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Kitesurfing Lessons - Emergency Pack Down / Self Rescue

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Toby
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Kitesurfing Lessons - Emergency Pack Down / Self Rescue

Postby Toby » Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:59 pm

This is a video to help you to learn to kitesurf better. In this video, we are covering the emergency pack down and self rescue.

Emergency pack down & Self Rescue Recap

00:00 Intro
00:50 Pull safety release
01:40 Wrap up and secure safety line with half hitch
04:16 Wrap all four lines, then secure all lines once at kite
04:57 Choose to self-rescue using the kite as a sail or full pack down
06:00 Sailing with kite / Self-rescue
07:00 Packing down kite
09:04 Summary

Top Tips:
Stay calm, breath slow and be careful not to get any line around your body.



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Re: Kitesurfing Lessons - Emergency Pack Down / Self Rescue

Postby galewarning » Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:50 pm

Great video. Only thing I'd mention is the option of carrying a spare leash or line. Having something to tether your board sure helps reduce the stress level during a self-rescue. Losing a board during a self-rescue sucks. Ask me how I know. Not so hard to keep a TT on your feet during the process, but surf and foil boards can be a challenge to keep nearby. Not really necessary for nearshore or lagoon sessions, but having a 3-4 ft (1-1.5 m) tether is a valuable thing to have for high-consequence or offshore kiting. Thanks again for posting.

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Re: Kitesurfing Lessons - Emergency Pack Down / Self Rescue

Postby edt » Sun Nov 14, 2021 7:00 pm

I think it's quite dangerous to teach the packdown for beginners. We lose a lot of kiters who ditch the kite and try to swim in or sometimes pack it down and get swept out to sea. You should always keep your kite inflated and near you. If the wind dies you can even climb inside the U shape and if you get hypothermia, your head will still be above water. Don't even give them the option to deflate the kite, beginners won't know that you absolutely never ever ever deflate your kite. If you are 5 miles out at sea and your kite is inflated a plane will spot you and rescue you. If you pack down the kite you die. Nobody will see you.

Anyway that's my two cents. An otherwise excellent video ruined by adding "how to pack down your kite".

Instead you should have shown "How to climb inside your kite and swim with it in the U position". the trick there is move your spreader hook so it doesn't puncture the canopy. I remember watching a video of a guy die from hypothermia because he was in a drysuit and got a rip. Lost strength and died. But he had about 5 minutes of time where he could have climbed inside his kite and even if he was unconscious his head would have remained above water and he could have been rescued.

Now of course there are many situations where you must do a full release, for instance, in breaking waves, or if the kite death loops and the QR fails, but if you are self rescuing never ever deflate. Don't deflate! Don't do it! If a boat rescues you, you can deflate the kite on board the boat never in the water. People deflate the kite all the time when they self rescue because they aren't sure what they are supposed to do. Don't give beginners bad ideas.

Instructors need to teach swimming with the kite in the U with the kiter inside the kite and quit teaching the in the water packdown.


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