The end to death spirals and drownings?

[Laughingman]

According to urban dictionary it either means Toby is kidding, or that he wants your cock inside him.

[edt]

I think rickl has a great point. Back in the day we were thinking about radio controlled releases too but what we really needed was a quick release on a chicken loop!

Let's get the stupid simple stuff right first.

1) remove the rear harness leash attachment on all new harnesses. If you are a professional rider, get someone to sew on a rear leash if you want it, but even pro riders dont need it aaron hardlow doesnt use one.

how can you activate any release if you are being tea bagged and pulled backwards?


I'm not sure why there should be any debate where the kite leash is attached it goes on the front!

Radio controlled releases would be somewhere around 10 in regards to safety improvements, before that I would also want to see 2) quick release on the harness 3) helmets that look cool so I would want to wear them 4) stiffer center chicken lines so you won't get the dreaded chicken loop around the bar problem 5) short leash by default, if you are a pro you can add extensions to the leash, but there's no reason for most riders to get tangled in a long leash they will never use

[SpaceRacer]

Thanks for your post edit. And while I agree with everything you said except for the helmet part, a kite release would solve all the problems. Stop the kite and its over. Centerline wraps around your bar, leash wraps around your neck, lines tangle your harness, QR fails, press your watch and it all ends.

If you can stop the kite most if not all of the infinite dangers become moot.

[KiteboardingTampaBay]

Just keep the remote between your arse cheeks.

"When you clench too tight, it will release the kite!"

There's your solution and marketing campaign all in one.

Glad I could help.

-KTB
www.kiteboardingtampabay.com

[CaptainArgh]

...
1) remove the rear harness leash attachment on all new harnesses. If you are a professional rider, get someone to sew on a rear leash if you want it, but even pro riders dont need it aaron hardlow doesnt use one.

how can you activate any release if you are being tea bagged and pulled backwards?

I can't say that it should be removed (it's good for handlepasses, right?) but I see a LOT of riders use that rear leash and they NEVER unhook and NEVER do handlepasses. I think they just attach it there and get that big foam covered leash to look cool. No appreciation that they are *fucked* in the situation you describe!

... 3) helmets that look cool so I would want to wear them ..

Agreed.
I wear one. Am not too concerned with how I look (safety is more important) but I can't say I like the way they look. They either have to make better looking helmets or ALL YOU FUCKERS have to start wearing them so I don't stand out!
(just like biking...everyone wears one now and if you see a guy without you automatically think, "what's up with THAT guy?!?")

[we]

I agree with Toby, the reason 18m (or in my case 17m) kites are safer is that the sport is safer in safer conditions. Toby is not talking about riding 18m kites in tropical storms or northeasters, he's talking about warm sunny days with warm water, consistent winds, etc.

When I hear of someone riding in a gusty lake with cold water and a rock cliff, I think they are either nuts or expert riders. But usually they are just beginner or intermediate riders who don't fully grasp how quickly things can go wrong in bad conditions.

[longwhitecloud]

utterly crap idea to start with but nothing wrong with brainstorming.

maybe start with some more realistic solutions with and the root causes, even an epirb signal cannot penetrate water (sonar - radio frequency lol) and as far as potential breakdowns in the control system (as in control theory)..

1. companies design brides to not be long enough to tip wrap even in event of soft kite. (pump your kite hard)

2. dont buy known deathlooping kites

3. companies dont be cheap and use crappy short thin leader lines with no stiffness - to help prevent line half hitch on bar deathloops

4. dont buy kites like this

5. option to ride much slower turning kites with bigger turning arcs and shorter lines

7. option to ride 5th line where you at least have a potential option to pull on this (not the useless one that attach far away from rider.)

8. Ride with a coloured 5th so if u get wrapped up you know which one to pull in if you get half a second of slackness before kite starts deathlooping (again?)

9.Make sure when u buy new kite technology you are not the lab rat cos this has for sure been teh case in the past - rush to market not enough prototyping.

10. check your quick releases - i have had the most common generic one jam up

11. dont ride mini 5th line and similar systems on 4 line kites - ride single fully flagging front line release kites or full length flagging 5th line.

12. think about consequences of leash on rear of kite if deathlooping - support manufacturers that give options of side attachment for freestyle and front for freeriding too. - some waveriders want option of back - some want to use no leash if no one else around at risk

13. develop a quick release harness - all have failed so far


i seen plenty of f-ones deathlooping

[chemosavi]

.
The only way to avoid death spirals and drowning is to never get married.

[CaptainArgh]

.
The only way to avoid death spirals and drowning is to never get married.

[SpaceRacer]

Long white whatever....utterly crap? You could tick off everything on your entire list and then...I don't know you blow a kiteloop, come down a wave too fast and your leg gets caught in a line and the kite powers up? Go down your checklist and tell us how you recover with your little check list. Or...maybe you don't kiteloop or ride waves so it doesn't apply to you. Because if this ever happened to you, the only thing that would be utter crap would be the load in your pants.