Those #%" calls for help...

[Peter_Frank]

I am pretty sure we discussed this in another thread, but maybe before this "Wingfoil" forum was present?

It is soooo crazy how often some calls the police or coast rescue or other help, when some are out wingfoiling and not sufficient wind.

Even those who KNOWS what windsurfing is all about, think something is wrong as they believe your rig is broken or something.

Also, if out close to shore in onshore and low water trying to get out and up (in low wind where difficult), some might call for help.

It is crazy how often it happens, and nothing you can do about it - even worse here in the holidays, where people not only knows nothing about it, but they are in summerhouses and those are often some who knows ABSOLUTELY nothing about anything

These calls, and they always call again to cancel I think, are a menace, as they are almost angry at YOU when you go ashore, for some odd reason.
Yes they worry, one should be happy, but I am not after more than 40 years in and on the water

What about you, have you had similar experiences when wind too low, in particular with wingfoil?
It can happen with a kite too, if downed and it does not come up again.

But wingfoil with our smaller boards nowadays, so you can not stand up cruising ashore when too low wind, and people on land knowing nothing about it, gives soooooo many of these stupid calls unfortunately....

Often, if a friend is out with a kite, kite goes down close to shore a bit away - I am on the beach and listening to some who discuss if they should call for help or not.

Same with wingfoil just worse as noone knows what it is - they are about to call, till I tell them there is absolutely nothing wrong and he/she will get ashore no worries

Peter

[jakemoore]

Ha ha. I thought it was just me. Whatever I’m doing in marginal wind on a wing board looks real bad to people on the shore.

I had to explain to a rescue boat that the challenge is to get away from shore not back to shore. I was 300 meters from shore in onshore winds and warm waters.

[evan]

Coast Guard was called for us when kite racing in the bay. We did a downwinder to the other end and took a break on the beach.

After the break the coast guard came to us riding on the water asking if we saw two orange kiters in trouble. They were clearly confused when we told them we were the only two ones with orange kites that day and obviously not in any trouble haha.

Also numerous times when the wind died and I was already on the beach before they could get the boat into the water.


Nice to know that there are always people watching you, but would be better if they knew when you are in trouble or not.
Swimming in a few hundred meters in glassy warm water without current is just the walk of shame equivalent for foiling.

[irwe]

Also happened to me on a large fresh water lake in the Fall (10 C air). Wind dropped whwn I was KBH 200 m from shore. I gathered my gear and was swimming back in to shore on my back. I heard sierens and thought there must be a fire near by. A Fire truck, ambulance drove on to the sand. A Marine rescue boat was coming down the lake and a Marine Rescue Personal Watercraft came up to me. At this time the wind was starting to come back up. I said to the Officer on the PWC that I am fine and didn't ask for this. I let my kite back out and scored a nice session totally comfortable in my Drysuit.

[Breze]

2 years ago, sunny spring day with cold water at the 1x1 km lake. 4 of our kitefoiling crew went our, 2 didn't managed to get back to the starting point when the wind died . They drifted slowly to the shore. As they arrived at the shore suddenly a rescue heli arrived and flew above the lake in search mode. Followed by two ambulance cars, two police cars and the firefighters with a mobile rescue boat.
Meanwhile the lokal water guards, had a barbecue and tried to tap the beer keg. Notice: Bavarian water guards allways have alot of beer. In a hurry they brought their rescue boat from the trailer into the water and drove also onto the little lake. The lokal water guards were off duty and not registered at the rescue coordination center. A friend and i standing at the starting point then spoke to the lady from the police and informed them that no accident happened. It took a while since the heli crew got the info and the heli circeled for about 15-20min to be sure no one else was in the water. Some older walkers called the police.
One heli, two police cars, two ambulance cars and one crew of fire fighters with the boat on the trailer for nothing.
Don't know if the beer got warm of our relaxed local water guards

[JakeFarley]

I'm just waiting for someone to call 911 when I am out winging as I cannot do transitions yet and I fall quite a bit. So I am down in the water a lot and at the location where I ride lately there is usually nobody else on the water but me. When I do fall I usually wait for the winds to pick up so I am in the water for some time (or I am tired and lay on the board for my strength to renew). The spot that I ride at the winds are usually on shore or side on shore so if I am in trouble I can just drift back to shore (I also wear a helmet and a vest with a distress whistle just in case I do get into trouble).

[lifeinthehood]

I think I'd prefer there be too many false positives than too many false negatives. It's nice to know people are looking out for you. Maybe what we need is some SOS beacon (like some flashing red light) so that people know when we are definitely in trouble.

[Peter_Frank]

I'm just waiting for someone to call 911 when I am out winging as I cannot do transitions yet and I fall quite a bit. So I am down in the water a lot and at the location where I ride lately there is usually nobody else on the water but me. When I do fall I usually wait for the winds to pick up so I am in the water for some time (or I am tired and lay on the board for my strength to renew). The spot that I ride at the winds are usually on shore or side on shore so if I am in trouble I can just drift back to shore (I also wear a helmet and a vest with a distress whistle just in case I do get into trouble).

So true, it is WAY worse for wingfoil than other board sports, as nobody knows anything about it...

I dont agree with the "better one call too much than too late", as it is should be soooo simple for "beachgoers" to understand onshore and offshore winds and what is really happening - but no, they dont get it...
Problem would be, that WHEN someone is in serious trouble drifting away, the rescue services are occupied with all these false alarms close to shore

And if you ARE in serious trouble in onshoreish wind, and alone out there, it doesnt make any difference, you will be dead quite fast, drowning, if you are not awake.
But they can SEE you are doing something, moving that is, and not calling/waving for help, so crazy they call

So no, it is IMO ridiculous with all these calls, because nobody knows nothing...

The only positive could be, that some rescue services see these huge number of false alarms as good practice, WHEN they are not occupied with real disasters that is

It might take 10-15 years till people (beachgoers) learn to understand, just like with windsurf and kitesurf - and even here, they still dont always get it

Peter

[bricedenice]

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[evan]

One source of the problem is that with foiling you are out in low winds, days that attract normal beach goers. Plus that you are visible from kilometers away on those light wind flat water days.

With 6-8bft those people are all cosy at home and thus don't get the chance to call for "help" while you can be impossible to spot in the breaking waves.