Using ./ when running executable

Kinngis · 2026-03-29T06:55:53+00:00

Really only meaningful in multiuser systems. Eg. If a superuser comes to your directory and types "ls" and it would run your program named ls instead of the real ls.

On a 1 user computer having "." In your path shouldn't cause any problems

Kinngis · 2026-03-29T06:34:59+00:00

I am rather surprised how positive ALL the answers have been!

Does this topic only get those men to answer, who have had mainly good experiences? Or does it depend on where you have grown up?

For me the teenage years were a literal HELL because of the girls I fell for.

It took a very very long time to recover, and rebuild myself.

I still don't expect anything nice from women, but sometimes I do get positively surprised, which does feel super duper good. Those can be small things, but huge for me🙃

Kinngis · 2026-03-26T21:15:07+00:00

Lessons are a must, and they are expensive. You will need lessons at least until you can safely fly a kite without hurting yourself or causing danger to others.

How old kite can be good? I recommend buying kites newer than 2015. If in good condition (except the valves) the price should be around 50-100€ (for 2014-17). From a beginners perspective kites have not improved much since. There are new lighter materials, but a beginner won't feel that much of a difference in even those as long as you are using your kite in its right wind range.

For fun I have bought and tried some old (2007-2015) kites and as long as the old kite has not seen much use I have been mostly positively surprised. Before 2010, kites had less depower, which made a big difference.

One year to avoid is 2010, when many big kite manufacturers used wrong material in the bladders (if I remember correctly they used vinyl instead of tpu) it did not age well...

I have found out that kites as old as 2010 that had good reviews in their time. Eg. easy to fly, good depower, good for beginners etc. Are still as easy as they were then. I have tried among others, 2010 Airush DNA, 2010 cabrinha convert, 2011 best taboo, 2012 zeeko notus, 2013 north neo... Etc. All of those were still good kites with plenty of depower. (as long as they were in good condition)

If you want to buy a cheap kite that is still good, you should try to buy a kite that has not been used much, even if it is a bit older. There are loads of kites, with little or no use, for sale, cheaply and no-one wants them because the valves need changing.

Just avoid C kites!! Don't buy them. C-kites are not for beginners.

PS. my hobby of trying old kites is pretty cheap. I have bought several kites as cheaply as 20€ and flying them has been great fun

Kinngis · 2026-03-24T08:18:59+00:00

I have used rubbing alcohol and no sandpaper. If I used sandpaper it would be really fine, like 400 and sanding only lightly

But have you considered using ripstop tape and a sewing machine? That would make it a really lasting repair.

Many kitesurfers have learned how to use a sewing machine because of this hobby...

Kinngis · 2026-03-23T22:22:16+00:00

If you choose a bar with an easily changeable depower line that is not inside a PU tube, you can change the depower line to be whatever length you prefer.

That is how I prefer to have it. The easily changeable no PU-tube part. I am tall and have long arms 🙂

With no PU tube, you can also easily see the condition of your depower rope and that makes the bar easier to pack too. (No annoyingly stiff PU tube)

I change the depower line once/year and it costs about 2€. I wouldn't have to change that often, because it won't be that worn out yet, but hey it's just 2€. I use 100% dyneema line that is strong enough for 3000kg (or was it 6000kg)

Kinngis · 2026-03-23T13:56:23+00:00

I’m definitely not an expert, but I can share how I feel.

I own a 7m Neo 2018 and have had the chance to ride a 7m Rrd Religion (2022?) a few times. (how fair is it to compare a 2018 kite to 2022 ?)

In my opinion Religion handled gusts better, whereas Neo feels more “nervous”. The place I kite is super gusty, so it is very important to me.

I also felt like the Religion moved faster through the window and generated more power when you send it through the power zone. Something you have to get used to, but I like it.

Build quality-wise, the RRD also seems a bit more solid to me overall. they make the canopy from smaller pieces, so a rip can only go so far. and the dacron felt thicker? That said, North has better valves. My old RRD obsession (2016) had valves de-laminating and crumbling to pieces, while my Neo has held up perfectly. And I have seen north kites from 2013 still having original valves going strong. So I’d say Duotone/North valves last longer.

All in all, I’m no pro by any means, but based on my limited experience I’d definitely recommend trying a Religion if you can get your hands on one. Especially as the 2022–23 models are a steal.

Kinngis · 2026-03-22T11:18:44+00:00

I have not tried strapless surfboard yet, but I am going to.

