingsteel said..
I ride with straps and love them but the video Austin posted got me thinking... I totally rate him as a brave and gusty wave rider, and him riding unhooked, how far the bar moved away from his body as he was doing turns sort of showed how if you disconnect the power transmission train it changes how you ride. I'm pretty crap, but I can see how it would enhance your style.
So it's not the act of unhooking that matters, but how it mighty enhance your experience that matters.
Still reckon that op video was unreal but. However he did it!
Agreed. Also agree it was a pretty cool video.
Un-hooked (and un-strapped) is all about pushing yourself and pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible.
Logic would tell you that putting straps on your skateboard would be the easiest way to get it off the ground, likewise that taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain would be a far easier way to get there than climbing it... but it's usually not the easiest way that's the most for filling, progressive or enjoyable way to do something.
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
So you ride with straps then? 
Yes…it's true my favourite board to ride has straps on it…..
I've been getting professional counselling to try and break the habit, but nothing seems to help...
Every time the surf gets over 6-8ft and the wind is around 30knts i just can't help myself
But seriously, i re watched the vid and then went for a kite yesterday
In the vid his shoulders stayed more or less parallel with the wave and when he wanted to rotate more he had to swap hands
why?…because his body wasn't "freed up"
Turning, well no, a reo as opposed to a carve off the top has to be way more functional under a depowered kite hooked in as the body isn't impeded by your arm pull as much.
"Am I Wrong"
Your not wrong in my opinion.
I do the same..... strapless 90% of the time but when the big winter storms come in my strapped 5'8 comes out.
I believe its called "horses for courses"
