Anybody ever boat launch?

[KenBrackins]

Hello All,

I have just taken up this awesome sport. I took a few lessons from Randy at Skyway and now ready to practice with the basics. I live in Tampa and its kind of a drive over to the Skyway and I don't want to kook myself and get in everyones way. I have gone to Cypress beach and I am very familiar with that area but there are way too many people in the way for launching/landing since the beach is under construction. I will try Picnic Island next. I can't get any of my buds to start as they think they are too old (I'm 44 but feel like I'm in my 20's). I have a place in Hudson that I keep my boat. It would be great to kite up there as the water is shallow, clean and smooth. It also always seems windier up there for some reason. The only problem is there are hardly any beach areas. Does anyone know of anyplace?:) Is it possible to get the kite ready on the boat? How would you lay out the lines?
Hope to meet some new friends in the near future that aren't as lame as my old ones. Once I get going I am anxious to get out there with everyone.

[TBKA]

Attach lines to kite on the beach, wind them up most of the way and FOLD wingtips to center, do not roll up the kite, your lines will be rolling also and get tangled. Inflate kite on bow of boat, have kiter swim into launch position while unwinding lines and launch it. You can also drift launch.


Check out the association site for upcoming June 28 cookout/safety day info. You can meet lots of kiters there and volunteer instructors will be teaching self rescue techniques and more.

www.tbka.org (http://www.tbka.org)

[flkiter]

Shallow water boat launch.
First off get your self a secondary anchor for the kite in case you need to use the boat, you'll need it eventually and for the boat make sure you have a big anchor on it. The kite will put extra drag on the boat.

I like to do this stuff with a stern anchor so I can use the bow to inflate the kite. I use a dive tank for this to make it quick and easy.

Inflate kite first and set off the boat with a line in the bridle or pump leash attachment. Then for the lines let the lines off the bar, check the direction of current so that the lines don't bound up in kite and boat. Once lines are out set the chicken loop to a cleat on boat and walk the bar out up side down.

So if riding with red on the Left, walk out bar with Red on the Right shoulder, and other back line on the Left shoulder. The center lines can be by your side if they have a swivel at the bar or let them separate around your waste.

once you've walked the lines out all the way keep the back lines over your shoulders and centers at the waist and take a few steps back to let the tension off and walk to the back of the kite. Hook the back lines on and then make sure the front lines go under the shoulders so not to cross them up.

Then self launch, let the kite be facing at and angle to one side on its leading edge and it'll drift till lines tension and launch. If you have a Cabrinha or Best, you can walk the kite to the end of wind window and it'll sit while you hook in to fly.

If you have any questions, you can message me or contact me at 305-879-0549.
hope this helps.
Later~Nick
thekitehouse.com

[flkiter]

Forgot to add links to post for pics.
http://www.thekitehouse.com/gallery2/thumbnails.php?album=30

http://www.thekitehouse.com/gallery2/thumbnails.php?album=30&page=2

[DJ HiPPiE]

Now THAT is funny. I am 41 and feel sort of the same in terms of some in our age group. We have a lot of guys in their 50s and 60s still riding though, so it can easily be done. Age will keep you from competing at a high level, but not from having as much fun as anyone else. :)

I can understand that....I'm 38 and I know that I'll never compete at the level as the younger ones....My Girlfriend is younger than me(by quite a bit) and all she talks about is how she wants to get to the point where she can get big air and do crazy tricks....Where I just want to be able to ride.

I can also understand where Ken is coming from....I wouldn't go as far as to call my friends lame....But it's now come to the point where what they all consider fun and what I consider fun is so different that I hardly even talk to most of them anymore.

[toby wilson]

Like all have said before, it can be and is done quite often by some...I will add that it can be a royal pain in the @$$ to do though and that my first few times I ended up with my lines in birds nests and spend a good portion of the day untangling lines...in my opinion, at this point it is just another unneccessary obstacle you are putting in the way of your progression. I'd recommend getting a little more experience at beach launches first or meeting up with someone who has boat launching experience like Steve-O before boat launching yourself. There are plenty of great beach launches you can get to both by car and a couple of island launches by boat. I'd recommend hooking up with Steve-O, Erick, Chris Moore, Big G, etc for the lowdown on the Tampa launches. Good luck!

[TBKA]

Its happened to all of us, next you will be losing your job from kiting too much and become the true kiteboarding addict you want to be!:p

But seriously, what this cleanup/cookout is for,its so the newer guys can meet the older guys and the veterans can share tips and tricks, discuss safety systems, kitemares, etc. This is a family friendly event so bring everyone you want, just please let us know how many in advance on TBKA forum.
Doing this cookout properly involves getting a permit from the park, and fee is based on # of attendees, so we need an accurate count. I have to submit the form by Friday of this week.
Please take a minute to sign up and support the efforts of TBKA volunteers, they are commited to making a positive difference for all of us.

More local info, rider profiles, gallery,videos, launch sites, etc. here: www.tbka.org (http://www.tbka.org) (Keep the rider profiles and pics coming in, the site is looking nice!)

See you at the cookout!

[conchxpress]

Has anyone used the turbo launcher - for boat launches or any other launches for that matter?

Frank

[jim]

Kiting from a boat is great and really easy. Learned it from Nick at the kitehouse(thanks Nick). The only thing I have found to make it a bit easier is to lay out my lines at home on the lawn and index them into a foam block that has 4 slits in it. after indexing wind up the lines and you are ready to go. That way the lines stay straight and you can attach them to the kite while it is in the water and just unwind them and they will be straight. It also helps to have a small anchor with line and a shackle to attach to the chicken loop once you have the lines unwound and tight to verify all is straight. Waroos will sit on their wingtip but I have had a few occassions where they launch unaccompanied and scream across the window and slam down at the other side. Cabrinhas dont seem to do this nor do flexis or liquid force assaults. Point with this is to allow lots of room between boats or other fixed objects, swimmers etc when launching from a boat.

[amber]

Nick's explanation was great. I thought it would be a bigger pain in the butt than it actually was but the scuba tank definitely helps. I'd definitely agree that as a newbie, I would not recommend trying to do it all yourself. At least invite one of the rest of us land locked people to come out with you for the day and we can double check lines and stuff for each other. :)

[KenBrackins]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will plan on checking out the cookout and picking everyone's brains. I did go out this afternoon. The afternoons seem to pick up about 5:30 at Picnic Island. I managed to bring a "lamo" friend to help me launch. I got to practice about an hour but wind wasn't quite enough until I got out and packed up- then of course it was howling. Oh well there's always tomorrow. It blows right on shore where I launch and it is rather problematic for me to ride very long before I have to trudge out by foot. The dreaded walk of shame---. Not doing too bad for only going out 3 times after lesson. I managed a good 200 yards going to the right which feels totally awkward as I have always skiied, surfed, etc. with left food forward. I hope to get some practice in before the 28th.

Ken Brackins

[TBKA]

Avoid that walk of shame with an upwind board drag, its much easier...;)
Cances are that the cookout will be a windless event, but will allow for discussion and practice of self rescue, safety systems, etc., not to mention a good old fashioned cookout!
See you there!
Upwind board drag pic here-
http://tbka.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=7&pos=6

www.tbka.org (http://www.tbka.org)

[Big G]

Welcome aboard Ken, just pushed into my early 40's and enjoy riding regularly. Cypress can get busy during the summer months so its best to stay away from the weekends at this spot. Week days you can usualy find that the beach is empty and you may find an occasional fisherman.

Colder winter day are the best if you can find a day that the wind carves more out of the W.

Look forward to meeting and riding with you.

Big G