Recently I was riding my new dv8 in Southern California and made an encounter with a very thick kelp bed. I ended up to my neck in it with several strands wrapped around my body, bar, harness, everything. First it pulled out my harness pad. The kelp on my bar sent the kite into a dive but I luckly, barely recovered it before a crash. I was on a 15m and underpowered, but managed to body drag my way to the outside. Once on the outside, the only small opening in the kelp was upwind in a dieing wind. Only way in was over the kelp.

New trick I've been working on is riding backwards and then doing a shuvit. Well, it worked perfect for getting in over the kelp. Ride backwards on the nose, fins first and you skip right across because your fins are in the air....once across, dip the fins and do a 'shuvit', then catch a wave back to the beach

I had heard about another kiter that died nearby in the kelp a few months ago. I can see how. Be careful.

That's a bit like --SupaEZ-- explained how to switch from Heal-side, Too Tow-side
while in a transition turn-around.



SO ---- Right after i press on the back of the board to engage the fin to start the pivot :

** should i have already favored the rail i want to slide on to get it in the 180 ?

** will the outside rail want to invite Me over for a Nice "Face Plant" ? !!!

Also the nose of my 6'6" Nash, is kinda pointed , and it doesn't have a lot of rocker op front,
so would that would give a bit of stability while riding backwards ?
There is a smidgen of concave in the nose also.

Bille

The above is a great trick for directional riders.

Twintippers may want to try lying on their back with the board out of the water so that they can scoot across the kelp with minimal opportunities for the kelp to get snagged on something.

If possible, try to go directly downwind because the kelp will usually be pointing in this direction. Going WITH the kelp strands presents much less opportunity for it to get you than going ACROSS the kelp strands.

To get UNTANGLED from kelp:

1. DO NOT PANIC. Panicking is MORE dangerous than the kelp.

2. CHEW THROUGH IT. Although it can be difficult to impossible to pull it away and/or cut through it with a knife, it is usually EASY to chew through it one handful at a time.

A fringe benefit is the feeling of getting even with it.

Richard M.
Malibu Kitesurfing
(310) - 430 - KITE (5483)
http://www.MalibuKitesurfing.NET
kfRichard@MalibuKitesurfing.NET