[ricki]

Too true. Derecho or Bow Echos are not that uncommon. They can generate violent winds fairly quickly with limited warning to folks on the surface. For people that have the sense to do proper weather planning, they may not be that much of a surprise and are something you may be able to anticipate and avoid. Strong, linear winds are a reality which we should be aware of and try to avoid. This came up recently on kiteforum dealing with things up in OBX:

Originally Posted by RickI

Good think they only have this stuff in Florida, right? Wrong.


This was what blew through Waves in OBX in the Carolinas early the morning of April 11, 2009. That blunt spike at around 5:30 pm is what came through when the rider was lost at Avon. I understand a bunch of kiters got yarded all over the place in OBX including some kites being released.


This is the squall line that brought this spike and lots of other along much of OBX. Is that thing bow shaped too?


Wonder how they would have fared if what charged through at 4 am came through at 5:30 pm instead? There is no shortage of strong cold fronts with violent squall lines moving through currently. If people keep ignoring weather we may find out, soon.

Nobody should go kiting without doing the following at a minimum:

1. Checking a good forecast for your area, including hazard precautions.
2. Checking color radar and radar for incoming storms and realtime winds upweather.
3. While you're at it, check the pressure (synoptic) map on loop. Helps to see inbound fronts, troughs, depressions, hurricanes, etc..
4. Knowing what threatening weather looks like in your area and keeping an eye out for it. If it shows up, get in early and secure before it hits.

Best of all the above reduces wind waiting, odds of rigging the wrong sized kite allowing more quality water time and ideally less time with trashed gear and/or injury.

More at: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewforum.php?f=131 under squalls and fronts