Excellent Suggestion From Marina/Kitexcite

[RickI]

Recently there was a severe accident discussed at:

http://kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5904

Marina responded with an excellent suggestion for kiteboarders and particularly travelers. She is involved with a prominent kiteboarding business in a third world country, Kitexcite in Cabarete, DR, and is in a good position to know what she is talking about. She advises that kiteboarders particularly solo travelers, carry the following on them if feasible:

1. Identification such as a photocopy of a passport
2. Emergency contact information
3. Health insurance card

Also, informing people nearby, other riders, concession operators, etc. who you are, where you are from may help as well.

Marina advises obtaining emergency travel insurance to cover hospital, doctor, outpatient costs overseas, air lifting out of the country if needed for additional medical attention, flies in somebody to help you, covers partial lost wages and other misc. benefits. If folks have links to this type of coverage in various countries it would be good to upload them to this thread. All these documents could be folded into a small ziplock sealed carrier and stored in your harness, impact vest pocket or other area.

Sound like a pain or unnecessary? You may be right, IF things go smoothly and there isn't an accident, either yours or one caused by another involving you. Accidents do happen though. Then these simple procedures may make a tremendous difference in quality and speed of medical care at home or abroad.

The contributing causes of this accident are not rare at all and are practiced by many riders. Things like riding in very shallow water in onshore winds, with minimal safety equipment, using a poorly rigged/tested quick release system, hooked in nearshore, etc. Luck doesn't last forever, skill isn't always enough to carry the day, the only thing that works consistently much of the time, is good, sound technique. Use distance, a well rigged/maintained quick release, safety gear including a good helmet and consider avoiding onshore winds.

Rick Iossi

[Toby]

thx Marina and Rick,

for me it is a very good idea!

Normally airlines or travel agencies offer special travel insurances for things like that and even more (lost luggage etc)

Toby

[Wolfgang]

...She advises that kiteboarders particularly solo travelers, carry the following on them if feasible:

1. Identification such as a photocopy of a passport
2. Emergency contact information
3. Health insurance card

...All these documents could be folded into a small ziplock sealed carrier and stored in your harness, impact vest pocket or other area.

Rick Iossi

This is kind of reality shock, isn't it? Who has been doing this so far? I bet 99.9% not!!!

[Wetstuff]

As someone who wear's a helmet to help protect grey assets. I was very interested in out-of-country insurance. My general policy would only confuse a hospital in the Caribbean, so I found company in the US that offers this coverage....you can even do it with a Visa card.

The rates vary from $3.50-5. a day. Here's the link:

http://www.travelinsure.com/what/imedhigh.htm?32701

.....I did read some of the small print: it mentions exclustions like wars, etc. but you also CANNOT race any cars, sky dive or ride motoconchos.

Play hard - safely.

jim_wetstuff

[RickI]

Carrying identification and insurance information while kiteboarding would be a good idea at home as well. Of course always riding with friends helps too for many reasons. A few years ago I made this mistake of having neither in place at the time of a serious accident. I wandered around for hours, out of it from a serious head injury, passing out periodically with no identification. Fortunately, a friend ran into me after about 4 to 5 hours of this and sent me along to the hospital. All this happened in a fairly populated area of Florida.

I asked Jim of Wetstuff to look into fabricating a compact water-resistant document carrier that could be tied to a harness or better yet stored in a harness or impact vest pocket. It might be a good idea for kiteboarders to start to carry some basic documents, just in case.

Rick Iossi