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#1
04-13-2010, 10:36 AM
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I am intentionally avoiding identifying the location of this near fatality, aka incident. The irresponsible acts of one misguided individual shouldn't cost access to other kiters. Still, kiters should be aware of acts like this and the many reasons to work hard never to be in this sort of situation.
Many kiters have been killed and many more severely injured in winds far less than this. Going out minutes before a squall cloud appearing like it drifted out of hell is foolish in the extreme. YOU HAVE NO IDEA what the wind is going to do, die, boost to 150 mph or a mere 50 to 80 mph, stall your kite, wrap lines around your neck, arms, relaunch and slice or strangle you as you ski across the water, etc.. The kite easily could have rained line down on this guy when it stalled as in other cases. Lots of variations that could and have happened already. There is no kite in existence to that can handle this conditions, kiter either. Add in 44 F water, lightening, large hail (anyone up for getting pelted in the head with high speed 2" ice balls from 40,000 ft.?) while other riders sensibly sat this one out? I understand he was told not to go out but chose to anyway. Hope they don't lose access over this. I also hope the rider, comes down to earth and learns how close he came to checking out in a lousy minutes long session, permanently.
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi 
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#2
04-14-2010, 06:35 AM
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Some more has been posted about this incident, including:
Have evaluated hundreds of kiteboarding accidents and incidents worldwide since 2000, including some of my own. Squalls cause a large percentage of them. These accidents aren't random, there are often obvious causes. Just as in flying and bluewater sailing, you need to do weather planning to try to avoid becoming a statistic yourself. These frontal squall lines rake across much of the country including Florida for a good portion of the year. They are obvious, predictable and can be extremely hazardous in some cases. These systems commonly spawn tornados, microbursts, high wind, lightening, hail and lots of damage this time of year in large areas of the country. Some ideas on weather planning and monitoring appear at: http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=69 & http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=7043 What was known before that kiteboarding session? - Severe Storm Warning w/ 65 to 75 mph winds, lightening & large hail forecast - Tornado warnings - If you looked at color radar, something kiters worldwide now do routinely, you would have seen this same severe system about to pass over - An obvious severe storm cloud with intense green gust front and rain band minutes away. - Anyone with experience would know a hazardous system was going to pass over within minutes and not to launch into it. What size kite do you fly in 65 to 75 mph winds perhaps gusting to 100 mph+? You don't, they don't exist nor does the skill to keep flying through such conditions. Even a totally depowered kite can harm you in such winds or break away if you're lucky. Usually, you can't tell what winds a squall will throw down, you just need to avoid them. In this case, there was an unusual amount of good information, in advance.
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi Last edited by ricki; 04-15-2010 at 05:36 AM.
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#3
04-14-2010, 11:29 AM
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Just put up a shorter version of some ideas for weather planning, monitoring to try to avoid hazards like this at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=44991#post44991
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi
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#5
04-14-2010, 09:58 PM
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what an idiot!!!!
People are making me look smarter everyday.....and thats not an easy thing to do probley thinks this is cool as well, oh well we know the end of the story for this type of kiter.
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#6
04-15-2010, 08:48 AM
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Hey Paul,
What do you think would happen to someone with a 12 m kite up in a 70 mph gust from something like this? Would be interested in your take. From what I have seen over the years, severe injury even death seems fairly likely. In seconds you go from being on the water to lofted, possibly quite high approaching the wind speed to impact. Whether you hit water or land, really may not matter all that much with the combined wind speed and free fall rate as far as survival.
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi
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#7
04-17-2010, 08:06 AM
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They are just coming out of the wood work. Had a friend inform someone down here traded a outboard motor for a kite complete set up. The proud new owner of the kite set up decided to get it a whirl.
That was friday wind was 30-36 i was on 6 meter he bought a 12 meter no worries, since he wasnt sure of the power, he decided to play it safe. HE TIED A ROPE TO HIMSELF AND I THINK TO A DOCK SO HE WOULD NOT GET BLOWN AWAY. I guess we know how this ends, not sure of full end result but wasnt pretty.... remember carolina rick? I think this guy got lucky, but man, another one for idiot of the day.
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