Postby geopeck » Mon Jun 15, 2015 9:46 pm
Nice topic - seems like everybody has a few self rescue experiences but I haven't ever talked to anyone who has done it dozens of times in different conditions with different reasons who could say one is better or one is worse.
I teach, as I was taught in my PASA instructors course, that both ways are acceptable. I just can't come up with a decision matrix based on broad experience and I presume my students are going to have to just choose one when the shit hits the fan.
There are some variables that might make me lean one way or another. I hope you can add on from your own experience.
Self rescue due to wind death? A buddy was using method A when the wind came slamming back, loose lines slipped behind horns locking fingers to center of bar, kite looping, no good. B would have been better in this case, but A is fine if there is no pull.
In the waves? Little or big? Sure you want to mess with SR or just swim in? Are they going to make it hard to wind lines on the the bar correctly? Alternately, are bigger waves going to wash you into the lines when using method B?
SR due to broken center line assembly or single broken line? Kite will act different if isolated to one outside vs. one inside vs. both inside.
What's your physical/ mental state? A little panicky? Are you losing body heat quickly? Method B is going to put you at your flotation/ rest aid quicker.
Are you in water with lots of kelp, maybe keeping your kite from relaunching? It's going to get wound in with your lines and be on your hands if using method A. Could get slick.
Still got your board? If so, you can anchor the bar in a strap when using B and reduce risk of entanglement.
Are you in salt water with a flotation device and a waist harness or in fresh water with no flotation and a seat harness? Low buoyancy means that you are essentially winding the lines underwater, no visibility. High buoyancy means makes method A much easier.
Also, haven't heard of just swimming toward the kite. Was taught to use fingertips, go hand over hand up upwind line to get to the kite. I've noticed that a breast stroke circular kick is perfect for winding lines around a leg while doggy paddle vertical kick doesn't.
However, if you are already laying on your kite having lines wrapped around your leg is less dire than if you are using method A and get some slack around a leg or your hook. The line on your legs is going to be on the non pulling side of the gear. Using method A creates a possibility of getting lines wrapped around your foot which are tight to the kite.
Just food for thought, hope we can keep it constructive.