Question about Dangers of KiteSurfing

[davewolfs]

Hello everyone,

I am new here and am looking into getting into KiteSurfing. On this forum I have noticed numerous posts of accidents where people were hurt by lofting onto land.

I have never handled any equipment so I am not familiar with how KiteSurfing gear works, but I must ask, why didn't these individuals simply release themselves from the kite?

Is doing so a difficult task? Can this quick release easily fail? Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[BigR]

generally the release systems work very well. Unfortunately when faced with a situation where such a system needs to be activated, some people will hesitate or not realize/ know how to activate the devices.

One should always practice without hesitation, the release system that comes with your equipment

[<jason]

BigR is right..
You have to practice with your quick release so you know how to use it. Being a newer rider (little less than a year)
I made sure to practice with my QR as I had to use it once, and it worked fine...
On the same hand I was riding in conditions Not favorable for my experience or Kite Size....
Knowing your limit and the limit of your gear is the best saftey system....

[davewolfs]

Thank you for the feedback. I plan on taking lessons so hopefully they will cover all the other hazards that I am not aware of.

A few other questions.

1. How dangerous is it to solo launch a kite? I don't know anyone who Kite Surfs, so I will be starting solo.
2. If the kite hits the water while out in the ocean, how difficult is it to bring your kite back up? If you can't bring it back up how do you get your kite back to shore?

Thanks again,

Dave

[Galego]

i think the question should be "what are the dangers associated with solo kite launching?" because even launching with the aid of someone else can be dangerous if they don't put safety first. iv had other people who were trying to help but put me at risk because of their actions. at least when i solo launch there is only one person who can screw it up, not two. so where are you located and have you got an instructor/lessons lined up?

[ricki]

Hey Dave,

Best advice is to line up the best, quality Pro kiteboarding instruction you can manage. Kiting is like flying a plane, aspects of it are very easy, like steering. Others, like dealing with emergencies or better anticipating and avoiding them anything but.

People often fail to practice mentally and physically what they would do in various emergencies, also they may rarely, if ever, practice emergency releases. They may freeze and never touch their QR, they may try to activate it but not find it, it may not work as intended, be compromised by poor PM, etc.. In reality, often in severe loftings, no effort activate the QR is seen.

Continue to read over information on this site as you may not encounter some important aspects in kiting instruction. That doesn't reduce the importance of understanding this stuff however.

[ricki]

Thank you for the feedback. I plan on taking lessons so hopefully they will cover all the other hazards that I am not aware of.

A few other questions.

1. How dangerous is it to solo launch a kite? I don't know anyone who Kite Surfs, so I will be starting solo.
2. If the kite hits the water while out in the ocean, how difficult is it to bring your kite back up? If you can't bring it back up how do you get your kite back to shore?

Thanks again,

Dave

Dave,

We have had over 70 folks take themselves out kiting over the years, quite a few more have seriously injured themselves. A number have been new kiters trying to figure out how to do it on their own. Not a good idea, don't do it. If you need to travel to take quality instruction, save up for it and do it. Would you teach yourself how to hang glide? Lots used to try back in the '70's. There are quite a few parallels in the two activities.

A short list of things you should be aware of in kiting follow. More than you would want to try to figure out and thoroughly understand on your own.

Knowledge Development

1. How kites, boards and gear work.
2. Insight into the wind, wind window and influences on kite performance and power.
3. What to look for in good launch, riding and landing areas vs. poor areas.
4. What is a safety buffer (DISTANCE), and the critical importance of
maintaining one.
5. Wind, weather & water environment planning and monitoring. What causes unstable weather/wind and associated hazards, how to predict it and what to watch out for. What are suitable conditions and variables for riding, what
conditions should you avoid and what to look for.
6. Minimum kiteboarder physical capabilities such as swimming, fitness, warm up and warm down procedures.
7. Kiting rules of the road, kiting responsibility & protecting access to kite.
8. Gear selection (kite, line, board, wetsuit/drysuit, etc.), for predicted
conditions and kiteboarding safety gear (helmets, impact vests, gloves, knives, signalling devices, etc.).
9. Standard voice and hand signals e.g. launch, landing, rescue, etc..
10. Kiteboarding hazards (lofting, dragging, etc., emergency scenarios, avoidance and management.
11. What skills to work on following the initial training, tips for achieving them and precautions.

