kiteboarding accidents / safety tips

abetanzo · Post by **abetanzo** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:21 pm

with the new season starting up at the lake I have already witnessed a few mishaps with people launching not knowing exactly where the kite and they are in the wind window!!
the first thing you must learn for kiteboarding is the angle of attack! if you hold a kite in the air you should be able to tell where abouts the true wind is coming from.. once you're rigged and ready don't even touch your bar! have your launcher stay stationary and then tension the lines by walking back and walking upwind a few strides and downwind a few strides... once you're happy with your position relative to the wind grab the bar but don't sheet in much! again walk up or down wind a bit then give the thumbs up with confidence. that simple check of where exactly the angle of attack is will make launching very safe!
the most common problem I've seen is people launching with the kite too far upwind in the window and them standing too far downwind.. so then they launch and have it tumble down wind as they sheet in too much.. they really need to run upwind and ease the bar..
one I really hate is people launching with their lines tight even before the kite rolls all the way over.. that'll cause some major problems.. remember to always keep your lines slack prior to launching... then tension them with the center lines connected to your harness.
I've seen advanced riders launching terribly as well just not understanding where that kite needs to sit with center lines tight...
if you do see someone giving the thumbs up and the kite is too far upwind please yell at them!!

ToesideT · Post by **ToesideT** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:31 pm

Most excellent reminder. Lines tight
I enjoyed watching your self launching techniques from the water yesterday.
Challenging sitch, glad it worked out. Damn fine sesh

JL · Post by JL » Mon May 11, 2015 4:03 pm

Old school technique to find the launch line(s): Face the wind & put your arms straight out to either side. Your arms are pointing to the launch line(s)

See below for fine tuning

abetanzo · Post by **abetanzo** » Mon May 11, 2015 11:17 pm

Ah see you're wrong JL... The launch line is actually a little skewed from perpendicular as you say!If that were the case your kite would flog!
The kite needs to be at least out ~20 degrees or so to leeward!
Topside: it was a good session but as always if you rush things it'll go wrong.. I forgot my launch rope to tie off the chicken loop so it wasn't a great connection and slipped off the stumps hooky piece as I thought it would! Then had a tangle trying to rush it again when I had a launcher!! Bugger

windeemanic · Post by **windeemanic** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:59 am

The easy way to safely launch that I was taught by a certified instructor in Cabarete, was to be hooked in, have your launcher hold the kite, walk backwards to tighten the lines, have the launcher walk upwind or downwind while holding the kite in the launch position. What to look for is when the kite stops fluttering and has full shape. A this time it should be fairly easy for the launcher to hold the kite. It will also be easy for the kiter to launch in full control.

JL · Post by JL » Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:25 am

If you loose equipment @ sea: If gear is lost & everyone involved is ashore & o.k. please call the Coast Guard to avoid an all out search ... Ambientrax: Hey JL.. I saw your message about notifying coast guard about my board... they put me thru to a couple different numbers... and yeah learned something about it... they do appreciate calls about lost boards, and they will search until they call it off... and waste valuable resources, and time etc... so good for people to know... if you just lose your board, report it and let them know the details, and save people a lot of hassle, thanks man... pretty cool the coast guard dispatcher said he has a good friend with Ocean Rodeo... anyways... good to know. - Friday August 21, 9:46PM

JL · Post by JL » Sat Dec 19, 2015 9:10 am

https://youtu.be/naFKEWEHn6k Saving yourself from Death loops

juandesooka · Post by **juandesooka** » Sat Dec 19, 2015 10:19 am

JL wrote:https://youtu.be/naFKEWEHn6k Saving yourself from Death loops

Lots of chatter online about this video, with pros and cons. Points for the newbies:

If quick release is an option, then do that asap. And if still out of control, pop leash release as well ... swim in, worry about your kite later.

But this video is good to know as last resort: because once kite lines twist 5 times or so, the flagging system won't work anymore. Or if lines are wrapped around hook, the not only will first quick release not work, neither will your leash release....at that point you are directly attached to kite. At that point, you need to disable kite OR get chicken loop and lines off your hook.

