self rescue

Imo, yes. Each time is different and may require a different approach.
I got creamed in some pretty big waves (10 to 13 feet) once in St. Augustine in 30 to 35 knots of side-onshore winds.
It didn't take me but 3 seconds to release the whole sha-bang and say "screw it". I didn't want to risk lines getting tangled or the kite lighting up on me and dragging me under in those conditions.
My kite couldn't make it to a road, only to beach houses, so it was an easy decision.

Most of the time around here, people don't go too far from shore, waves aren't so intense, etc.,. Lots of riders ride shallow water and don't go more than 300 yards out, so I would recommend just chillin' and drifting in in most cases.
I don't even know if the term rescue is necessarily applicable for us most of the time, since we will eventually safely drift to shore (in most scenarios).

I am sure there are different takes on this. But, if not in a life threatening situation and you are drifting to shore anyways, my attitude has always been relax and enjoy the drift.

Once it took 40 minutes just to drift in from about a mile out at P.A.G., but I drifted in
I guess I could have "gotten fancy". But why?

I think the kite lines tangling around you is our biggest concern during a chill/drift.
I wonder how many of us have knifes to cut lines if necessary?
I have had lines tangle around while in "chill/drift" mode. This pretty quickly changes the feeling of chilling to worrying about drowning .

Anyway, I am sure others have other views, but if my lines are tight (maybe one or two are snapped) and I am drifting to land, I never screw with it. I just drift in. I usually cut the snapped lines and suffer a tad of guilt over the turtles that might get stuck in them.

[jim]

yeah getting tangled in the lines is a scary experience-and its like if you struggle they just tighten like a constrictor.

imo the worst possible scenario is drifting in, having the lines get wrapped tightly around your ankles (from kicking your legs). Then, having those lines entangle on a crap trap buoy right in the break. As the waves pull you in, it pulls the float (and you) underwater.

If you get tangled in a crap trap float, make sure you are clear of all lines (and unhooked) or make sure you don't let go of the kite while you are cutting yourself free....

I am sure everyone does it different.
I think you misinterpreted my meaning of drift.
When I say drift, I mean get pulled in by the wind's tension on the kite, which is LE down, not the current. The (onshore) wind keeps the lines tight and the kite 75 feet away. This has happened to me at least ten times, usually after a line break. In my example, the kite still keeps it's shape LE down, but you can't steer it anymore or fly it. It is "behaving" and not going apeshit.

I don't think you could drift in with slack lines or little wind. You would just sit there. You would have to swim. I definitely would never swim toward a kite without first wrapping up the lines.

I am sure everyone does it their own way. Raul did an awesome self rescue 2 or 3 seasons ago from way out in the SW channel to get himself back. He came right back to the launch area. It was very impressive.

I actually do have a technique I use when the kite is not just dragging me in or if it gets caught up on something. I have only had to use it 3 times.
It's similar to the one this guy is showing on land (he saved himself from drowning in the beach sand quite well).

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it's basically what I do if the kite won't just pull me in.

http://www.ikiteboarding.com/kiteboa...the-water.aspx

[BigR]

I am sure everyone does it their own way. Raul did an awesome self rescue 2 or 3 seasons ago from way out in the SW channel to get himself back. He came right back to the launch area. It was very impressive.

That time I was only a mile or so out, Done way longer rescues in Biscayne bay and crandon.

just a matter of time on the water and you eventually log tons of self rescues.

Heck , once I even rescued a person on a windsurfer that had broken down from way over a mile out on my foil kite in really rough conditions, ( I think she still owes me a backrub )


Anyways, those kites were much easier to rescue on, LE bridles are tricky

Yech, some of my worst self rescue memories are from the Gorge cause your kite goes down and you are outta time
because the big 'ole smiley face on 'da river barge is lookin' down at ya' and he don't stop!

Time is on our side here. No real current, no real waves, it's not cold!
I just chill unless something looks really whacky and let the kite pull me in. (not advising that, I think you should do whatever your instructor tells you is best).

I think the 45 minute drift was the longest. I remember just laying back and zoning out. When I got to shore, Fire Rescue was there. That sucked. I really wasted their time and I guess by law they had to do a semi health check on me and have me sign off that I was okay. That just took even more of their time.
I was embarrassed that I wasted their time while quite honestly, I enjoyed my time doing my little drift. They probably thought I was dead, cuz I was literally not moving, just zoning out.

