Self launching a bow

gotwind · Postby **gotwind** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:26 am

I went to the beach 2day and it was pretty good but i was da only one there. I kinda knew how 2 self launch but usually someone is there. someone came like 5 min after so i didnt have 2 do it myself. But how do u self launch a bow. Is it just like a C or is it different?

MissionMan · Postby **MissionMan** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:34 am

Two options...

Sandbag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSaEYB1dI4c

Non-Sandbag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KAMj-K1W8Q

BigR · Postby **BigR** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:58 am

self launching a bow is easy peasy, howabout self landing a bow in 30+ kts?

Experimental player · Postby **Experimental player** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:02 am

Yeh,
Its like the designers forgot to test self landing. dumbbows

Rockstar · Postby **Rockstar** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:16 am

Bows are much easier to self land than a C.

Just depower with the trim strap first.

Then lower the kite to hover just above the beach,let the bar ALL the way out to completely depower,I let go of it completely.
Then grab the centre lines and yank towards you with one hand,and grab the top centre line with the other hand and pull it to tip the kite over onto the leading edge.

Its so easy,I can come in and put the kite down anytime I like,have a break,pick up the bar,walk upwind,catch some wind in the kite,pull one front line and HEY!!! up she goes !!!

If the wind is very strong and you have problems with landing,just pull the quick release and flag the kite to the safety leash which should be connected to one line.

paul m · Postby **paul m** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:15 pm

go to http://www.thekiteboarder.com you can download the issue or get a copy if you like, they have a full guide on all of that. There are quite a few ways, but depends on your time flying a kite and if its onshore, seen a few people get into trouble in onshore stuff with narrow launch.

OzBungy · Postby **OzBungy** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:54 pm

BigR wrote:self launching a bow is easy peasy, howabout self landing a bow in 30+ kts?

There's an even easier way to self-land a bow and it works in any wind strength.

1. Bring it to the ground at the side of the window.
2. Drop the bar and let the kite sit on one tip.
3. Walk upwind until you are about 45 degrees upwind of the kite. This make the kite roll over so it is sitting facing pretty much down into the sand. The kite cannot fly away or do anything at this point.
4. Reach up and grab the upwind front line and pull it to drag the the tip of the kite around so the kite is parked nose down into wind.
5. Walk over and sand the kite or whatever else you want to do to make it safe.

The benefit of this system is that when the kite is nose down it is pushing itself into the sand. It cannot blow away or roll over or do anything you don't want it to.

The usual technique of dropping onto a front line works ok but if your technique is poor the kite can roll over. That is no big deal but this technique eliminates the that possibility.

Clew In · Postby **Clew In** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:57 pm

Hey OZ,

What do you mean by drop the bar? Do you mean sheet all the way out?

Also, do you mean downwind of the kite? It seems if you walk up wind you will be putting the kite in the power zone and it will not fall over?

Sounds like a great meathod.

Clew In

Dr_Rosen · Postby **Dr_Rosen** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:07 pm

paul m wrote:go to http://www.thekiteboarder.com you can download the issue or get a copy if you like, they have a full guide on all of that. There are quite a few ways, but depends on your time flying a kite and if its onshore, seen a few people get into trouble in onshore stuff with narrow launch.

The instruction says that you should preferably selflaunch unhooked. Can that be true?? My worst (and only bad) was when my kite unhooked by mistake during an assisted launch (with my leash in "suicide mode" I think its called when it is attached to the chicken loop).

blowhard · Postby **blowhard** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:22 pm

When i'm overpowered i just drive the kite into the sand pretty hard ,run downwind a jerk the highest line and flop it down ,into the wind .
On launches I walk downwind to clear lines of the pulleys and such pulling the furthest front line and walking away from kite untill the kite fills in from the far side ,then quickly add tension by walking upwind until kite fills in and then I slowly let out the line from the farthest front line until it steers.(this also works with the back lines )
I never try any launches or landings unhooked

Self launching a bow

Self launching a bow

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