So, how about this thing with hazard perception, some guys have guessed badly wrong over time and have be severely hurt, sometimes killed. Awareness building should help, you would think, what else is there at this point when you get down to it?
Here are some example accidents:
1. This fellow headed out into a squall when most others were coming in to avoid the hazard. He thought he could handle it but was wrong. He isn't alone, not by a long shot. How to get it across to folks this weather can easily kill or leave you severely messed up?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2366337
2. Here's another one, rigged big, coming in too slow in a squall, he was badly lofted and apparently made no effective steps to Emergency Depower in advance. He had ten years experience reportedly. Lots have rigged too big, come in too late and failed to react early enough to kill the kites power.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2366072&start=10
3. This rider knew the squall was coming, had a large kite up, didn't take steps to do anything prior to being gusted by the squall and covered 1200 ft. amazingly enough. He had been riding for some years too.
viewtopic.php?f=131&t=2358331
4. This was touted to be a severe storm, the news was likely buzzing with it. There was major damage ashore from the storm as predicted. This rider went out into it, a cloud from hell moved in, he stayed out until he was lofted over 100 m into a wall.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2363087
This could go on for many more pages but I'll stop here. We don't perceive hazards for what they are and/or we don't take them seriously enough in too many instances. In some cases we seem to not know how to react to them either. None of this is rocket science, it is usually quite straight forward. How to get it across effectively? Proper balanced professional instruction is an obvious solution for future kiters if not an elusive one for now. What about all the kiters at large and the percentage destined to have their own avoidable accidents? Doing little to nothing is one response, a time honored one ironically. Someone prominent in the industry once told me, eight years ago, don't promote safety, let kiters mess themselves up, they'll learn. He even tossed out a couple of threats to stop promoting safety or else. What the hell? Time suggests his solution hasn't worked all that well, something else is in order. Beyond that we all have a stake in this aside from basic regard for fellow kiters, restrictions and bans have followed severe accidents more than once too.