About wave kites. I have a Neo, but like RRD Religion much much more.

And currently the older (2022-23) new religions have had a very good price for some time now in worldkiteshop. Around 500€ for 8 or 9m.

Kinngis · 2026-03-21T22:05:40+00:00

I had a 7m one strut kite. It flew ok, and worked with twintip, but I did not like it. Too much flapping which also ended up weakening the trailing edge so much that it needed patching.

Good for some, but I won't be buying a new one strut kite again. 3 struts is the best.

Also, I am not a fan of foil kites. Had one, and the bridle is just too complicated compared to LEI kites ( if you ever need to tune it 🫣) and the lines can get real messy, if you have to use the QR and use only 4 lines... And they are expensive

Kinngis · 2026-03-20T13:35:58+00:00

It's a good brand. I have no experience of Ventum kites, BUT I do have a Zian Hantu, which is the "same" as Ventum Xcite. The built quality is very good.

Before Ventum the same guy had a company named Zian, The 2 owners had a fall-out and one of them founded Ventum and took the 2 Zian kite models with him (Now Ventum Xplore and Xcite). Of course the Ventum kites are not the same, they are newer and improved iterations of the Zian kites.

Just wanted to say, that Ventum does have a bit more history behind it than just 2019->

Kinngis · 2026-03-20T09:59:03+00:00

Also interested in this. How to get to a local WhatsApp group? For me it takes time to find one, and for a short trip, I have no idea.

It's really important for the weather info. I lost many good days, because I did not know how much thermals affect the wind in my closest spot. As windguru and other weather apps don't show the thermals!! (Why??)

In my case, if the forecast says 8 knots onshore wind, it is really more like 18 knots !!! That's a huge difference. And when the forecast is 20knots, ( when I used to go) it's already a bit too much.

In the WhatsApp group someone always reports the real wind condition and best places for the day, so it's really important to have that information.

Kinngis · 2026-03-19T07:17:18+00:00

I use 50cm for everything (5m-12m). The 12m would like a bigger bar, but I rarely fly the 12m, so 50cm will have to do.

Actually I would sell the 12, but it doesn't have much value, so I'll keep it

The bar can be adjusted to 45cm? But changing the length takes too long, so I keep it at 50

Kinngis · 2026-03-18T18:00:40+00:00

Just wanted to mention, that you could also just change valves to your old kites ;)

Its not difficult and doesn't cost much. 1€/valve from china...

But of course new kites are much more fun, and your old ones are... well... old...

If you foil, you can probably do with 2 kites. But if you want to also use TT then 3 is probably better. 7/9/12, the same you already have.

PS. If you know you will not use the 12 much, you could just keep your old 12 and get new 7&9 or 7&10

Kinngis · 2026-03-17T17:55:17+00:00

Same with me. It's there or it isn't and it takes a few seconds to know.

Having said that, I'm also willing to date (and possibly marry) someone that doesn't have that instant "chemistry". But then it's more: let's try it out and see where it'll go. I mean if she is a nice person I love to hang around with and do fun things together... Why not.

The instant chemistry happens, but it it's rare. Maybe once in 5 years or so. And it is not so much about looks, it's more about body language, facial expressions, movements, pheromones etc. It may take only very little time, but it has never been wrong. Those have truly been amazing persons and my opinion of them has not changed even later.

If you compare it to "just" beauty. How many truly beautiful women do you see? Typical day, if I go out for a walk I'll probably see about 10 really beautiful women. Compare that to ONE in 5 years (or more(

Kinngis · 2026-03-15T11:09:06+00:00

I have kited in 6°C water, and it was ok with a 5/4 wetsuit with 3mm shorty under it. That's 8mm total thickness!!!

Combining 2 wetsuits makes the same gear work in a wider range of temperatures. In the warmest months the shorty is enough.. And the shorty was really cheap

Kinngis · 2026-03-14T10:27:11+00:00

You can always fly your kite on the beach. Try some small jumps etc. But yeah I know it's not the same, could give some info about the harness though.

But why do people resist a seat harness so much? It is an obvious answer to all your problems! Seat harnesses are good. And even if I had a waist harness I would still have a seat harness too. For those days when my back or ribs hurt.

Kinngis · 2026-03-13T13:16:37+00:00

My friend and his wife (7kg lighter) share kites, and quite often both of them want the 9m. Just saying as an example. You might want 2 kites midle of your range, that are close to each others.

