small lofting on lake michigan

[edt]

nobody got hurt

[Slappysan]

Those are some nasty looking clouds to be out in.

[Flyboy]

What Slappy said. That's a severe thunder storm in the immediate vicinity. Asking for trouble.

[Tone]

there is no excuse at all for riding in those conditions.

Sorry to say this but that is really foolish.

[kiteband]

This looks exactly like the kind of conditions this forum is warning to go out kiting in after the discussion of many kite accidents. Dark spotty patterns right above and a massive rain squall in wind direction...

Good luck.

[edt]

Exactly. Thanks for the discussion. It's one thing to be on the forum talking about stuff like this, and it's an entirely another thing to be sitting on the beach while everyone else is out having fun. I think as dangerous as that florida lofting was, we get away with stuff like in the video all the time, because nothing happened.

[Trent hink]

This is a situation where the potential for danger should be obvious to anyone with a bit of experience.

Here in southwest Florida, I see kite surfers venturing out in these types of conditions regularly.

I don’t do it anymore, because I have witnessed first-hand a long time ago what can happen.

It’s sort of like buying a lottery ticket, but with slightly better odds.

Sure, the chance you will cash in might be small… and anything for a thrill… right?

But when it happens, it turns out you are all in, and the results will be spectacular.

[downunder]

Lofting?

If moving the kite to lift a rider Im lofting 50-100 times per sesh

There are no right conditions. Only the people who make the best of it.

We were out last Saturday, when a storm hit by 30-40-50kn. Lasted 10mins. U ride with a kite low. No probs at all. Or, land it, no one is forcing anyone. From 10 ppl, a few landed before, all good.

When the rain hurts on the face like a hailstorm, that is the rain of 40-50kn when riding a kite.

So, each to his own.

[Tone]

Lofting?

If moving the kite to lift a rider Im lofting 50-100 times per sesh

There are no right conditions. Only the people who make the best of it.

We were out last Saturday, when a storm hit by 30-40-50kn. Lasted 10mins. U ride with a kite low. No probs at all. Or, land it, no one is forcing anyone. From 10 ppl, a few landed before, all good.

When the rain hurts on the face like a hailstorm, that is the rain of 40-50kn when riding a kite.

So, each to his own.

You know your onions so can handle it. So many newer riders and a scary amount of riders still bring their kite up to depower.

Old school C riders know how to deal with it, those who learnt on bows have no clue unless they are taught.

I have ridden out a few squalls of 50 knots when riding my 10m Edge but it's survival. Kite low, going slow. The vid above is carelessness. Had I been powered on my 10 and saw that coming, I would be back on the beach asap or head straight out to sea as far as I could and tried to ride it out with my kite at the edge of the wind/in the water.