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How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

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matth
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby matth » Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:15 pm

kjorn wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:56 pm
plummet wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:26 pm
That video is bullshit and unsafe and not recommended for high wind. Any learners watching this. This is a dangerous method to land. Don't copy it.
I suspect that this kiter has only ever kited in moderate winds and hasn't had to land it crazy conditions before. A lot of what he does is just plane wrong for high wind landing.

First error. He walks his board in and puts it on the beach. Why? dangerous. He gets too close to obstacles. There's no surf, Its shallow, the board can float in the water.

Second error. Kite at the zenith. If he gets hit by a gust while dropping his board off boom. Into the trees and fence. Hold the kite at the edge in high winds. ideally towards the water. Then if a gust hits you only get dragged sideways back into the water not into air and object. Keep the kite low!

Third error. He wastes time walking back out into the water. Thats more time for gusts to hit you and drag you. Get in an land asap in high winds. Don't f*** around like this guys. It might be ok in 20 knots but its bloody dangerous in high winds.

Forth error. He pulls the safety at the zenith. This is stupid in high winds. Pull the safety with the kite low. Then it will immediately fall to the ground.

Fifth error. He wraps lines around his fingers while holding the bar!. Don't do this ever!. Stupid stupid.

To improve upon this video and make it safer here's my suggestions.
Don't walk the board in. Keep the kite low in shallow water. Pull the safety with they kite at the edge. Don't wrap the safety line around the bar. Let the bar go. If its too windy to walk the safety line. Pull the safety so the kite lands in the water, connect the flag out line to your board and run in and secure your kite. Don't go holding lines and wrapping liness in high winds before you have secured the kite. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I was out yesterday nice power on my 8m torch. Came in when it got a big too gusty. Hit the quick release and the kite ended up on its back resting on the wet sand.

I could not for the life of me climb the 5th line. I had to wrap it around my hand (which I HATE HATE HATE so f-ing dangerous) and even with 4 wraps it was still slipping and dragging me down wind. Obviously I did eventually get to the kite, but it was a huge pain in the ass, my hands hurt like hell from hanging onto the line.

We need to come up with a better way of landing kites.

I like the idea of a sand anchor, but in areas with big tides, where do you put it?

matth
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby matth » Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:21 pm

Just wrap the flag line around the bar. I don't even bother going end to end in fear of it unwrapping. Just wind it in a circle as fast as you can and hold the bar only, you should easily be able to hold the power if the kite is flagged.

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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby plummet » Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:00 am

matth wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:21 pm
.you should easily be able to hold the power if the kite is flagged.
You haven't kited in truely windy conditions then.

zig zag
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby zig zag » Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:16 pm

rynhardt wrote:
Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:38 pm
zig zag wrote:
Thu Dec 07, 2017 8:26 pm

this guy is lucky the kite was well behaved.. you could have the kite re-launch with both centerlines taunt... sorry but this is a poor example.
Maybe it's just my kites but relaunch on the two front lines is hardly an issue.
With my strutless 17 it's pretty much guaranteed anyway. You just walk up the lines to the kite.
Ya... 17m kites behave really well since the wind ISN'T HIGH!!! c'mon!!

matth
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby matth » Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:33 pm

plummet wrote:
Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:00 am
matth wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:21 pm
.you should easily be able to hold the power if the kite is flagged.
You haven't kited in truely windy conditions then.
I guess not. If you can't hold a flagged kite that is wrapped around a bar, then your only option is to dump the kite. In other words , It's not a safe day to kite :roll: :roll: :roll:

Mossy 757
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby Mossy 757 » Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:38 pm

Would anyone who has ridden in a gale agree that there are just wind conditions where a self-landing is impossible? I mean, it's nice to be totally self-sufficient, but at 30 knots I wouldn't want to pull my flag out unless I was either ready to lose the kite or go for an uncontrolled sleigh ride down the beach.

plummet
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby plummet » Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:51 pm

matth wrote:
Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:33 pm
plummet wrote:
Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:00 am
matth wrote:
Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:21 pm
.you should easily be able to hold the power if the kite is flagged.
You haven't kited in truely windy conditions then.
I guess not. If you can't hold a flagged kite that is wrapped around a bar, then your only option is to dump the kite. In other words , It's not a safe day to kite :roll: :roll: :roll:
Sure. Everyone has there own personal limit. If you feel the risk is too high then don't go out. I will happily kite for hours on a day that is tool windy to walk a safety line. I've been doing it for years.
Mossy 757 wrote: Would anyone who has ridden in a gale agree that there are just wind conditions where a self-landing is impossible? I mean, it's nice to be totally self-sufficient, but at 30 knots I wouldn't want to pull my flag out unless I was either ready to lose the kite or go for an uncontrolled sleigh ride down the beach.
Self landing is possible in any wind that you are able to kite in. How risky to yourself and damage to your kite will be dependant on the location.

When its 40+ knots my preferred landing methods are as follows.

Teather (not allways possible)
Land behind a wind shadow. (There's not always a wind shadow)
Pull the safety in the water so a wave roles over the kite. The water will hold the kite down long enough for you to get to it and secure it. (theres not always waves to roll over the kite)_.

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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby Mossy 757 » Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:32 pm

plummet wrote:
Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:51 pm
How risky to yourself and damage to your kite will be dependant on the location.
Lol, part of the unspoken assumption in my post was, "without totally thrashing yourself or your gear."

ble
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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby ble » Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:52 pm

Were today in 30knots w 10m kite, self landing was last on my mind :)

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Re: How To Self-Land a Kite in High Winds

Postby knotwindy » Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:19 pm

Mossy 757 wrote:
Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:38 pm
Would anyone who has ridden in a gale agree that there are just wind conditions where a self-landing is impossible? I mean, it's nice to be totally self-sufficient, but at 30 knots I wouldn't want to pull my flag out unless I was either ready to lose the kite or go for an uncontrolled sleigh ride down the beach.
That’s like asking are there wind conditions where jumping is impossible?
Depends on the wind and kite and location and person.
There are times it is too windy for my friend to jump(or self land) but not for me. There are times it is too windy for me but not for Rueben or Nick or Jessie or .....
I don’t know if there are times it is too windy for even them but I would guess yea, at some point you have to just walk away.


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