30 Knot w/ 40+ Knot Gusts

[kitegirls]

Safe or ?
Seems like its gonna be the norm for awhile.

40-Kt Gust is a LOT and very powerful wind ; where your going to get
taken out is probably on the Launch and Landing .
Are you sure your Strategies are sound ; if not, then your looking
at a lot of hurt down-time , which won't be good for your overall learning
curve.

Just for fun --- can you tell me how you will launch your kite ; what's gonna
kill Ya if you get launched off your feet in a gust and how to avoid it ?
Second
describe what you will do for your landing please ; 40knot gust is a random thing
that can take you off guard. It's gonna happen so fast, that it's over before
you can even think about it. 40 knots is 20.5 meters per second ; try to envision
how fast you will be traveling over the ground, if things screw-Up ?

The last guy who died at lake Mohave was a world-class Martial arts expert ;
he died launching with about 40 knot gusts hitting him. He was one of the better
kiters at Lake Mohave ; so do NOT let anyone try to down-play just how dangerous
this scenario is , or it's Game-Over for you !!!!!...

Personally i would prefer that you were here on the forum, bitching me out for
being an A$$-((O)) ; then Dead, and in a cold grave.


Bille

You are correct. 40 knot gusts are neither safe nor "normal" I don't care who you are or your "experience" or "TOW". There's probably no one who can 100% safely launch nor land in a 40 knot gust. If you do its pure luck, not skill. Luckily I only tore a kite and not my head learning this. Thanks for the advice. Least someone on here has a bit o control over their ego. "40 knots is 20.5 meters per second ; try to envision
how fast you will be traveling over the ground, if things screw-Up ?" Your skull (and most of your skeleton) would implode if you hit any solid object at 20.5 meters per second.

[TheJoe]

Are we talking about 40kts gusts or 30 with gusts into the 40's? Those are 2 very different things.

[kitegirls]

Are we talking about 40kts gusts or 30 with gusts into the 40's? Those are 2 very different things.

30/32 kts with 40/42 kts gusts. Some gusts sustained for several seconds.

[sarc]

North rebel 5m on 20m lines, it's a walk in the park. Gusts? What gusts?

[plummet]

You are correct. 40 knot gusts are neither safe nor "normal" I don't care who you are or your "experience" or "TOW". There's probably no one who can 100% safely launch nor land in a 40 knot gust. If you do its pure luck, not skill. Luckily I only tore a kite and not my head learning this. Thanks for the advice. Least someone on here has a bit o control over their ego. "40 knots is 20.5 meters per second ; try to envision
how fast you will be traveling over the ground, if things screw-Up ?" Your skull (and most of your skeleton) would implode if you hit any solid object at 20.5 meters per second.

Experience is everything in these winds. I've launched and landing countless times in 30-40 knots. about 70% of the time solo launch and land. I know a number of guys who do the same in those winds.

So it is possible and for some people in the world its not uncommon winds.

Assisted launch is ideal in those winds. If that is not an option, teathered launch is next best, If that is not an option launching in a wind shadow is helpful. If that is not an option then water launch or set the kite at the edge of the water, walk into the water and drag launch with the hand on the safety. If you do get dragged its through the water which slows you down and gives you a chance to release the safety.

Solo self landing, Teathered, wind shadow landing or pull the safety.

If Super stupid over powered.Dont piss around with trying to self land on land. Pull the safety in the water and allow time for the kite to get swallowed up by a wave. That will kill any residual power of the kite may have when its on safety and allow you to retrieve it.

[Matteo V]

Careful on suggesting the wind shadow launch. This is one of the most dangerous launches on land. And it requires a level of mechanical ability (understanding of the wind and turbulence) that the majority of the kiting population do not have.

My home lake is a wind shadow launch. I have done this hundreds of times there. But it is also a drift launch in that you are drifting your kite out in near zero wind and walking in 1-2ft of water. Kite moves out of the shadow and goes up when you are in 2 ft of water. I have seen and felt some pretty sketchy takeoffs and been pretty scared in over 25knot winds. I would not do the same on land with a wind shadow to launch.

