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I was sooooo fucking lucky today.

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Mr Jo Macdonald
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Postby Mr Jo Macdonald » Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:09 pm

Thanks Rick, I do land my kite with the leash if I can't hold it or in strong wind at the end of a session, the reason I didn't this time was that I wanted to relanch again without mucking up the lines as soon as I'd sorted the trim.
I got punished for being flash and lazy basically.

Yesterday I asked Toby to add this to the self landing guidelines in the infos section

DON’T try self landing a small kite on its leading edge in strong wind (over 15-20 knots) because even if you manage to land it the wind can get under it and make it take off again without warning and the kite can go looping very fast into the power zone spiraling out of control and dragging you behind it.
In strong wind if there’s no on there to catch the kite, release your depower shackle and let the kite go to the leash, with one hand on the leash release shackle to release it if the leash doesn’t work.

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sq225917
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Postby sq225917 » Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:56 pm

jo, first thing i do is test stuff to death.

tried it on the beach it worked, tried it dragging in water, it worked, tried it halfway through a 15ft jump, it worked.....

tried it a full speed in about 24 inches of water, jumped, ditched the board, made sure i splashed in flat, dragged at full speed towards the sand, up the sand, through the seaweed and dogshit on my face. it worked....

please note for the last test a couple of mates downwind is mandatory, the dogshit is not.


using the flysurfer leash with the little plastic clip works a treat, its elastic so it stays tight never releasing by mistake, and if you use the new ones they even have a secondary release for the leash if everything go'es tits up.

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Postby Steve » Mon Apr 07, 2003 6:30 pm

Jo,

I often had trouble grabbing that slingshot depower ball and switched the ball to a Hobie Cat Trapeze handle that you can buy for about $2. I had to drill out the hole a bit so the rope would fit through, but the handle is fabulous to grab.

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Mr Jo Macdonald
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Postby Mr Jo Macdonald » Mon Apr 07, 2003 6:59 pm

I just did a few mods thanks to your tips, now pulling down on the leash releases the depower. So if I ever get dragged again I grab the leash and follow it down, when my hand reaches the shackle (I think probably help along by the beach moving in the same direction), it releases the depower.

This weekend I think I'll get a bunch of me mates to drag me down the beach on my stomach with a rope while I try to release the shackle.

I also added a little piece of plastic pipe around the trim rope just after the ball so it can't hit unreachable zero anymore.

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Postby Guest » Mon Apr 07, 2003 7:09 pm

nope, no sir, I don't like it

shackles that is.

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Postby BLOWN AWAY » Mon Apr 07, 2003 7:16 pm

Yeah watch that strong gusty stuff. I had my 12m X2 flying behind me yesterday and I was coming unhooked when it floated back again in the window. In gusts of 25 + you don't really wanna be unhooked with this kite... this happened more than once so I ejected and went to a different beach.... the wind at this other spot was solid and smooth 20 - 25 knots, peak wind speeds far less than the first spot I went to. No probs whatsoever so when it's getting up you may wanna check out the real open beaches as they tend to lower peak wind speeds (gust etc).

Seems to have more of an effect in the stronger winds obviously... but stay away form that strong gusty stuff when the kite goes crazy ... still great windsurfing weather though ....

robertovillate
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Postby robertovillate » Tue Apr 08, 2003 12:22 am

This weekend I think I'll get a bunch of me mates to drag me down the beach on my stomach with a rope while I try to release the shackle.
Hey Joe
That sounds like fun :?: :lol:

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kiteboarder@pacbell.net
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Postby kiteboarder@pacbell.net » Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:35 am

"Mr Jo Macdonald" wrote:
Yeah, I've been thinking about the position of the QR too.
I actually have mine ABOVE the bar (special mods required - you might want to work on your own), which helped me access it while being dragged.
The thing is, with with the wichard you have to pull the trigger away from the tip of the shackle to release it which means pulling towards your body if you're using it like most of us do.
True, BUT if you tie (or wire?) the swivel shut, & use a separate swivel, you can then run the release line through the fixed loop of the Wichard, before attaching the release ball/strap/line-to-wrist, or whatever. That way you can pull it in ANY direction to release. I have mine rigged like that, & was very glad, during the emergency.

As to "Guest's" comment about not liking shackles, many of us have used shackles to escape more severe injuries. If we sometimes have trouble getting out of the best shackles, think how hard it would be to get out of a plain trim loop! (or worse yet, a locking one with no release).

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Postby KiteGlider » Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:59 am

Welcome back Jo. Glad you're OK.

Your story re-enforces my conviction to never use "clam" cleats.

I've been piecing together a "cam" cleat trim lock.

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Postby kiteboarder@pacbell.net » Tue Apr 08, 2003 6:12 am

The fact that it was a clam cleat didn't cause the problem. The same thing could happen with a cam cleat (actually even more likely, since it's easier to pull the line out of the teeth), & even with a strap/buckle. No matter what you use to lock the setting (clam, cam, or buckle), if lengthening the adjustment moves the part you need to grab further from you, then you need to make sure there's a stopper to limit the maximum length, or there will be a point where it's extended so far you can't reach it to shorten it.


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