Squall survival techniques...

[uchuche]

Someone asked, so are some tips which have helped me. I learned the hard way as a beginner (~1yr experience) in 2004-2005 what happens when you are oblivious to the weather. I got hit real bad by an innocent looking rain column on a sunny day, and dragged about 100-200 yards from beyond the sand bar, unable to release due to a quick release failure. The wind went from 13 knots to 35 knots almost instantly and I was on an 18M C kite.

I made multiple mistakes and here is what I learned over the past 4 years to avoid it happening again.

PRE-PLANNING

What did it do YESTERDAY and what time? That is the first thing you should be researching (iKite) before you even rig your kite. Have you been checking the horizons during your session?

IT'S APPROACHING

Rain Columns: Remember, rain columns pull air down with the droplets, which hits the surface and flows out in every direction.

Wind Fronts: If you see clear blue sky behind a line of clouds approaching, it means strong winds are coming.

Rain up wind usually means the outflow will combine with the current wind. STRONGER wind gusts may be approaching. This is unless of course the rain is causing the current wind, in which case you should not be kiting at all.

Rain down wind usually means the outflow will meet the current wind head on. LULL or offshore winds may be approaching..

Long thin line of clouds approaching with blue sky behind it... this means more wind in most cases.

IF ITS UP WIND

If you are within a couple of line lengths of shore and can land RIGHT NOW, then land immediately.

If you are out a good distance or the landing area is congested and you don't feel you can drop the kite immediately, go out further (as far as you can) to get away from hard objects and be prepared to put the kite in the water. Look down wind and decide if you would be comfortable getting dragged there... (ie highway, trees, rocks, or empty beach? Now is the time to choose). Do not ride back and forth trying to make a decision and watching for the wind. Do something right now.

IF ITS DOWN WIND

Land immediately. Don't risk getting stuck off shore.

IF YOU CAN SEE IT COMING IT'S TOO LATE

See those whitecaps in the distance approaching? You are screwed. CRASH the kite in the water RIGHT NOW, LE DOWN AND GET YOUR HAND ON THE RELEASE JUST IN CASE. Releasing now that the kite is in the water is up to you, but suppose you release and the kite starts looping? Think about it before you pull it, check for tangled lines, leash attached, etc. You have time with the kite in the water to do this.

IF IT HITS WITH THE KITE IN THE AIR

You are getting dragged. Don't panic and hunt for the release or try to land. You won't find the release in time and your hands are already on the bar. Steer the kite into the water and KEEP IT IN THE WATER. Don't pull the release until you have crashed the kite.. Once you crash it and steer it into the water, you will usually find you are in control of the situation, and if not you will have plenty of time to look for the release.

It can't loft you or drag you when it's in the water.
In most cases you can wait the squall out with the kite in the water.
Everyone knows you are in trouble since the kite is in the water.
You can relax and find the release with the kite in the water.

Releasing is always a gamble... bar will always end up out of reach, but kite may not always die. The kite may hit someone if it releases completely, or it may not release at all. Be prepared for the hammer to come down on you or someone else.


STRANDED OFF SHORE

7) Stay with your kite. It floats, it's easy to see, and that is where the rescue team is going first. The other kiters are watching your kite also and may come for you.

I believe squalls are our #1 cause of injuries.. try to never be surprised by what the weather is doing. Be there when they come for you.

Take care.
-tom

[Unimog Bob]

Very, nice write up, Tom. I think foot injuries are number 1 though.

[uchuche]

Guess I meant life threatening injuries ops:

[Unimog Bob]

"Grave danger?"
"Is there any other kind?"

AFGM

[Steve-O]

A Few Good Men.

One of my all time favs!!!!

[ricki]

The best squall survival technique I know, is to avoid it in the first place. Avoiding them is fairly easy, have to use your head but that should hurt less than playing russian roulette with them over time. As a rule, you really don't know what a squall will do before it is on you. Spike wind, kill it, shift direction, variations of all three or leave it largely unchanged. One thing is for sure, we have some of the most violent, powerful squalls in North America in Southern Florida and on a fairly regular basis. It is worth thinking over carefully. Tom makes some good points in his post worth considering too. Best advice is to work to avoid them, pilots do and with a lot more power and stability than we'll ever have.

