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Old 06-26-2005, 05:42 AM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Microbursts can be very bad and it can be hard to come out of them without serious injury if you have a kite up. I think I was hit by one five years ago and it almost took me out and easly could have if things had been a bit different.

The windspeeds that Bursts can generate can cause catastrophic lofting. Such loftings are more rare than the less spectacular variety. There are lessor loftings/dragging in smaller gusts that can cause severe injury. We need to be aware of and watchout for unstable, excessively gusty wind in general. Know your local weather, what to look for in forecasts, radar, realtime wind records, etc. and while you are out on the water.

If despite your best precautions to avoid launching with such weather pending, you see signs of unstable weather moving in, depower early. Even if you have to do it on the water with your kite depowered and unhooked and swim in, so be it. I would not like to be around or attached to lines attached to a kite even one on the water if the winds boost to 50 to 170 mph.

Ideas about general precautions at:
http://fksa.org/viewtopic.php?t=776

More about weather at:
http://fksa.org/viewtopic.php?t=579

http://fksa.org/viewforum.php?f=25
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