Flysurfer boat launches GUARANTEED!

[chemosavi]

After doing about 6 boat launches with psycho15.5 and titan12.5 and 18.5 with both some success and failure, I have what seems to be a sure fire technique.
1st- Carefully wrap up your kite and check all lines and bridles for alignment.

2nd tie up lines on bar so that you cannot slip the bar through the lines causing crossed lines.

3rd, anchor boat or slow down with sea anchor VERY IMORTANT!

4rth On boat, hook into safety system and also hook into chicken loop before unwinding lines or filling the kite. That way the chances for getting lines crossed is nill.

5th unwind lines from bar, letting the wind carry them away from the boat.

6th Fill kite as much air as possible and the toss into water. If the wind is light and you don't fill it with enough air it takes more time to get it off the water.

7th jump in and get ready to boogie!

note: I tried unwinding the lines while the kite was drifting away from me and found that if I put too much air in the kite and the wind was 12 to 15knots, it drifted faster than I could get the lines off the bar whereupon I employed the titan's pull stop system to get the rest off the lines off. When the same thing happened with the psycho I had to ditch the kite. It's just a lot more comfortable knowing you are not going for a sleigh ride if you unwind the lines BEFORE you throw the kite in the water. Any comments or suggestions very much appreciated.........

[Andres_Santacruz]

I have a procedure which works extremely well, that i have been using for 3 years at the lake i go to a lot. There are no favorable beaches on this lake where the wind hits well, so the best thing to do is to get in my ski boat and go in front of the Dam were the wind always comes from.

What i do is carefully make sure all the lines are in order on land and then carefully wrap them(like you did). Then you go to where you are going to launch the kite. And you have 2 helpers on the boat hold each kite wingtip on the boat. This way the kite preinflates really well. Meanwhile, you jump in the water, and start unwrappin the lines. The people on the boat holding the kite make the boat act like a sailboat, so the boat slowly drifts downwind, while you are slowly swimming upwind unwinding the lines. Once the lines are unwound, you can easily see if everything is in order from where you are in the water, you make a sign, and they let go of the kite, and it flies straight up, you are pulled very controllably towards the boat as the kite rises, at which point they can hand you your board, and you are all set. I remember you saying you kite in very cold water, so this may not work for you, but i can assure you it is very fast, and works very well if you have semi-competent helpers.
For tube kites, we do almost the same thing, except we inflate the leading edge on the boat, and have the person in the water swim more to the side so the kite side-launches. For pick up, activate the safety system so the titan sits on it´s butt on the water, and have the people in the boat come up from downwind and grab the kite. Then they pull it on the boat, open the butt plug and deflate it while you wind the lines and swim towards the boat. Very easy, and uncomplicated!
I have used this method with my psychos, and warriors, and peter lynn waterfoil with no problems. The only thing you should have the people on the boat watch out for is that no single bridle gets stuck on something in the boat(which if there is a lot of pressure, can rip a bridle line out). During the whole operation the boat is facing sideways, and is OFF!
Let me know if it works,
Best Regards,
Andres Santacruz

[KiteVol]

Andres,

Generally speaking, after you hook up your 4 lines to the kite on land and wrap up the bar (for an LEI). Is there any chance of lines being crossed once you unwind in the lake? Meaning, once you have correctly hooked up the kite on land the only thing you may have to do in the water is turn the bar here and there to get out any twists?


Thanks
KV

[Andres_Santacruz]

Normally i will just have to rotate it once or twice clockwise or counterclockwise. You have to be careful with the bar, to no pass it through the lines. If you are careful it really isn´t a problem, besides, before launching you always have a very clear view of the lines because of the contrast with the water.

[Thisl]

Hi,
I never tried a boat launch,
but if you fear crossed lines, add hooks(dont know the right english term)
to both backlines, so you can open and untwist them at the kiters side in the water.

At least the old Airblastbar had some made of plastic too.
have fun,
Thisl

[GregW]

I used to use those hooks but they can come off fairly easily. I am also a bit wary of the hooky end grabbing onto a bit of my flesh if it did come adrift.

[Thisl]

I use one of them at each backline. And its fixed to the line.
Between the bar and the hook there is 1,5m thick line to adjust the length.
So its far enough away from my flesh.
But youre right, maybe its better to use a small shackle instead.
But the idea itself works. I never have to go back to the kite if there is a twist in a line.
Good for launching without an assistant.

Have fun,
Thisl

[lutchi]

"you are pulled very controllably towards the boat as the kite rises"

Very controllably towards the boat it seems to me quite dangerous don't you.

[Djizasse]

"... and then i was confortably pulled to the boat and i smashed into it very gently. My ribs grecefully snapped."



It would seem a litle less risky if your assistants layed the kite on the water, next to the boat and get out of the way.

[Andres_Santacruz]

you would have to be pretty stupid to steer yourself towards the boat, besides it is better not to get the kite wet, that way it will fly better from the beginning. When i launch my kites, i can decide which way i want to go. The boat driver moves the boat out of the way as soon as you have launched, although it really isn´t necessary.