Mauritius Fatality

[RickI]

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FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

[RickI]

This account involves use of board leashes, again; the need for proper professional instruction, weather awareness, proper first response to injury among other considerations. There are a lot of lessons and important points for consideration in this summary.

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

[xray]

When using a leash always wear a decent helmet!

[RickI]

When using a leash always wear a decent helmet!

This is akin to always having cobra anti-venom whenever you handle cobra snakes. Another approach would be to not handle the snake in the first place.

Unlike fresh anti-venom with a cobra bite, a helmet may not help with a board leash impact.

Conventional wisdom is to ditch the leash for kiteboarders if circumstances permit. If circumstances don't permit ditching the leash prepare to get bashed someday. Perhaps even through or around your helmet.

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

[Tom183]

When using a leash always wear a decent helmet!

Don't use a board leash, and wear a helmet anyway - you can't kiteboard if you're dead...

[Tom183]

When using a leash always wear a decent helmet!

This is akin to always having cobra anti-venom whenever you handle cobra snakes. Another approach would be to not handle the snake in the first place.

Unlike fresh anti-venom with a cobra bite, a helmet may not help with a board leash impact.

Conventional wisdom is to ditch the leash for kiteboarders if circumstances permit. If circumstances don't permit ditching the leash prepare to get bashed someday. Perhaps even through or around your helmet.

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

Good analogy, but in this case I think the real killer was the conditions: gusty with rain squalls...

[macca]

In the early days I had 6 staples to my head after a board impact from a surf style leash, lucky I was wearing a helmet, it cracked the helmet putting a good fist size hole in it.

After that I got a very short 1m leash that would not load up as much, then ditched it all to gether. I have lost 1 board at sea but think that is reasonable for peace of mind in 5 years of kiting

I still wear a helmet with out the leash, as that incident scared me, dont like to think what might of been, those LW169s were a good heavy lump with a sharp rail.

So I would secound the helmet and no leash option.

Cheers.

[BLOWN AWAY]

boardleashes = trouble. Learning to bodydrag upwind is far less painful.

I wonder if all our fallen friends have found a place beyond the grave to kite?

[RickI]

Good analogy, but in this case I think the real killer was the conditions: gusty with rain squalls...

The weather was certainly significant but I believe there were some more critical factors than that.


It appears that the "student" had inadequate appreciation for the hazards of the sport.


Just put a kite up and go, take casual tips from whomever in lieu of quality Pro lessons in whatever conditions are blowing throught at the time and use a board leash.

Who has a responsibility to EFFECTIVELY inform guys like the "student?" Or is it as it was once stated to me "just let them figure it out on their own." No warning is necessary.

[Tom183]

Yeah, I don't know why people think they can buy stuff on eBay and then go out and try it without getting hurt - this guy obviously didn't know what he was doing, and even more obviously didn't know that he didn't know. Under those conditions, anything can (and did) happen.