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Any video on drift launch a bow in shallow water?

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Saxo
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Any video on drift launch a bow in shallow water?

Postby Saxo » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:26 am

I saw a whole lot of messages on this forum about self launching Bow kites. Lots of people are talking about drift launch using a bow kite. Is there any video showing how to do this safely with a bow kite???
In my case, I must self launch in water, there is no beach access where I am. However, it is shallow water...

I have used the search feature and all I can find is methods for launching on the beach. However... I must admit... self launching on the beach looks really easy with the bow kites...

Thanks for your help...
:D

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mx5alan
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Postby mx5alan » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:40 pm


Saxo
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Postby Saxo » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:17 am

Thanks Mx5alan,

I saw this same web site yesterday but did not noticed this one video...
Should I assume that I can let the bow kite drift downwind of me on the water LE first and it will not be falling on its back. If this is the case, It seems like it works just like a C kite for these types of shallow water launch.
:D
Is there anything I should watch for with my leach and bar that would be particular to the BOW? :o

Thanks
:thumb:

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mx5alan
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Postby mx5alan » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:51 am

Saxo wrote:Is there anything I should watch for with my leach and bar that would be particular to the BOW? :o
No, same as any other kite - Don't get caught up in the lines.

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Postby Saxo » Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:53 am

Great!
Thanks :thumb:

steveb
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Postby steveb » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:32 am

I had one nasty where the bridle had wrapped around the outermost strut valve, put the kite into a nice looping spin.
So before I toss the kite I make sure the bridles are clear, apart from that it's pretty much the same drift launch as a C, except easier to get the kite off the water.

Saxo
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Postby Saxo » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:15 pm

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the hint!
I will make sure my bridle are clear.
I prefer to stay away from nasty loopin spin as much as I can...
Thanks
A+
8)

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paul m
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Postby paul m » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:19 pm

saxo, we do this every day in our schools or out riding......schools we teach it.....riding, you get the picture......

one thing i would like to ad, watch sending the straight down wind like a c kite. i mean leadinging edge facing you like when its on the beach when you put it down. When you let go of the kiteturn it a bit to one side or the other so it is going a little side ways, then it will take up the slack , go into launch mode, then you can grab the bar and go, so while doing this, dont hold the bar, just use the loop. Sending it dead down wind, the kite wants to fly, will hot launch with lines slack, blah blah tangle, freak out, shit ....

if you need more detail, i will load up a video, kjust been a bit busy.....

also have a self launch for the beach that i have done 22 times so far, and its working inall condtions.....no special gadgets...


aloha Paul

Saxo
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Postby Saxo » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:50 pm

Hi Paul,
Very interesting...
This is exactly what I was wondering about.
With the C kites, I normally prepare the kite and the bar before going into the water, when Kite & Bar are together and ready to go, I walk in the water to a open area holding my C kite Leading Edge facing down towards me. At that point I normally put the kite over my head while I unwrap my lines slowly letting them going downwind in the water. Once all my lines are unwrapped, I normallly move towards one extremity of the kite holding my bar and walk over the lines on one side of the kite. At that point I normally turn the C kite just a bit and let it drift donwind until it takes all the slack. During that phase I hook the chicken loop to my harnest. When the kite reaches the extremety of the lines and there is no more slack, I go ahead and lauch the kite.

So if I undertood your point correctly, you suggest to be careful with Bow kites not to let the kite go strait downwind without having the kite being a bit turned on its side, otherwise it could self launch before reaching the end of the lines. That is most definitely someting I would like to avoid.
When you have a video demonstrating your technique, I would be very interested to see it.

Cheers and Thanks!
Saxo :thumb:


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