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How dangerous is this?

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Hugh2
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How dangerous is this?

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:35 am

I was riding at Kite Beach at Bloubergstrand in Cape Town yesterday, Saturday April 14, and saw something that seemed pretty dangerous to me. The conditions were pretty intense, with the SEaster blowing good enough for 9m and by the time i quit good for 7m, and large sets were coming through, maybe 3m. A guy was riding with a small child between his kegs, holding on for dear life. They rode for a long time, all the way out through the waves, usually jumping over them, sometimes smallish jumps off them. The guy eventually dropped the kid off on the beach and rode alone and is clearly very good, doing big mega loops off the big waves. Still, it seemed to me if he made a mistake and got crunched in one of those waves, and the kid was separated from him, with sets of 4-5 waves coming through she would struggle to survive. I quit after a while because the wind was too much for my 9m Pivot, and he was still riding alone, and the kid was standing on the beach with a towel wrapped around her. She eventually went down to the water and started calling him. He would come close on each run, presumably to check on her. I talked with her a little and she said she enjoyed riding with him, but was not sure she wanted to be a kite surfer. She seemed to be about six years old. But she was getting cold so I blocked the wind for her. After a few more runs the guy came in and landed. I did not say anything thing to him.

So, do you all think this was too dangerous, especially given the conditions?

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downunder
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby downunder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:09 am

Q: have you ever seen a 5-6yo on a leash attached to a parent skiing a black slope? That's common in some places.

BWD
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby BWD » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:08 am

Hard to say.
Some places might not be so wise/safe to come up to someone else’s child on the beach.
etc.
But if my kid? Wouldn’t be riding on the kiteboard in high wind/3m waves.

Hugh2
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:31 am

Downunder, I did that with my daughter back when she was that age, but not on blacks.

BWD, I understand, but it was a chill situation on the beach, I was still in all my kiting gear, pretty obviously not a danger to the kid, and he did a few more runs while I was talking to her, and didn't seem concerned about it. We packed up our gear at the same time, he even followed me up to the parking lot and we deflated our kites together, so he was not pissed at me. But he had a bit of an intimidating manner about him, so I did not talk to him.

NorCalNomad
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby NorCalNomad » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:48 am

BWD wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:08 am

But if my kid? Wouldn’t be riding on the kiteboard in high wind/3m waves.
This, plus the kid on a leash on a groomer is way different. That'd be like taking your kid down a double black with an elevated avalanche danger.

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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby BWD » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:50 am

So he followed ya to the lot but ya made it back to the internet alive and so did the kid.
Sounds like a pleasant day in (S) Africa to me. Well done.

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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby Chicken-loop » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:54 am

Depends on a persons risk appetite.

I have taken my kids for runs on the kite in a 2ft deep lagoon, but would never dream of taking them into the surf, nor would I leave them on the beach by themselves while I kite.

I’m no “Dad of the year” but I put my kids welfare above everything else.

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downunder
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby downunder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:04 am

Hugh2 wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:31 am
Downunder, I did that with my daughter back when she was that age, but not on blacks.
Good on you. I'm quite sure, in AU, the Social Services would take your child and you would end up as Evening News...However, a pic or it never happened. Sorry, can't imagine 3m surf on a TT ;) Can imagine 6yo on a surfboard/bb in 3m surf tho :) Plenty around...

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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby plummet » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:02 am

Every parent has a different risk assessment for themselves, Usually that risk assessment transfers to what they think is acceptable to their kids. So a crazy guy will do crazy things with his kids and a risk adverse guy wont. This guy clearly operates at a high level and felt he was in control.

I would not subject my kids to 25-30 knots and 3m swell. The risk is to great in my opinion.
Last edited by plummet on Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:17 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Sandras
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Re: How dangerous is this?

Postby Sandras » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:15 am

plummet wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:02 am

That said. I would not subject my kites to 25-30 knots and 3m swell. The risk is to great in my opinion.
Kids you mean, right?
Unless you mean the chrono :D


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