kiteboarding accidents / safety tips

[sharkdiver]

take it for what it is, free.

[KUS]

hmmm... nothing's free ..... life lesson #2 (for lesson #1 see:
http://currentconfig.com/2005/02/22/ess ... -is-wrong/
)

http://telluridesnowkite.com/index.htm

interesting as there is NO reference to insurance, safety issues or training except "treeless terrrain" and ..... kite control is necessary to be safe.... Good one. No mention of potential hazards otherwise and they do make reference to a shop that likely has a reciprocal agreement for referral but no direct connection.....and this in a US park with a permit to operate.....maybe the US is starting to relax a little after seeing the snowkiting vids at the Shark Club video nite, water is where it's at 4 me

[GWIND]

[more force 4]

Kus, they asked you if you windsurfed on your insurance questionaire? You should switch insurers! I've never been asked that. On the last questionaire a couple of months ago they went through a specific set of activities ; skydiving, SCUBA, base jumping, and piloting a light plane. Might have been one or two others; but windsurfing and kiting were NOT on the list, and I read the fine print there carefully! Didn't ask "Do you participate in any sport that might be considered 'extreme'?" or anything similar.

[nanmoo]

In Kus' case the questions were probably more like, "Do you: a) Windsurf well past sunset and in some cases 30 minutes longer than the next least responsible person to be on the water? b) Venture out so far as to see downtown Victoria from Gordons? c) Tie some fresh bratwurst to your footstraps to tempt the Sea Lions at CB?"

Just buggin' Kus, See you tomorrow morning.

[arturo]

Last summer , with some kite experience ,on a great sunny afternoon , I decided to venture down to the launch at Dallas road and go kiting with my 9 meter kite , wind about 17 -25 west perfect conditions , steady and about 18 kites on the high tide beach . I carefully laid out my lines and double checked to make sure everything was good , but in the mean time there some to be pandemonium amongst the kiters , with everyone crossing my lines triping over them etc with no real sense of order , just everyone in a panic to get on the water , I asked a guy to launch me and he semed in a hurry and was ready to toss my kite without me or him checking for sticks , ke;lp and to determine thatthe lines weren,t crossed and wanted to do a real hot launch , so I decided thatThere was too much traffic , too much attitude , and too little attention to important safety procedures , and therefore I aborted my launch , deflated and rolled up my kite and left this zoo.
I have since had four months of kiting in La Ventana and feel comfortable in most conditions under 30 knots . I intend to kite at Cook Street and will still continue to practise care and safety first no matter what or how many kiters are in a panic to get on the water . The kiters that were helping with the launch and in a big hurry around were all experienced kiters . I am wondering what procedures for landing and launching are generally practised at cook st.I do know that the beach further down the beach near the stairway is wider. We shall see what happens ?

[AC]

There is someone offering Kiteboarding lessons in Victoria.
I would love to know so i can at least give them a proper
lessons plan or something.

Does anyone know who it is?

[more force 4]

Near kitemare at Nitinat today. Ron and I were taking a windsurfing break in the shallows, a kiter came slowly on her board then dragging and called to us to land her (she didn't know either of us was experienced enough to catch a kite safely, first sign of problems). Ron said he'd do it, he carried his board to shore while she came in further, apparently very anxious to dump the kite. I called to her not to get too close to shore, but she ignored me or didn't hear, went right in to the beach, Ron was just putting his board down, she put her board on the beach and I think lost touch with what the kite was doing; or it may have got into a swirling wind (this was at the beach downwind of the point) or maybe just the windwindow suddenly got wider with a gust. Whatever the cause, the kite tomahawked straight downwind of her, just missing a family who was picnicing at the top of the beach. She was jerked a few metres downwind but the kite luckily was firmly pinned and she didn't go further. The family were a bit shocked at the loud bang about 10 or 20 feet away, then applauded; I don't think they realized how dangerous it was for them, and I'm not sure the kiter did either. Their dogs barked (it landed between them).

PLEASE keep offshore enough to land the kite near the water's edge or half-way up the beach. Too close and you will lose control or leave it in a tree. Drag back out once it you are too close before the catcher is ready. Swim out for your board after if necessary. Experienced kiters please revise or add to this.

[otisdadog]

Just curious MF4 did you tell the poor girl that what she did was dangerous so that she doesn't repeat this? My big concern with these events is that the person is oblivious to what happened and will end up doing something like this again.

[Ryball]

When I'm coming off the water, the whereabouts of my board is always secondary to the whereabouts of my kite. I've often ditched my board to drag a little further out to safely land my kite if I feel I'm too close to the beach/trees. If that means a short swim after the fact to retrieve my board...so be it.

[more force 4]

Just curious MF4 did you tell the poor girl that what she did was dangerous so that she doesn't repeat this? My big concern with these events is that the person is oblivious to what happened and will end up doing something like this again.

I didn't at the time as I was in the water with my gear and she was too far away to be heard without yelling; she was winding up her lines and talking to the people and I figured it was obvious. I later thought I should have found out if she had figured it out, but then it was too late and in any case it wouldn't be great coming from someone with less kiting experience than her; so I hope she reads this.

[GWIND]

xxx

[kitesurferdale]

Judging ones actions after the fact is also pointless there GWIND, and judging ones actions positive or otherwise also pointless. I appreciate MF4's post for the simple reason it makes people aware of what he percieved happened. My only comment to MF4 would be to not presume you know less than another..I feel that you have witnessed kiting long enought to know that this paricular situation was unsafe and preventable by your understanding of the sport, besides anyone has the right to comment if they feel they were placed in a unsafe situation, so should an opportunity/situation occur for you to feel you need to approach a person you have that right. I also think it is HOW you approach that person...for instance should they be all shook up and you come at them aggressively and upset...chances are you will be met with resistance, however if you come at a person keeping calm and expressing what you witnessed, your concerns and possibly a solution I think the outcome of that conversation has a far greater chance of making a impact with that kiteboarder for the greater good. It does sound like there were some serious miscalculations made, however as I was not there I cannot really comment.

[more force 4]

Me thinks it may have been a different story if those dogs in the water were your dogs MF4.

Yes, well I should have but didn't, so as penance I wrote this. This thread is read by a lot of newbie kiters (we all hope).

The dogs were nowhere near the water; they were near the top of the beach close to the people, but even closer to the kite than the people were.

[nanmoo]

On the topic there was a guy flying a trainer at the top of the Kook street stairs yesterday in 40 knot gusts. His wife and kid would periodically hold on to him as he got launched up into the sky and down the grassy field. The kite was going from side to side nearly slamming into the cars on one side and the people on the path on the other. Twice it hit my gear while rigging. Fumed, I was about to go over and say something but he packed it up.

I know several kiters must have passed by this bafoon, please, please, please take a moment and say something to people when they are doing this sort of thing. I am not sure what you are supposed to do with a trainer kite but certainly this was not it. The message carries a lot more weight when it comes from a kiter rather than some punk windsurfer.