The posters also note this this would not be as simple with a small fast moving kite in high winds. However, it does highlight a crucial step: DO NOT PANIC. You have to act fast to save yourself, so calm down and deal with it. (though easier said than done, when fit hitting the shan, that I know)

And practice: great to tie your lines to a tree, harness up and clip in, and then try all the different ways that your gear can screw up, like he does at end of video.....practice how to resolve the situations. Understand how your safeties work....don't be learning them on the water being dragged towards rocks at 30mph!

Finally, his self rescue: he wraps his rear line first....I was taught you always wrap a single front line first, at minimum the width of your kite plus a little more, as that fully disables it from flying. Then you wrap the rest. Seems to me that wrapping rear line could risk further death looping should the kite relaunch. maybe others can comment otherwise. [and he seems to wrap his kite leash around the bar at start.....don't do that either]

nanmoo · Post by **nanmoo** » Sat Dec 26, 2015 6:33 pm

Weird but near epic East winds today at South Chesterman. Side off with Overhead outside sets. A balmy 3.5C on the beach. Launched my 10m and was nicely powered up. Except that every 45 seconds it would drop to zero and hinderburg out of the sky. Relaunched and hindeburged for 10 minutes until the kite inverted. Decided despite side off left peelers it was not worth the risk so I packed up. First time pulling the chute but better to quit while ahead.

nanmoo · Post by **nanmoo** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 5:41 am

A few days back two newbs with instructors were practicing body dragging off the beach in fairly onshore conditions spaced about 1 kite line length apart. A Squall comes in and upwind newb doesn't realize how much extra power his stroke will have and pulls rather than let's go. He gets yarded across the water the full kite line distance downwind and just prior to hitting the other student skips off the water like a rock into a full reverse roundhouse kick to the back of the other students head sending their helmet flying. Everyone was ok but just an example of always being aware of changing conditions.

abetanzo · Post by **abetanzo** » Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:03 am

Landing a kite at Cook St is a problem for most in good conditions, but add the squirrely WNW winds and its really difficult..

one tip is to ride in with your kite very low in the window ie 7-8o'clock... while you approach and have tapped your head with a lander ready... slow down when you see your kite nearing the beach then come to a full stop and the kite will drive up the window into your catchers arms..

too often I see people with the kite way in the trees before then drop it low for a catcher... lots of problems here.. rotor winds up high in the cliffs or back stalling issues from changing winds

keep it low and go slow then stop....

also tell non-kiters sitting in the landing areas to move and sit somewhere else its dangerous

nanmoo · Post by **nanmoo** » Sun Apr 30, 2017 10:35 pm

Self launching without a tether off a Sandy beach today as the kite slid around on the beach into the power zone one of the bridles snagged a steering line and basically became one. Two mellow death loops and I ejected no harm done. Something to be aware of next time. Haven't had that happen before, didn't know it could happen.

Also - if you see a novice kiter about to launch at South Chesterman with a massive Cox in the background and a huge rip pulling north through Rosie into Frank - please mention they might want to go on the other side of the Tombolo and a get a feel for the wind and if they can stay upwind first. One guy launched today and pretty much B-lined it downwind just making it in before Rosie with the kite in the air. Had he dropped it things could've turned problematic quick. Smartly, he packed up right after.

JL · Post by JL » Sat May 06, 2017 9:17 am

Self rescue: https://www.thekiteboarder.com/2017/05/ ... lf-rescue/

knottyPat · Post by **knottyPat** » Sat May 13, 2017 2:40 pm

Death loop potential freaks me out! One can only try and learn to be prepared!
https://youtu.be/naFKEWEHn6k

abetanzo · Post by **abetanzo** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:52 am

Wind shut down at Cook St last night and very quickly... by the time it took for me to notice the beacon hill flag flapping and Reece's kite pumping inshore I tacked in and the kite dropped like a rock.
In these conditions you gotta realize you're F'd up sooner than later, head for the beach and keep the kite flying as long as you can.. once its down on the water the sooner you get to it and lines taken care of the better you'll be..
some were trying to relaunch in offshore winds not realizing that they were only draggin further offshore... self rescue only works when the wind is dragging you back to shore.. roll the kite on its back and deflate insuring you don't get water in the bladder... with a harness on its tough to swim as well..
luckily nobody had to be rescued by RCMSAR or the Coast Guard.... couple people were happy to see some SUP boarders come to their rescue!! and thankfully the winds did return and helped to get people to shore.. nobody was hassled by the cops either!!

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