That said, when coming in at my home lake, I drop the kite onto a sliver of land in a total wind shadow to keep my kite dry. It is a one shot deal as your lines are over rocks at the shore line and you do not have a second chance.

So drift to shadowed launch in shallow water is my expertise, along with setting the kite down on a dime.

Anyone have a regular launch where they wind shadow launch on land?

[knotwindy]

Sorry, we were trying to be helpful. If you are saying since I can not launch safely in these conditions at my spot, no one can launch safely at any spot, that's just not true. But if you feel that way, you are right. You are not ready yet and should listen to your own intuition. For most of the people who said it is possible it is not really ego, it is a lot of experience. Many years of doing it with no problems. Does that mean every launch from now on will be perfect? Of course not but we respect the process, do not get complacent and do all we can to increase the odds of success and have a plan to ditch if it goes at all sideways. Again, sorry for the confusion.

[Hugh2]

I'm now 61, so 30 knots is generally my limit, using either a Naish Pivot 7m or a Best Cabo 6m and short TT. I've had a couple of days in Cape Town where it was blowing pretty consistently around 30 with some higher gusts and found it simply too tough to enjoy kiting in those conditions. The combination of wind-driven chop at 90 degrees to the incoming waves makes for chaotic conditions and one gets thrown around. BUT, there are some big strong younger guys who can handle those conditions. Luckily there are almost always others around at Dolphin Beach or Kitebeach to assist with launching and landing. I often do downwinders to Haakgat and by the time I get there in late afternoon it can be blowing 30 with higher gusts. Landing at at the small beach at Haakgat itself in side-off gusts with unhelpful windsurfers around is a pain, and anyway I catch the bus back from down the beach at the Holgat stop, so now I just ride on down the beach and pull my safety and land the kite that way.

I know it can blow hard in the Gorge, and I've kited a bit there, but I thought it was only in the winter and the cold easterlies that it blew consistently that hard. Where else in the world does one find consistent 30+ knot winds, outside of cold fronts and storms like at Cape Hatteras, where I've even briefly ridden a Best Warroo 5m before it got destroyed?

[plummet]

Careful on suggesting the wind shadow launch. This is one of the most dangerous launches on land. And it requires a level of mechanical ability (understanding of the wind and turbulence) that the majority of the kiting population do not have.

My home lake is a wind shadow launch. I have done this hundreds of times there. But it is also a drift launch in that you are drifting your kite out in near zero wind and walking in 1-2ft of water. Kite moves out of the shadow and goes up when you are in 2 ft of water. I have seen and felt some pretty sketchy takeoffs and been pretty scared in over 25knot winds. I would not do the same on land with a wind shadow to launch.

That said, when coming in at my home lake, I drop the kite onto a sliver of land in a total wind shadow to keep my kite dry. It is a one shot deal as your lines are over rocks at the shore line and you do not have a second chance.

So drift to shadowed launch in shallow water is my expertise, along with setting the kite down on a dime.

Anyone have a regular launch where they wind shadow launch on land?

You are right. The wind shadow launch is an ultra experienced move. You get the full force of the wind once the kite flys out of the wind shadow. Plus you need to be able to react and fly the kite in turbulent rotor style conditions, plus you need to be ready to punch out at a moments notice.

My bad for suggesting It. If you are uncomfortable doing this move in light winds. Definitely don't do it in 30-40 knots.

[Peter_Frank]

30 knots average wind is perfect for riding waves with 4½ or 5-6 m2 kites for the big guys, and very very common in spots like Capetown, where the 5 is the most used kite when we are down there, sometimes a 6 m2, and when really windy a 4 m2 is preferred.
If gusting to 40 a 5 could be too much, and 4 or 4½ should be chosen for an average weight.

This goes for waveboards and the sweetspot only, TT riders can ride bigger but that is another story.

If you ask the question: Is it safe or a no-no?

Then it is definitely a no-no as you are not ready for this...

You will slowly get used to this, and later maybe LOVE these very days indeed, just like most do - but it is of course way more risky

But as sarc (almost) said: "5m on 20m lines, it's a walk in the park", so true.

Peter