In hindsight, had I known they were on the beach waiting for me, I would have self rescued just so they weren't worried. Oh well. They didn't seem to mind checking out the bikinis as I remember.

Man... what timing. Check out this nightmare from Pat. He just posted it 2 minutes ago.
He is a very advanced rider and waterman and in incredible shape.

Originally Posted by kitenb

Okay, here is my really LONG story and short review:

Had a really bad day today... Finally got my new Royal 12m out, winds right around 15-20 when I went out, took about 4 tacks back and forth on my 6.0 Caution Surfboard. The kite rocks... Super smooth, fast, just perfect.... then all goes to hell really fast.

On my 4th tack out, I'm probably about 1/4 mile off shore, riding along, then "baa... ding..." there goes my brand new 12m kite flying away down wind. Somehow, I made the quick release on the ERA bar kick into release mode, and there it went. Like a moron, I didn't have my leash hooked up to the chicken loop leash attachmet point, so I just watched is fly away.

So, I am 1/4 mile off shore, and the winds are due North, so the kite isn't coming in... I decide to paddle my surfboard in to shore. I make it in to shore in about 30 minutes, see I can still see my kite on the horizon(going out, not coming closer to shore), so I run and pump up my friend Haydon's 15m kite, grab his board, and make the long tack out to sea to try and recover my kite.

I get to the kite, and it is already twisted up in the lines a bit, so I am doing everything I can to try and grab the leading edge, but when I do, a wave pushes me into the kite, I almost get stuck in the kite and lines, so I get the hell out of there. I try that about 10 times, and then go for option b: trying to roll up the lines on the bar(with my other kite in the air), so I can grab the kite without fear of getting caught up in the lines. So, I get about halfway up my lines, and am almost to the kite, then a wave pushes me away and I lose the bar. I make a few tacks to get back near the bar and end up getting lines wrapped around my leg, waist, and a nice little double wrap around my harness hook(with the other kite still in the air). By this time I am about a mile off shore and I am thinking "oh shit". I look down for a hook knife and realize I don't have one with me. My kite in the air is pulling me left, the lines around my waist are putting tension on the other kite and that kite starts to launch. I am getting pulled both ways, so I pulled the quick release on the the other kite and watched that one sail away. The other kite is literally pulling me underwater and I thought it was over. Somehow I managed to unwrap the lines from around my waist, and off my harness hook, and was free.

So, now I have my original BRAND NEW 12m kite going out to see on my left, and my friend's "rescue" kite going out to see a few hundred yards away, and I am sitting on top of his small 132 twin tip thinking this really sucks! I start the long paddle in, and luckily after about 20 minutes, two lifeguards in their inflatable boat come and pick me up. We tried to go towards one of the kites and recover it, but they almost got caught in the lines with their motor, so we decided we would just wait for them to come to shore....

So, I get in, my friend Haydon who I OWE big time, met up with me after running about 2 miles down the beach, and we are off to walk down the beach to wait for the kite to come in... we walk, and walk, then drive, and walk, and they just kept going out to sea, or at least stayed parallel to shore about a mile off.... We did this for about an hour and half, then we go back get our gear, and drove 5miles or so down to Ponte Vedra and decided to check one of the beach accesses, and there was his 15m about to be rolled in the surf...we swam out, got his 15m and amazingly it was not hurt. Still no sign of my 12m.

We ran up the beach a mile or so, still no sign, ran back, drove another mile or two, no sign, then went back to the beach and figured we would kite there with hopes of the 12m coming across our path. it never came. It either deflated, and sunk, or is still off the coast somewhere.

So, here is my review of the 12m:
-The kite is super smooth and was a blast to ride for about 1minute and 30 seconds.
-The quick relase on the bar works. Trust me. Be careful with that quick release, because it has about 2cm's of play, and it is released. All it takes is a slight nudge with your hand and it is released. Next time out on that bar(if I use it), I am going to lock that quick relase down with something so it can't come off.

Thanks again to Haydon...and glad we at least got your kite back...