Page 3 of 35

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:11 am
by EGORR
Aloha folks from kiting paradise. We've got huge waves on the east side today. . .beginners beware. Loads of surfers are just plain staying out of the water....even the pro's are saying its nothing but a washing machine. We had a rescue of a windsurfer at Maleakahana yesterday.


A wise instructor told me the three most important things to remember about Kiteboarding are 1)safety, 2)safety, and 3)safety. Not only our own but others as well.

I too think the whole drowning concept is overlooked as a threat to our lives. I know I have been slammed a few times upon re-entry. Not quite enough to knock me out but I have recognized the potential. I wear a life/impact jacket and always sport a helmet. I never wear a leash, and practice using my safety release each session.

I know I look overdressed compared to everyone else on the water....but I am too old, and have too many dependents to care how I look.

I have found that my 06 sonic can still drag me across the surf when there is nothing but the suicide line attached.

Any body got any tips how to re-rig the safety line.

safte-kiting

egor

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:42 pm
by jackdool
most of the time we use sand bags as a kite launcher or lander. especially in strong conditions it works very well. absolutely great when going alone. also if everybody is already on the water and you come last (or leave last).
only works with bow or hybrid kites because of their passive safety. so just set up your kite, hook it to the sandbag (depower strap half way or even more depowered - depends on wind), put your kite 90degrees to the wind, check if everything is alright. go to your bar and put your safety on, hook in and launch it off the ground. works perfectly.

now this scenario just happened a few weeks ago:
experienced kiter got new five line kite, very high aspect, but hybrid .. anyway he launched with helper. kite did a loop straight away, crashed. the kite was not responding. the kiter was sliding on his bum when that happened. - very lucky - he tried again, because that puzzled him. the kite crashed straight away again. he did not quick release. helper got the kite.
it looked quite out of control. i ran up to him and told him something on his setup is wrong and not to launch again. well he did the lines again and found out that he did on one side the lines wrong: back to front. a mistake that can cost your life (and did previously to some poor kiters). this does not only happen to beginners...
i was very disappointed that in 2008 there are still brands out there which don't use kook proof connections.

anyway if he would have put his new kite on the sandbag only the bag would have been pulled hard and not the kiter himself.
also when using the sandbag: before you let go of your kite you can clearly see all the lines and attachments from the kite end.
last words: if you think something is wrong but you can't understand it - quick release it straight away! don't try to solve it while the kite is attached to you...

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:17 pm
by 2tall
As a new rider...these posts are great. Thanks to all of you.

I just completed more lessons in Maui and learned so much more. For me, there was a huge advantage in having lessons at more than one kiteboarding school. My first lessons in Hatteras were great, but I quickly learned that Maui is not Hatteras. The small lauch areas, no jetski chasing me, and trees are much more like reality. Someone else pointed out some great advice that I would agree with:

1. Lauch and get on the water quickly...don't hang out with your kite at 12 o'clock. That may seem obvious to veterans, but most of the new guys in my area lauch and keep the kite too high.

2. Keep the kite low or on the water getting out...body drag out a little way if there are trees nearby.

3. Launch and land the kite towards the water.

4. Take lots of lessons...they will pay for themselves with fewer medical bills and trashed gear.

Thanks to Paul in Maui for awesome lessons.

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:39 pm
by 72kiteboarder
The only safety device that truly matters is the one sitting between your shoulders. If you do not use it, then no safety device will save you.

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:33 am
by Tom183
tolios wrote:i agree with tom183 regarding riders that dont have that special touch and experience to come over unpredictable situations.
know your limits, know the limits of your gear, and when you think conditions might go beyond that, DON'T RIDE.
It goes double for guys who think they have that special touch. :wink:

There are a few exceptions, but there are so very few...

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:38 am
by speedyRider
Im going to tell my experience.

situation, im a begginer but with good kite control. Wind 15-18 knots aproximately. Direction: almost completely onshore. The sea is too wild for me to enter (was crazy), so i decide to practice a bit in the sand to get better with the kite control. The beach has a lot of space everywhere, i know you shouldnt be much time on beach but this was safe as i have control and lot of space. A beach pub around 150 metres, and a town road behind it, with some ppl also going for a walk. Kite: 11 metres bow

In this situation my big mistake was to come to the beach with my girlfriend, who hasnt kite experience. I had at home showed her videos of how to assist launching/landing the kite. At the beach i told her again and told her how important this was as this could result in a big accident on my part. I told her again and again but somehow she pays no attention maybe cause he dislikes all this stuff or is just scared of the kite or whatever. 2nd mistake: no kite leash (i forgot).

