Thanks for passing your experience along Gary. Glad that you weren't hurt. Picking a control bar upside down is yet another serious hazard aside from rigging errors. There was an extremely experienced kiteboarder that suffered a spinal injury (back fracture) a while back. It is thought that he picked his bar upside down as well in strong winds. It is hard not to make such errors then again the price in pain and other consequences can make failure to carefully preflight too steep. It seems that assisted launching is a safer approach from analysis of the KSI accidents. This is ASSUMING you are using a experienced helper and clear, properly understood instructions.kjelleren wrote:Rick,
Thanks for continuing to provide us with this stuff. About a week ago, I was going on my second session and had a buddy spotting my self launch. He had a hand on the kite. I took a couple of steps back with the bar and it didn't feel right. The kite ripped up in the air, into the powerzone, and into a tree, before it could really power up. I have color coded lines, and non reversable front and backs. The only thing I can think of is that I picked up my bar backwards adn didn't notice it. You have said it before PREFLIGHT YOUR KITE. I was lucky. Just a couple of small tears in the kite. Could have been ugly. My instant reaction was to control the kite, not to pull the release.
My new rules: If somebody is available, have them launch me (I almost always self launch).
Preflight and then preflight again.
Sorry, but I don't think that this is right. When a kite dances, like you say, it is a tipical sign that the depower ist too much. This happens all the time when the bar does not have enough pressure. The kite will get unstable because there is more pressure on the front lines and the back lines have no pressure.The kite however was not getting "quiet" while being held up in the wind for the launch, it was moving, fluttering, "dancing". A typical sign for crossed lines.
Should read:4. Either launch unhooked or (if you are experienced) with a quick release which you have practiced to release really quickly. And let go of the bar immediately if you have a potential problem with the launched kite. Of course - have a kite leash.
Two of the most experienced kiters I know since 1998 were you and Tom (Mel) and both of you had somewhat serious accidents while launching hooking in on land. Experiences should not be the excuse for launch hooking-in on land.4. Launch unhooked and let go of the bar immediately if you have a potential problem with the launched kite. Of course - have a kite leash.
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