Kite Release Training

[Windstoked]

After a number of serious accidents at our local kitespots here in Northern California, it has become increasingly obvious that many kiters are not adequately prepared to quickly release their kite in an emergency. Instructors should include real-life situation training on usage of the quick release and safety leash release.
It seems that many kiters freeze up when it really counts, and sometimes one or two seconds of hesitation can mean the difference between life and death.
Everyone easily releases a kite standing on the beach, but doing it while being towed at 15 mph in the water or along the ground is a much more difficult skill, and I think training in those situations should be standard.

[edt]

I agree everyone needs training.

I think quick release training is sufficient. Most people who freeze up have not used their quick release in years. Maybe the last time they used it is when the bought the control bar.

So you want to do this training:

First exercise: With the QR under tension (using a post is sufficient, kite in the air is even better) use the QR. Repeat once a week minimum. This builds sufficient muscle memory so that when something happens you will be automatically able to use the QR without even knowing when you did it. It will just happen.

Second exercise: Create a chicken line wrap on the control bar so that the QR will not release the flag out line. Put tension on the lines (attach them to a post or something). use the QR. Wait one second. Now use the leash release. You want that 1 second pause because it takes that long to know you will need to do a full release. Practice this second exercise about 10 times, you only need to do this exercise once a year or so.

You don't need to be in a "real life situation". Doing these kinds of QR exercises is entirely sufficient for building proper muscle memory.

This is a discussion we have had on the forums many times. Developing that muscle memory is the single best way to give yourself a chance to use the QR before it's too late.

[SaltWaterDog]

Instructors and kiters alike. Kiters should regularly practice QR and full self rescue. If you’re a half decent sailor you do capsize drills. Same should go for kiters.

[we]

Not everyone kites in a place where you can practice.

[FLandOBX]

I agree that practicing QR and self rescue is essential to safe kiting. The more practice, the better.

While the OP's suggestion of simulating emergency/serious accident situations in lessons sounds good, I don't think it would work well in practice. How would an instructor (safely) create that experience for a beginner, who 9 times out of 10 really only cares about getting up on the board any way? Simply having a novice understand how the QR systems work is a huge challenge in a beginner lesson, primarily because of the volume of information and tasks that the student shoulders over the course of 3 hours. The best an instructor can do is to make certain the student understands how the QR systems work (how to properly connect and use a kite leash), practices using the emergency sytems both on land and in the water, and performs a simulated self-rescue at the end of the lesson.

The approach recommended by edt and saltwaterdog is more realistic and more effective--i.e., periodic practice of the skills throughout our kiting "careers". A kiteboarder who can fly a kite and ride a board will benefit far more from self-practicing QR and self-rescue skills than a student who is just trying to figure out how to pump the kite and connect the lines.

[matth]

I used this simulator when learning and now I am using it with my son. Great way to build muscle memory. All you need is two bungees and three screwdrivers ....works great, feels just like sheeting in and out.

[Matteo V]

The first thing I teach on a trainer kite is that letting go of the bar is the release.

When moving on to a depower kite, I drill the release activation with no tension to simulate having run through the lines at the kite. So the statement by 'we' "Not everyone kites in a place where you can practice", is not correct. You can and should practice the release with no tension. This builds the "muscle memory" to activate with both hands, or either hand since both hands need to go to the release when there is no tension on the lines.

And to be clear, I would avoid releasing a kite that I over ran, even if I am in a line. It is kind of a risk both ways, release first or wait to see if you can power up the kite without a detrimental tangle.

[knotwindy]

For the vast majority of people who this situation would apply to and never unhook anyway, changing the way the qr attaches to the harness would solve a great many of these problems. Without the hook, whether using a rope or fixed ring attached to the harness bar, every time you launch and every time you land you have to use the qr. Builds muscle memory and retains it better than any other method. You can not forget or put it off, you have to use it every time you go out. It also checks to make sure the qr is actually working because pulling the release is not the only problem you can have releasing in an emergency, it could be stuck if you don’t check regularly.
As an aside, it also makes toeside riding much easier & depending upon the setup can increase you bar throw which can improve safety as well.

[SaltWaterDog]

Not everyone kites in a place where you can practice.

Not sure what you mean. If you’re in an area where you can kite, you can practice self rescue.

[OzBungy]

When you do these exercises, make the person shut their eyes, turn them around 3 times, then blast them i the face with a hose while they do the quick release thing. Make sure you do it for primary and secondary releases.

Don't forget to practice with the bar and/or leaders trapped under the harness hook.