[Danimal8199]

When you are on the beach it is sometimes hard to tell what is going to happen as Ricki mentioned above.

If you just check out the radar you can see everything that is coming your way. I've found there can be periodic holes where its rainy, then clear and everything looks safe then moments later its back and I think its been made clear that you don't want to be on the water when it hits!

[uchuche]

Definitely Rick, I would not recommend anyone try to ride while storms are approaching and one should definitely not use these techniques to intentionally ride in unsafe conditions. That's just asking for trouble.

But it's also important to understand that kiters can get hammered on a clear sunny day with nothing obvious on the radar just as they can on nasty rainy day.

A seemingly non-threatening column of summer rain or a thin band of clouds and approaching blue sky may be the only clue that something is about to happen.

Telling yourself you will pull your release if you get into trouble to is not really a reliable survival technique.

Safe kiting.

[Unimog Bob]

I noticed you didn't call it a quick release, just a release.
It's so true. If you are getting tossed around, you aren't getting to it quickly.

It's actually sea breezing right now. "Doppler is clear .. I'm outta here"

[robertovillate]

Originally Posted by uchuche

Definitely Rick, I would not recommend anyone try to ride while storms are approaching and one should definitely not use these techniques to intentionally ride in unsafe conditions. That's just asking for trouble.

But it's also important to understand that kiters can get hammered on a clear sunny day with nothing obvious on the radar just as they can on nasty rainy day.

A seemingly non-threatening column of summer rain or a thin band of clouds and approaching blue sky may be the only clue that something is about to happen.

Telling yourself you will pull your release if you get into trouble to is not really a reliable survival technique.

Safe kiting.

Great discussion topic and excellent points. A big problem is that most people with limited experience don't understand the proper protocols and procedures in these emergencies. Unfortunately, as an instructor, it's hard to train and condition students to understand all of these things in 2 or 3 lessons. I just had this conversation yesterday with a former student - if I said "OK, today, before we go any further, we are going to spend 3-4 hours solely on QR reflex drills and try to cover all the situations of a QR activation event - OK that will be $300"...he laughed and said, "yep, that would be a hard sell!"

What I do attempt to accomplish is basic understanding and practical drills of the QR release, discuss some different scenarios that can develop...AND make them PROMISE me that when they get their own kites they will practice this in no wind, then light wind, then medium wind every time they fly the kite...so they understand the challenges, and the way different kites behave, and in different conditions...AND so that it becomes an easy reflex and does not require too much panicked "thinking".

From my own experience, the first time you get lofted you may not even have a chance to think about the QR (as Tom suggests), and if you land and are conscious that's your next big chance to hit your QR while the kite momentarily depowers, and in another second and it might be too late again.

Another thing you might want to add is about kites beginning to go into loops: If the kite loops more than 5-10 times you are probably stuck with a perpetual helicopter blade spinning until it either hits something or self destructs. Amazingly the kites and lines hold up to a lot of punishment though and will keep on looping. If you hit your chicken loop QR you should not expect the kite to depower as described beautifully in the video or brochure...the 4 (or 5) lines are now twisted into a solid rope with 1000 lbs of tension on them and there can be no differential movement of lines to flag the kite as designed. At this point you need to think about your leash QR and make some rational choices about releasing your kite to the wind.

Of course it's better not to get caught offshore in squall conditions to begin with, but as always...the more room you have created for yourself as a safety net the better. Remember DISTANCE is your friend. And in these extreme squall conditions the first thing is to be away from the shoreline or hard objects. That's why ships often head to open water in storms. It's much safer without a lee shore.

Another thing: If you are in the situation that you have to release your kite you are now reduced to very little flotation available. Kiteboards do not float much and will not be much help, surfboards are better. If you do not have your board and you do not have some extra flotation this can be a big problem in violent waves, current, and blowing water in heavy squall conditions. Some impact vests have more flotation than others, but they all usually have some bouyancy to help you. And having the proper wetsuit can be critical too.