Self Drift Launch

[edt]

nice to be able to hold on to a single line is a great technique but you have to unwrap the bar first otherwise it's too complicated. I always drift launch with wrapped bar because my launches are too sketch to lay out the lines. I would never attach anything to me as I drift launch. Too scary.

[stevez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3PB2G7b88

nice to be able to hold on to a single line is a great technique but you have to unwrap the bar first otherwise it's too complicated. I always drift launch with wrapped bar because my launches are too sketch to lay out the lines. I would never attach anything to me as I drift launch. Too scary.

Yeah, definitely have to unwrap the lines first.

I suppose I'm advocating doing exactly as the guy in KYLakeKiter's video above, until around 2:50, and at that point, instead of just letting the kite go and hoping for the best, gently hold one of the front lines from the bridle and guide it out as you walk backwards upwind, quickly as he does, and quite a lot sideways as well. Only keep enough pressure on the line to keep the kite in position, not to stop it from drifting.

In this scenario I'd probably also leave the board and come back for it. One less thing to worry about, and a small inconvenience to go back and fetch it. A board drifting over the lines could easy mess things up. Especially a foilboard. I'd only bring the board with me if there was nowhere I could leave it and be able to fetch it from (e.g. too many overhanging trees around).

I'd also add that a drift launch is my last choice, and only if a launch assist is not available and a tethered launch is not feasible. For the OP, I'd also consider the option of tethering the kite to the boat and swimming out with it, though I can't say I've ever tried this.

[chapinkite]

Thanks again guys. 5 line kites is where I'm having most trouble unwraping lines. Would you recomend keeping tension on one of the back lines, the 5th line or none?. Thanks again good winds!

[badgb21]

lol! +1

Impressive, reckon if I did that it'd be chaos

[jeromeL]

Thanks again guys. 5 line kites is where I'm having most trouble unwraping lines. Would you recomend keeping tension on one of the back lines, the 5th line or none?. Thanks again good winds!

I think there is a consensus on first unwrapping the line then let the kite drift. So doesn't matter how you wrapped line.

I submerge leading edge under water so canopy fills up nicely then let it drift once lines are all the way out downwind.

Other people recommend holding one line while letting the kite drift downwind, on a five line kite I would hold the fifth line.

Recently we had to launch with a spot with no beach/room, we launched each other in the water. Last person did a drift launch but didn't put water on canopy so kite tumbled downwind then it launched and started to deathloop, luckily quick released killed it.

[PD Gorby 67]

Thanks again guys. 5 line kites is where I'm having most trouble unwraping lines. Would you recomend keeping tension on one of the back lines, the 5th line or none?. Thanks again good winds!

I think there is a consensus on first unwrapping the line then let the kite drift. So doesn't matter how you wrapped line.

I submerge leading edge under water so canopy fills up nicely then let it drift once lines are all the way out downwind.

Other people recommend holding one line while letting the kite drift downwind, on a five line kite I would hold the fifth line.

Recently we had to launch with a spot with no beach/room, we launched each other in the water. Last person did a drift launch but didn't put water on canopy so kite tumbled downwind then it launched and started to deathloop, luckily quick released killed it.

I have problems with statements like "there is a consensus with unwrapping all of the lines, then let the kite drift".

Especially when there is a description of a failed drift launch attempt in the same post.

Even if you put water on the canopy, how many times does the water fall off the canopy resulting in a kitemare?

With modern front line flagging kites, I don't see why anyone would not pre-flag the kite before letting it drift. You have control over the kite during the entire drifting, and very little is left to chance.

I am sure that some people will drift the kite while unwrapping the lines ( as I do ), and others may use a bucket or some other way to keep the lines organized while letting the kite drift.

However, I feel that letting a kite freely drift with no tension on any lines, is scary and reckless. Regardless of how many times people got lucky with that method in the past.

As for drift launching with a board with you, I have taken an extra leash with me and tethered the board to me that way.

[gilana]

Many techniques.


My usual, ie every time is a shallow water drift launch.

Anchor dinghy
Pump kite in dinghy
Hook kite to caribiner to dingy on short lanyard upside down (Smiley face)
Wade downwind to unwind and check lines.
Hook in, and walk a curve back to dingy, with one hand on QR.
Unhook caribiner, and flip kite over LE down
Grab red or blue steering line, and slowly let it run out between finger and thumb.
Watch all other lines coming towards me.
When about 2 m of steering line to go, grab bar and check its depowered, and not hooked an end in anything,
Let go last bit of steering line.
Launch.

Recovery is to stop next to dinghy, board off into dinghy, park kite at edge of window, lean forward and grab all front lines, and pull like mad, flinging the loops downwind and current, flip and clip kite on to caribiner, wind up lines.

[PD Gorby 67]

I found that if the water is shallow, then you can just treat the launch as if you were on the beach, and do a tethered self launch.

Attach the chicken loop to the boat ( the anchor should hold it in place ), and then walk out the kite and set it on its side, or lay it on the water for a normal water relaunch.

Walk back to the boat, connect yourself to the bar, and launch the kite and you are good to go.

If the water is shallow, there should be no need to drift the kite at all.

[edt]

It's pretty nice if you can drift launch by unwrapping your bar first. But you can't do that at every site. The nicest drift launch is where you can put your kite right between the waters edge and beach and just walk out into the water and then tension the lines to launch. My most sketch location is my local pond where I have to jump into the water with my kite, swim out, and then unwrap the lines. You can't unwrap the bar first because there are too many tree branches in the water that will snag it. You have no other option but to do a drift launch by unwrapping the bar. I'm not sure there's any best way to drift launch.

[macgruber]

If you have something fixed in the water to attach to like a bouy, boat or stick, you can use a downrigger clip to temporarily hold your kite while you unroll and drift away from it. Attach it to the pump loop or bridle close to the center of the leading edge. When you see that your lines are good give it a tug and the clip will release it. Get the adjustable clip with a wheel (others are a set tension by fish weight). I keep one on a webbing strap with a caribeaner for landing too.


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