What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

[Toby]

The pilot needs to move if there is enough space.

Much easier for the pilot to move around than the helper.

Agree with the first line on open spacious spots.
The second line... I would say it really depends on the constraints of the kitespot.

Yes, that’s what I wrote “if there is enough space”.

[wind chaser]

There should be a “what’s the dumbest thing you have seen a complacent ‘expert’ do?”

Living near an overcrowded spot with little room, i think I’ve seen everything:

Advanced rider self land a kite in front of a family sitting on beach chairs.

A rider eject only to find out he forgot his leash - I was downwind from him going to shore when his kite grazed my lines and flew into the launching area.

Saw A kite go into a death loop right after launching because they didn’t secure their larks Head on the steering line - luckily it wasn’t a very powered death loop.

Onshore winds... saw a kiter dive his kite too close to the beach, swept the beach and flew his kite straight into bush.

Many kites into trees, overhangs, etc. list goes on.

[matth]

There should be a “what’s the dumbest thing you have seen a complacent ‘expert’ do?”

Jump 40 feet high in 6 inches of water.

[OzBungy]

1. Newbie with ragged out Fuel. Underinflated. Rigged it with the kite upwind of him. Started pulling the bar and wondering why the kite would not take off.

2. Most common for post newbies. Don't steer the kite from launch. It drifts into power zone. Newbie pulls bar in with all his might. Face plant slide across the beach.

3. Quite a skilled kiter using a borrowed chest zip wetsuit. Asks me to do up the zip ... across his back.

4. Newbie and best mate turn up to beach with 30-40 knot cross offshore wind. All the kiters are riding 5-6-7m kites. Newbie proceeds to pump up his 12m.

5. Squalls to 40 knots coming through. Guys head in to beach to land in the middle of a squall. Stand there with kite at 12:00 getting tea bagged before kite snags in trees/antennas etc.

6. Anybody not on a hydrofoil. You don't know what you're missing out on.

[Puetz]

... I watched a dad teaching his son, about to launch and notice one of the front bridle is completely over the top of the kite,,,, I run over to tell him and he tells me to f off,,, wtf I say!! He launches the kite anyway and poor kid goes looping down the beach. The idiot dad wasn't even a kiter as it turns out!

I felt like punching him in the face.

Cheers,

Robbie

[Puetz]

... remembered another one,,,,, newbie can't self launch his kite so he runs down to the kite, attempts to throw it in the air and run back to his bar!!!!

[RedSky]

Two dykes arguing with each other on how to fly their new trainer kite. Both had their hands on the bar. One was in charge of left turns and the other for right turns. They quickly became frustrated with it.
Convinced it was broken, they asked me for help. I checked it over. The lines were on back-to-front, so I fixed it, but before I could launch it, one of them shouted at me to stop! She then ran back to the kite bag and reached inside for something. She came running back and handed me some flexifoil stickers. Where do these go she said. I told her they weren't needed. They then spent the next 20 minutes applying them to the kite.
That's when I noticed their nose rings. After the application of stickers, they both returned to the bar.

I then convinced them that the lines actually needed to be attached to their nose rings for safety reasons. As soon as they obliged, I hot launched that mofo. Everything about this story is true except maybe this last part.

[oto212]

I'm gonna change a bit the topic to "What's the dumbest thing you did recently ?"

Asked my friend who is absolutely not a Kitesurfer for a launch... I gave him the instructions beforehand and I kept telling him " do not let go until I give you thumb's up". He was struggling with lifting the L.E, and I was trying to direct him from the other side of the lines... the moment he managed to get the kite up I was so excited that I gave him a thumb up ... I wasn't hooked yet.

[Zen_Rider]

After a long night flight then going straight to the beach, I managed a whole day of kiting with not just my fins on backwards, but my jetlagged brain also swapped my pads and had them toes pointing in! Couldn't figure out why it was so uncomfortable and why I kept losing my board on rotations...

[Faxie]

I'm gonna change a bit the topic to "What's the dumbest thing you did recently ?"

Asked my friend who is absolutely not a Kitesurfer for a launch... I gave him the instructions beforehand and I kept telling him " do not let go until I give you thumb's up". He was struggling with lifting the L.E, and I was trying to direct him from the other side of the lines... the moment he managed to get the kite up I was so excited that I gave him a thumb up ... I wasn't hooked yet.