Flag53 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 7:24 am
Hi Peter Frank , I’m sorry but I must disagree with you on this one .
At my local spot we have a tidal lagoon that completely empties out on low tide and many a board has been swept “ Upwind “ when caught in the rip.
In the last year , at least four twin tips where lost and my friend almost lost her foil board through not wearing a leash and it moving against the wind after she had wiped out .
I’m not saying wear one all the time , but there are definitely places or conditions where it helps
Aaah, okay, sorry my mistake, I should have written "body dragging" or "when kite in the air" (changed my post now)
As if you get the kite in the water, often not possible to launch if lighter winds, then the boards will dissapear "out" with the tide at your spot, true, and a leash could be the solution
But if the kite is in the air and they dont retrieve the boards, it still means they havent learned to body drag well, if its the whole lagoon that rushes out with the tide....
OR, they pull themeselves to shore or low water, waiting for the board to come in (which it wont)
Of course there can be special spots where there is a very narrow upwind current between downwind currents, so no space to body drag in the same current, true.
But generally one see so many riders not being sufficiently good at body dragging, and always blames the current instead.
Even many really experienced riders can be lousy at body dragging, and they point high upwind with their arm and body, which WONT work
With your heavy outgoing currents, the boards can get dragged out if you crash your kite, risky and I see the use of a leash.
The positive thing though, is that WHEN the current changes from going IN the lagoon, to going out, you get more wind, and easier to relaunch the kite now, if you have been out while current changes direction
PF