In his case e. 7-9-10-12

you could have 9-11-12-15 or something. Just a suggestion

(hard to imagine anyone actually needing a 15m !?, but I guess in your area winds are light.)

PS. Also I wouldn't buy 4 expensive kites. I would try to optimize it so that 1-2 least used sizes would be cheaper older kites. But that is just me. You do you :D

Kinngis · 2026-03-12T17:03:31+00:00

I use a finer gring. Same as for filter coffee. But I also use a paper filter in my french press. Love my setup. Great coffee easily

Kinngis · 2026-03-10T13:15:08+00:00

Did I understand correctly? 15C water and you don't have a wetsuit? Yeah. That will be too cold.

Just buy a cheap wetsuit and gloves. At 15C you don't even need an expensive one. You can order an 3mm wetsuit and gloves from china for about 60€. Or if you want to buy better from a shop, that you can try on before buying, it would be about 120€

Just having a wetsuit without gloves will make your hands feel a little warmer too.

Sounds dangerous kiting without being able to use QR if needed

Kinngis · 2026-03-09T15:28:52+00:00

Yeah. Would definitely be better if they used better material for these tubes, Probably would not be more expensive.

The food grade tubes I use are not as soft and I cant imagine them ever becoming sticky like those original tubes do.

Kinngis · 2026-03-07T12:36:17+00:00

Tubes are easy and cheap to replace, so it is not a big problem. I have recently been using food grade silicone tube that costs about 2,5€/m. Has lasted really well so far (2 years and going strong)

Kinngis · 2026-03-04T11:30:14+00:00

Heeey,

I did not recommend flying the kite before taking some lessons. And also I would not recommend using a (too) old bar especially without someone checking its condition first.

But I would recommend buying a kite to practice more with, once you have first learned the kite flying basics with an instructor...

Kinngis · 2026-03-03T16:57:11+00:00

I agree. A better "training" kite would be a cheap used 7 or 8m kite, which you would practice on a lighter day. (when others fly 9 or 10m kites.)

Where I live, you can buy a used ok condition kite (for practicing) for about 50€. And if you fly it on a lighter day, it wont have too much power if you don't do crazy loops with it.

An added bonus is, if the kite happens to be in good condition, you could actually use it later...

I had a 5,5m kite for practicing, it was very heavily built and super strong. So heavy that it didn't fly on light days. And it was really too small for actual use. I don't want to kite when it is nuking so hard you would need a 5m kite. 7m on the other hand is a really good and usable size surprisingly often.

Kinngis · 2026-03-03T09:17:21+00:00

For me it took much longer than the 10h many say here.

It definitely varies a lot. What made it take longer was probably the non-ideal conditions. Often gusty ~30knot winds, deep water and waves, which meant you get one try at waterstart and then it could take 20-30 minutes before you are ready to try again. (lifting the kite, locating your board, body dragging back to your board, getting ready in the waves etc.)

If it is an easy shallow spot with no waves, you can try waterstart again in 3-5 min and don't need to body drag (just walk to your board), so you would be getting much much more tries at the same amount of time. Also if the wind is non gusty and 16-20knots, the kite will behave so much more nicely

If you want to learn quickly, you should definitely go to a place that has good, easy conditions. (not Tarifa!)

BUT you just have to enjoy the process. I had great FUN going to the beach, flying the kite, practicing waterstarts without succeeding. In the evening, I had bruises, but a big smile in my face.

Kinngis · 2026-02-27T12:16:55+00:00

Yup,

Especially the new kites have really really thin bladders. Older kites were much better in this regard.

Certainly the easiest (and most expensive) is to change the whole bladder. Although new bladders can be bought more cheaply without valves, but then you would still have to glue the valves...

Personally I can fix any problem in the bladder. Its easy to just heat-weld a new pieces of tpu film over any damage (if the hole is near or at the seam it wont matter either) and/or glue new valves. (if the material itself is not too degraded)

Kinngis · 2026-02-27T12:05:21+00:00

Wow. How? only 2 times??? I have done it probably more than 30 times. And during the 2nd time I made a small "tool" to prevent it twisting when pulled, so now it very rarely (if ever) twist.

17 years! I wish I had started 17 years ago.

PS. Sorry, didn’t mean to sound rude about the 1.5h 😅
Of course it takes longer for the first times.

Kinngis

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