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Untangling lines

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celly
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Re: Untangling lines

Postby celly » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:09 pm

irwe wrote:I drift launch 80% of the time from my local kite spot and don't get tangles.

This is what I do.
1. Pump up kite leading edge facing water far enough from shoreline to walk out lines.
2. Walk out lines confirm no tangles.
3. Hook in Chicken loop and safety leash
4. Walk up middle of lines
5. Grab center of kite and lift letting wind tips drag.
6. Walk back to board at shoreline (keep bar under elbow)
7. Pick up board with free hand and walk out to a safe distance. (make sure nothing will snag lines)
8. Release kite with leading edge facing you and splash water onto canopy
9. Quickly walk away from kite to minimize time there is slack in lines
10. Let go of board and launch kite**
** I don't use this technique if wind is 'nuclear'.
I essentially do the same thing, Never thought about putting water on the canopy to help keep in place.... After step 4 do you usually roll up your lines in the figure 8 pattern then grab your kite? Also, I am always kiting in winds under about 18knots

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby edt » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:15 pm

celly i understand about the drift launch because of the small beach. It should be obvious how to uncross lines you put the kite directly downwind, pull above the depower strap with one hand to take all the tension from the kite off the bar and chicken loop and tuck the chicken loop under through the lines in the correct direction. If you can't easily visualize how to do this do not even try. Too easy to have a death loop and wreck the kite.

When I was taught how to drift launch he pounded into me this key point : after you have wrapped the lines up before you grab the kite, grab the bar with one hand (doesn't matter which one), and NEVER let go of this hand do not swap hands, do not set down the bar, keep holding onto the bar with that same hand as you walk the kite out. Simple but prevents lines from ever getting crossed. Lines get crossed when you set down the bar and pick it up again from the other side.

I dont like walking around with my lines wrapped and hooked in

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby ronnie » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:26 pm

Tethered launch is the safer way to go. That way you make sure everything is correct before you connect yourself to the kite.

The key thing for drift launching is to have a system that works and stick to it exactly.
Once you have wound the lines onto the bar correctly, you must never let the bar pass between the lines or the bridle.

The other thing that can go wrong is the kite flipping over through the lines during the launch, or between the lines when being turned on the surface. You need to have a launch system that makes that very unlikely to happen.
I wear contact lenses so I can see the lines well enough to be able to figure out how to untangle the lines. That's easier done with some kites than others.
Last edited by ronnie on Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby edt » Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:51 pm

celly wrote:
JGTR wrote:Why drift launch? You should only drift launch if you have no beach to launch on and the water is too deep to walk the kite out - otherwise tethered launch is the way to go
I drift launch because no beach space. Not familiar with tethered launch but will look into it.
for a tethered water launch you need to buy an anchor some floats a rope and a carabiner.

1) attach rope floats and carabiner.
2) Swim at least 1 line length away from shore, swim to the bottom, and screw in the anchor
3) swim back to shore and lay out your lines and kite exactly like a drift launch.
4) swim to the float/carabiner/anchor with your kite and lines
5) attach the kite to the carabiner.
6) Unwrap your lines.
7) Put the chicken loop on the carabiner.
8 )Take the kite off the carabiner.
9) Swim with the kite 1 line length and put it into a normal side launch position.
10) Swim back to the anchor, and move the chicken loop from the carabiner to your harness and launch as usual

I don't use anchors because I have some kites that don't sit peacefully on their sides. Also the one launch where Dewy always tether launches the water level is up and down so that anchor has to be moved all the time. I just end up drift launching even when I see the floats where the tether is out there in the water, it's quicker.

A water tether launch is usually safer than a drift launch because you don't power up until you are sure there are no tangles.

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby foam-n-fibre » Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:34 am

It's all fine and well to say bring it in to shore every time, but if you are riding solo in a spot without a good shoreline and are drift launching, then drift launching is not the perfect and most safe option anyway, compared to riding in a spot with a big beach and a helper on shore. If I had the kite as shown in your picture, and had the option to untangle it as it looks there, or wind up the lines, sort them out, and then try to drift launch again, I'd untangle on the water for sure, at least as you are showing it there with a big kite and not strong winds and no real waves. In that picture your lines have not got tangled in some submerged stick or seaweed, and your kite is sitting nose down straight downwind of you with the bridle not wrapped around the kite. You can't be 100.00% sure that the next drift launch will work out that well.

Sure, there is a risk of something going wrong while untangling, but there is also a risk of things going wrong during a drift launch. Risk is low in both cases, but does exist in both cases. Just like all aspects of this sport, though, you hav to use good judgment. If riding really powered, and especially if on a small kite, which can rollover and relaunch very easily in strong wind, I'd be hesitant to do untangle jobs on the water. But then again, those aren't good conditions for drift launching in general, and kites tend to sit better when tethered at the edge of the window in stronger winds, so that should be the preferred method if it will work in your area.

Peter

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby Flight Time » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:24 am

For a drift launch in cross shore winds, I would set the kite up downwind on the beach, and walk my lines upwind, and connect them to the kite around the shore side. I would hook the loop into my harness, and walk downwind to my kite. I leave it leading edge down, and drag it out into the water, letting the lines drag behind me. When I get out to where I want to launch, I just let the kite go and back upwind as much as possible to minimize the amount of time the lines are slack. Since the lines are trailing behind me, toward the shore, they are out of the downwind window the kite is drifting into. Even if the kite starts flipping around before I can get the lines tight, the lines are out of the way of the kite, so it usually won't flip through the lines. The worst it can do in this case is just require you to spin the bar a couple times. There is always the chance if the kite flips that it will land in a hot launch position, and that's the reason you want to have your hand on the QR and be carefully watching the kite when you do this. :D

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby H53Driver » Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:44 am

In your back yard or at the park set up that tangle with your lines staked out (no kite needed) and practice untangling by passing your bar through the lines.

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby knot_moving » Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:32 am

This person says she/he is new to kiting - no way they should be drift launching. If no launch area on land I wonder what the shoreline is like & what danger is there for someone this new to kiting.

Toby I think it might be time for a sticky post that is a FAQ for those new to the sport - that says something like:

Welcome to kiteboarding
Kiteboarding is an extreme sport, like mountain climbing, diving and sky-diving. But kiteboarding is different because you also put innocent bystanders in jeopardy.

In the last 2 years XX kiteboarders have died.

So before you ask your questions, know the first answer is going to be - "Get lessons from a competent instructor" This is both for your safety & to protect our kiteboarding access areas.

This is a crazy-fun sport, so come on in - just get proper instruction as well :)

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby Flight Time » Tue Dec 25, 2012 6:56 am

Good idea! +1 :D

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Re: Untangling lines

Postby sarc » Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:35 pm

JGTR wrote:
kas911 wrote:Head back to shore. Always. You can block the leash, initiate a death loop, get your fingers cut off etc. Maybe later on you can fix it on the water

But why don't you get an assisted launch, or learn how to launch on your own?

Obviously you need to try and have tension on the lines, all the time, when doing it your way
This is best advice, you can usually still relaunch and fly a kite like this so you can get back to the beach but just be aware that it may not fly properly although safety should still work, if in doubt leash out and walk back
Ahmen to that... this is the right thing to do. Always if you are a beginner. Things can go horribly wrong before you can say 'bah' and you could get injured or killed - IT HAS HAPPENED even at my local beach. I have been myself in ugly situation (lofting) as an intermediate and I got away only due to 70% luck 30% skill/experience.

Celly seems like you are a beginner, with sketchy launch and no safety buffer of space between water edge and danger. Please talk to experienced locals, get their opinion, and consider some lessons... peace out.


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