VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I unfortunately lost my 6m Ben Wilson bar and lines at Columbia Beach today. Last seen 1/2 km offshore heading towards Comox. The kite is Black and White with an Ocean Rodeo bar. Reward if found in good condition. Cheers!

Hope you notified the coast guard of your missing kite so they are not looking for more of us.

eastside wrote:Hope you notified the coast guard of your missing kite so they are not looking for more of us.

He did, immediately.

Thats sucks. I hope it turns up.

Any luck finding your gear? I looked from CB to Eaglecrest but it was high tide with no luck.

No word on the kite. I last saw it heading up the strait past Eaglecrest. It was about 1km offshore deathlooping. Probably washed ashore on a remote beach.

I'm curious how you lose a kite? No leash doing handle passes in the strait? I have no idea....I recall Patrick's kite blew apart the leash mount when it headed to Port Angeles, getting the homeland security fighters/helis scrambled

KUS wrote:I'm curious how you lose a kite? No leash doing handle passes in the strait? I have no idea....I recall Patrick's kite blew apart the leash mount when it headed to Port Angeles, getting the homeland security fighters/helis scrambled

You have two quick releases, one to flag out the kite in problem situation, the other to detach entirely if something continues to be wrong. Most common reasons to activate second quick release: 1) kite is down and about to get creamed by big wave - safer for the kite and you to let it wash in; OR 2) bridle has wrapped and the kite is death looping, which can continue after first quick release. Second one is what happened here, the bad luck is the waves didn't wash it in, and beach north of udderland was side off ... the endless looping kite moves faster than you can swim or paddle. I figure the kite is on Denman or Hornby Island.

Thanks so the leash release was intentional...ok.

I'm guessing that being mega overpowered so leash couldn't control it contributed? I've had it deathloop but was able to hang on...likely cuz I kite underpowered

Typically this all happens so quickly that although there is usually a way out (ie. grab a single line and chase it in) you just don't feel like you have the time before its too late, especially in winter - when its cold - and you are getting douched by waves. He got really unlucky here that it just didn't blow onto the beach. Normally people wait way too long to eject fearing that there kite will head out to sea which on our beaches is usually very unlikely. But sometimes you get unlucky. Sucks.

If not done already, I would post a LOST message to Denman and Hornby community Facebook pages. Not everyone knows about the BWD community.

Kite has been found on Tree Island off NE of Denman Island.

This is the result of a lost kite, bar and lines drifting from Columbia Beach to Denman Island. 4 1/2 hrs to untangle.