Early Season Accidents ...

[RickI]

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 12:11 pm Post subject: Early Season Accidents ...

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I was wondering what folks have been seeing at their local launches in the way of early season incidents and accidents. This would apply to the more temperate areas where many riders have taken the winter off and now are just returning to the water.

Such incidents and accidents can be caused by gear damage from last year or that happened in storage and wasn't caught or fixed during preflighting.

Not being really fresh on techniques and procedures honed by regular riding last season could also account for some other events.

Then there are the kiteboarder incidents and accidents born out of lack of awareness and/or appreciation of hazards and how to go about avoiding them and others ...

A comment by Dènis out of Holland got me thinking about this. Our accident experience last November was severe at best. It would be nice to take steps to try to avoid repeats. Having local get togethers at the beach or even over drinks and talking about local riding issues, coming events, gear for sale and hitting rider safety issues could help... Local Safety Meetings. Talking to riders at your local launch casually could also help when you see a need. Promoting the "Ten Ideas" document might help as well.

The season is here, lets go out and get all we can of the fun parts and dodge the more avoidable painful bits.



Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:36 pm Post subject:

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This is a post from last year at about this time. It seems like we are more vulnerable to accidents in early and late season particularly in temperate latitudes. Some of the reasons are explored above. Coming out of winter is no minor thing with lots of powerful late winter and early spring storms flowing through bringing wind and in some cases some substantial hazards. The late season, say around November is also accompanied by similar strong, unstable weather systems.

Many of us suffer from wind lust and after a long involuntary break through the winter we are anxious to get back out and have at it. Some of the hazards of kiteboarding are becoming more widely known, due in part to the occurrance of sad accidents. So, study launch, weather, gear and related conditions, balanced with your experience, use safety gear and make a careful judgment about how, when and where to ride. Some ideas along these lines appear at:

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2300704

Have a care out there.

Originally posted at:

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9103