I'm in the 90% self launch/land group. It's always a tether for me, unless the wind gets so ridiculously light that it won't pick the kite up off the beach (Cloud). Tether works great in high wind. I carry a spare tether line made from flying line with me in case I end up having to come in somewhere other than where I launched.
I tether launch and land 75% of the time, even when there’s others around. Only if someone I know and trust is close do I grab an assist.
I do it whatever the wind strength. Depower the kite fully before launch, gives u a chance to check everything’s ok with the kite before you clip in.
Seen lots of people over the years get dragged or taken by a bad launch or twisted/badly connected lines. If it’s a tether and it goes wrong it’s just ur kite not u. Just make sure u have space.
Cabrinha had a good system with the IDS - if you were looking for a kite for self-launching and self-landing. Unfortunately they didn't design all their IDS kites to have the IDS working as well as it could. An IDS type system also functions if you pull down about 3m of the front lines, hold the front lines at the centre of the bar and fold in eg, the right hand rear line, then wind the 1.5m of doubled over slack front lines around the right half of the bar. Then wind all 4 lines as normal until you get to the kite.
Similar to this, except he flags it. The better IDS kites should flip over to the parked position if dropped to the side of the window - as in this video.
An IDS type system does require the kite to be designed around the safety system, which compromises other design requirements, but as a self-launch and land system, it had merit.
Airush kites are awesome at self landing with the bridle. Just release the safety and the kite flips onto its back and sits there. I do it almost exclusively unless the wind is light enough I can just flip it face down.
How about a kite catching mechanism on the beach that catch's the kite like a person?
A couple of rubberised arms that clamp around the kite like a venis fly tramp.
This sounds a lot like my original rubber lips idea that incorporates a giant gecko's tongue that fires from a mechanical mouth and sticks to the LE on contact
How about a kite catching mechanism on the beach that catch's the kite like a person?
A couple of rubberised arms that clamp around the kite like a venis fly tramp.
This sounds a lot like my original rubber lips idea that incorporates a giant gecko's tongue that fires from a mechanical mouth and sticks to the LE on contact
Flukes description here is what I do all the time now when kiting alone and on downwinders, which is what I do most of the time in Hatteras and Cape Town. Except, I release the kite at the zenith and then it drops straight down, so it works even on a narrow beach.