On launching, he wasnt holding the kite well, the kite rolled, into the edge of window fortunately and from there i could launch it as if i relaunched it from water. Flied kite around 20 minutes, practicing putting it in different parts of the wind window, getting drag on my feet a bit, and even practicing some small jumps, the waterstart on land, etc. All was ok and i prepared to pack it home. Told her i was going to put the kite down, that he had to hold the leading edge as i told her, id walk towards her a few steps, and then she had to put the kite in the parking position looking to where i had tell her. Well, it didnt work. She didnt hold the kite well, the kite rolled, and somehow i think one of the briddles tangled with a wingtip or something, the kite rolled on ground to the center of the wind window, i knew it was going to relaunch, she was near the kite, screamed at her to go get the kite, she didnt (scared or something), so the kite launched, i was expecting a big boost, so i reacted well and self-released myself, when the kite started doing kiteloops (briddle or something was wrong) i couldnt stop it from kitelooping, and was being dragged brutally in the beach pub direction. I kept calm, knew that a line had got tangled or something, and all my hope was that the kite would hit ground and stop. It didnt, and i was getting closer, i knew if i released kite it was going to the beach bar and/or the road behind. Finally with the wall of the beach pub getting closer i released bar and let go off the kite. Kite went to the beach pub wall, without getting anyone (on the procces people screaming all over the place while my girl thought i couldnt disangage from the kite), passed through road and into a palm tree where it stopped. The kite is broken but it can be repaired. Nothing happened here. There were many ppl there and cars passing, i was lucky noone was hurt.

Lesson 1: do not tell anyone who is new to kites to help you launch/land the kite even if you explain him/her a dozen times. I read safety topics often, and had read you basically put your life into your assistant hands, but learned how true this can be.

Lesson 2: Never forget the kite leash

Conclusion: this was the sum of some factors. If my girl had landed the kite well, nothing would have happened. If the kite hadnt rolled and tangled a bridle it would have hot started i would have been a bit dragged but nothing would have happened. Not sure though if leash would have done a difference here in the kite relaunching itself or not also.Fortunately all went ok apart from the bill for repairing the kite.

Hope this helps someone

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:46 pm
by Clarencephil
Do you still have the same girlfriend ? 8) 8)

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:26 pm
by speedyRider
You dont know how mad at her i was yesterday, i could have got killed...i think she NOW realizes why i was telling her many times to do this thing correctly (i even tell her it could lead to a big accident to me if she did it wrong). I think she didnt realize the potential danger we kiters have in our hands, and didnt paid enough attention to my explanations...now she knows as she lately told me it scared her a lot, and honestly im still mad at her cause of this :argue:

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:28 am
by CorpusKiter15
1) You can self-launch your bow/hybrid kite by attaching your chicken loop to a stake secured in the ground or a safety leash connected around a stationary object. Once your chicken loop is secured, flip over your kite and walk it to the edge of the wind window until all the slack is out. Set your kite in the window and watch it for a second to make sure it's just sitting there bouncing around a little bit. Walk back to your bar, grab the chicken loop....NOT the bar! and connect it to your harness. Make sure all lines are straight then simply grab the bar and fly it up slowly.

This is THE safest way to self-launch your kite. Your kite will not fly when all pressure is from the chicken loop. In order to self-land your kite, just walk over to your stake or leash...fly the kite down to the wind window...let go of the bar, make sure its in the edge and just sitting there...then undo your leash and grab your chicken loop and attach it to your stake/leash then walk down and flip over your kite.

Have someone show you this process before you do it on your own, just to make sure nothing is left out.

2) For all you who would hesitate to release yourself from your kite in a rocky situation because you're afraid of what might happen to your kite, you guys need to re-evaluate what's more important.

Re: The Safety Topic: please post your experience and advice!

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:40 am
by Kevin Salter
CorpusKiter15 wrote:1) You can self-launch your bow/hybrid kite by attaching your chicken loop to a stake secured in the ground or a safety leash connected around a stationary object. Once your chicken loop is secured, flip over your kite and walk it to the edge of the wind window until all the slack is out. Set your kite in the window and watch it for a second to make sure it's just sitting there bouncing around a little bit. Walk back to your bar, grab the chicken loop....NOT the bar! and connect it to your harness. Make sure all lines are straight then simply grab the bar and fly it up slowly.

This is THE safest way to self-launch your kite. Your kite will not fly when all pressure is from the chicken loop. In order to self-land your kite, just walk over to your stake or leash...fly the kite down to the wind window...let go of the bar, make sure its in the edge and just sitting there...then undo your leash and grab your chicken loop and attach it to your stake/leash then walk down and flip over your kite.

Have someone show you this process before you do it on your own, just to make sure nothing is left out.

2) For all you who would hesitate to release yourself from your kite in a rocky situation because you're afraid of what might happen to your kite, you guys need to re-evaluate what's more important.
Yes , all very well in steady wind, but,,,,,,,,,,,,,in gusty wind the kite can still roll back in the lulls and go through the power zone and out the other side of the window, so make sure down wind is clear of people etc, so if you screw up you only trash your kite and not someone else :o