Escape From Glass Window Bridge - A Kiting Sea Story

[RickI]

I have finally put the story of this kiting session that drifted a bit too close to the Twilight Zone up in two parts. The first presents the rich history of Glass Window Bridge near North Eleuthera in the Central Bahamas. The second part deals with landing a kite and exiting the water in this foreboding place. When you screwup, it is nice to have an out to allow you a chance at exiting the flames. Next time, I would definitely include a chase boat.

Click to link to the two photo illustrated articles at:
viewtopic.php?f=131&t=2396065&p=972389#p972389

[GregK]

Unreal Rick, incredible, without the pictures I would never have believed it.

Growing up in Nassau and having spent many weekends in Eleuthera, I've been to Glass Window many times and seen it rage, some we just turned around and went back without getting close. It's a savage place unless the Atlantic is calm.

[Beardytello]

This is awesome, and terrifying.

Don't think I have the stones to even attempt something like that!

[andylc]

That is a truly epic tale and some fantastic research and images to back it up. Makes me feel that my own kitesurfing exploits are very tame! Well done for not drowning...

[bluespresso]

I know that you have manoeuvred yourself into a very serious situation. Can you explain why you decided to release the kite? I think I would have tried to keep the kite flying because it gives me manoeuvrability, stability and the possibility to give me extra lift and help me climb the rocks. I guess I also would have tried to keep the board attached to my feet in order to absorb a possible collision with the rocks due to swell.
Of course I cannot judge the actual situation from your pictures alone and the lack of experience of a comparable situation but I am very interested in the thoughts of others.

[Starsky]

Firstly, glad you made it out in tact.

But WTF!

For a guy with all the safety gear and the personality to obsessively chronicle all things kite safety related it baffles me that you would be the one to attempt such an obviously reckless session.

Of all the fantastic places to kite in the world, some are simply NOT KITE SPOTS.

You of all people I would have though understand this.

The ultimate case of do as I say, not as I do!

I'm all for a bit of risk now and again to get a session that few others are capable or willing to get, but that is F'n ridiculous.

I simply don't get it.

No truly safe exit plan..... no launch.

And for what? Novelty?? The riding conditions in that kind of onshore swell meets cliff scenario are shit!

[RickI]

I have tried to find out what I could about the rages with limited success. What did you see as you approached Eleuthera? Were there unusual swells that you noted while still offshore or just normal deepwater waves? How did you head there via the Devil's Backbone or is there a back way in over the flats from the west, via Current, or ? What a great place to grow up! I just had a high wind session off Hog Island a while back in some nice waves. I did a round trip down to Hog Island light and back from Cabbage Beach. Some of the shots show up a bit down the page at: https://www.facebook.com/rick.iossi/med ... 198&type=3

Unreal Rick, incredible, without the pictures I would never have believed it.

Growing up in Nassau and having spent many weekends in Eleuthera, I've been to Glass Window many times and seen it rage, some we just turned around and went back without getting close. It's a savage place unless the Atlantic is calm.

[RickI]

In 2014 the same ten mile roundtrip run went without incident. Having a really good but large light wind board, a Cab. Alias made all the difference. This time I was using my normal moderate to high wind tt board with a large kite with a big wind range in pretty good wind, initially. I flew commercial this time and didn't have room for the Alias which was too large for the initial wind conditions anyway.

I had some preconceived notions which were ultimately wrong about how I would come in to this possible last recourse landing area I had identified two years early. I thought it would be fairly easy to body drag using the kite on to the small plateau. I couldn't maintain kite power in that close however. So, the kite was not only useless at that point, it was a serious liability and tangling hazard. So, my first choice was to drop the kite, lines and bar out of reach on the cliff which worked with setting it adrift as a second choice but a less certain and desireable one with all that line. It took some time to swim in close enough to drop it on the spot on the cliff out of the way to the south. That part went smoothly and to plan, unlike some parts that followed. Then I thought I would body surf on to the plateau on a wave, but that didn't work either. Finally, I thought I would just swim in dragging my board while side stroking. That last effort almost put me under. It took almost too long for me to figure out that there was a subtle rip current-like outflow which I was unable to swim against. Seeing flotsum beside me in a line hammered the realization home along with the elapsed time with no real movement. There was no getting in with the board on your feet, you couldn't swim like that and they kite was of no help at that point. You can see some white submerged areas which outline some of the outflow from the cliffs in the Skord Mount overhead photos. Fortunately, it occurred to me to swim into the vertical cliffs where there was no outflow, then to traverse on the cliff face over to the plateau. After several attempts, that finally worked. I was lucky how things worked out obviously enough with some persistence and late dawning understanding on the surf principles in play.

I know that you have manoeuvred yourself into a very serious situation. Can you explain why you decided to release the kite? I think I would have tried to keep the kite flying because it gives me manoeuvrability, stability and the possibility to give me extra lift and help me climb the rocks. I guess I also would have tried to keep the board attached to my feet in order to absorb a possible collision with the rocks due to swell.
Of course I cannot judge the actual situation from your pictures alone and the lack of experience of a comparable situation but I am very interested in the thoughts of others.

[Frank82]

Firstly, glad you made it out in tact.

But WTF!

For a guy with all the safety gear and the personality to obsessively chronicle all things kite safety related it baffles me that you would be the one to attempt such an obviously reckless session.

Of all the fantastic places to kite in the world, some are simply NOT KITE SPOTS.

You of all people I would have though understand this.

The ultimate case of do as I say, not as I do!

I'm all for a bit of risk now and again to get a session that few others are capable or willing to get, but that is F'n ridiculous.

I simply don't get it.

No truly safe exit plan..... no launch.

And for what? Novelty?? The riding conditions in that kind of onshore swell meets cliff scenario are shit!

Where I kite the guys/girls with the highest amount of safety gear generally lack the most important safety 'item': common sense...

All your helmets, impact vests, sunglasses and whatever won't help when you lack the common sense to not kite in front of a huge rock face or offshore winds in 6 degrees C.

[RickI]

It took me a while to finally finishing writing this thing. Not really sure why either but the extra time probably helped with the content. There are scattered short accounts about Glass Window, so I thought I would pull a bunch of accounts, old images, videos and my own still together for a more thorough overview. It really is a fascinating place. Kiters just like to have fun, be it mowing the lawn, doing dangle passes, boosting huge or touring the sights. I second the not drowning sentiment!

That is a truly epic tale and some fantastic research and images to back it up. Makes me feel that my own kitesurfing exploits are very tame! Well done for not drowning...