Some of this information may be conveyed while working with the instructor on the beach or in the water, during lectures or in hand outs. If your instructor doesn’t cover all this information you would do well to research these topics on your own. Quite a lot of information appears at:
http://fksa.org/ and http://www.kitesurfingschool.org/

Skill Development

1. Gear setup & putting it away, preflighting, basic preventative maintenance.
2. Launching and landing unhooked and launch angle selection for conditions.
3. Capable stable kite flight under a variety of conditions both unhooked and hooked in.
4. Ability to vary and maintain constant kite power through kite positioning and sinusoiding.
5. Kite safety (emergency depower), activation in repeated simulated emergencies and rearming including an overview of current safety systems.
6. Harness and trim strap use.
7. Solo and assisted kite launching and landing.
8. Body dragging upwind with and without a board from point to point.
9. Self rescue techniques including using the kite as a sail to return to shore and securing the kite and lines and swimming into shore.
10. Ability to relaunch kite from water.
11. Beach starting and rudiments of water starting on a board.
12. Tips on how to ride upwind.

There is still more beyond this. Kiting isn't as easy as it looks.

[davewolfs]

Thank you all for the replies.

I can assure you that I have never thought kiting was easy. I just want to make sure I know what I am getting myself into before I start.

I live in the Jupiter area so I was planning on contacting
http://www.jupiterkiteboarding.com/ for my lessons. It appears they are certified, any comments on this outfitter?

[davewolfs]

Thank you for the feedback. I plan on taking lessons so hopefully they will cover all the other hazards that I am not aware of.

A few other questions.

1. How dangerous is it to solo launch a kite? I don't know anyone who Kite Surfs, so I will be starting solo.
2. If the kite hits the water while out in the ocean, how difficult is it to bring your kite back up? If you can't bring it back up how do you get your kite back to shore?

Thanks again,

Dave

Any comments on #2? I was curious to get the high level overview of how one re-launches their kite while in the water.

[ricki]

Thank you all for the replies.

I can assure you that I have never thought kiting was easy. I just want to make sure I know what I am getting myself into before I start.

I live in the Jupiter area so I was planning on contacting
http://www.jupiterkiteboarding.com/ for my lessons. It appears they are certified, any comments on this outfitter?

Jeremy Green has been in kiting for some years puts on the annual Jupiter Kite Invasion and is well known in the industry.

[Todd RT]

Any comments on #2? I was curious to get the high level overview of how one re-launches their kite while in the water.

Depending on the design of the kite, each may be different. I fly bow kites (Cabrina Switchblade 2) and it's easy... I just pull lightly on one of the outside lines, the kite moves to the edge of the wind window, and up she goes!

I flew a C kite once, it wasn't as easy... but I was unfamiliar with that kite.

The ease of relaunch was one of my BIG determining factors in which kite I learned with!

If I was to give any relaunch advice... it would be to learn to relaunch your kite in light wind conditions when the kite is dead downwind. That caused me some headaches while learning.

You're asking GREAT questions man! Now go have some fun and get some lessons!!! :D

[ricki]

Any comments on #2? I was curious to get the high level overview of how one re-launches their kite while in the water.

As Todd says, it depends. Type of kite is a big factor. Conventionally, with both C and flat kites you pull in and hold on a back leader line on the side you want to relaunch to and wait until the kite moves to the side of the wind window, rolls up into a "c" shape on the water and eventually relaunches. In practice you may need to coax the kite in a variety of ways into this position particularly if the wind is marginal. With some flat kites if the kite is resting downwind leading edge down you can pull in on both front leader lines and the kite will reverse launch straight upward off the water. There are a lot of variables in this, adequate wind speed, lack of tangles, waves, proper leading edge inflation. If there is particularly light wind, you may not successfully relaunch the kite, etc.. On the other hand, some kites will almost auto relaunch in sufficient wind, whether you want them to or not. Practicing water relaunching is an essential step in building this basic skill. It all starts with quality lessons though. btw, make sure your instructor will demonstrate and allow you to practice self-rescue. There are a variety of ways of doing this and some risk depending on wind and wave conditions. Still, it is something all kiters should know various means of doing and in particular the risks (tangles, wave loading of the kite and leaving too much power in the kite by improper line winding, slippage while winding, etc.) and ways of trying to manage them.

[davewolfs]

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

Just one more.

When you want to come in, if it is windy i.e. storm coming in etc... How do you get your kite to come down?

Thanks again,

Dave

[ricki]

First, you work HARD to avoid the storm through proper weather planning and monitoring. This is something that isn't taught all that much at this point in formal instruction but should be. If you get caught out in high winds, you screwed up and some guys that have done this haven't survived the mistake. Dangerous, unstable weather needs to be avoided. Some information in this regard appears at:

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=69

If despite all precautions you get caught out and are concerned that you may be overpowered, NOT waiting until you are overpowered, simply Emergency Depower your kite. Don't wait, do it now and bailout or self-rescue using your adequate swimming ability, supplemented (slightly) by your impact vest. How you Emergency Depower will vary from kite to kite to some degree but I would never consider flying one in the first place without first understanding, then practicing this very basic step. Make sure your instructor will teach you how to self-rescue in your course. A good course will involve a thorough explanation, practice of Emergency Depowering followed by several actual Emergency Depowering exercises with no warning upon demand.