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What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

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matth
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What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby matth » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:38 pm

The other day I was putting on my Drysuit and the newbie a few cars over was wrestling with his. When I went over to see if I could help, I saw that he was trying to get his ankle seals over his booties. :nono: :nono: :nono:
Last edited by matth on Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Laughingman
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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby Laughingman » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:46 pm

I saw a guy (who is on this forum) put his fins on backwards... and when I pointed it out he asked me if I was sure....
I saw a girl wrap her lines without the figure 8... warned her what would happen... she didn't believe me
I talked with a girl who had been kiting longer than me and she didn't get why people wore a kite leash...
I see this one all the time on vacation.... first couple of days with NE winds everyone launches the same way, then 3rd day the wind is SE.... sooooo many people are trying to launch the same way as the day before... its fucking priceless

so many more.....

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby Mossy 757 » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:49 pm

I was at the beach rigging at the same time as a dude I'd never seen before. He finished setting up first and asked me to launch him; when he tensioned his rear lines, one of the lark's heads slipped off the pigtail knot on his kite.

Upon closer examination, I noticed it was so soft and frayed that the lark's head would just keep constantly slipping off no matter what, he needed to repair/replace his pigtails to make the kite safe to fly.

I told him this and told him that because I didn't think his kite was safe to fly that I didn't recommend he continue with his session. He kind of stared at me, then did a goofy self-launch and went out.

On his first power stroke the line slipped off again and he had to self-rescue in the waves and bring his wet kite back to the beach.

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justbob
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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby justbob » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:29 pm

Retrieved a guys board and dropped it off downwind for him after watching him struggle to body drag with his kite at 12 o’clock the entire time. When I asked him about it afterwards he said it was too windy to fly the kite at the edge of the window?

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby NorCalNomad » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:34 pm

Me: take up kiteboarding
my wallet: :lol:

Not kiting but saw someone with a backwards and inside out wetsuit...kooks

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby Peert » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:45 pm

Seen this dozens of times:
Absolute beginner putting a long handle pass leash at the back of the harness...

When you ask them if they are going to do some unhooked tricks they just look very glazy...
Making them figure out about what would happen if they release usually takes at lwast 5 minutes.

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby FLandOBX » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:12 pm

When I was a newbie in 2007, there was a popular video with an outdated section that said to always launch unhooked. This may have been okay with older kites, but was definitely the wrong advice for the "new" 4-line sheetables. A lot of us (including me) saw the video and tried to launch unhooked (i.e., fully powered). The first time I did, I was lifted off my feet. Luckily, the wind was light and I knew enough to hook in before things got too bad. The company (who we all know) finally released an updated edition of the video with better advice. Bet I'm not the only one who remembers this! :o

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby ShaveTheWhales » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:23 pm

Theres was this bloke at my local really keen to get out in th first of stormy winter winds, he was helping everyone out and then got this guy to help launch him.

The guy looked mystified . The blokes line seemed to be getting longer... Ohh feck it was me and I'd forgot to attach my lines :jump: :jump: :rollgrin:

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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby BWD » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:43 pm

I have only one story that really fits, here it is again:
A guy with maybe a season of experience (but possibly not all in the same season, I’m not sure) came out and brought his sand screw anchor. Metal corkscrew, maybe 75cm. He launched ok and plowed around a bit, then went to land his kite with the screw anchor.
But he didn’t put the kite on its ear first.
Just hooked the rope from the anchor to his center lines and released from the chicken loop!
Kite was at at 11 or 12!!!
:o :o :o
Then he tried to steer the kite, it got yanked looping. He let go.
Result: runaway kite across lagoon and over the beach dragging a big corkscrew.
I managed to catch the kite when it tumbled across the beach, no injuries. Luckily only a few people were around.

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foilonfoil
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Re: What's the dumbest thing you have seen a newbie do?

Postby foilonfoil » Thu Apr 26, 2018 5:12 am

- A complete novice turned up at the beach and was screwing around with a kite while filming himself from various angles with his go pro. At one point he has his kite powered facing down with the bar unhooked held by his ankle as screwed around with his camera.

- Another novice struggling to launch a kite - Got it into the air and we realized he had his leash attached to one side of the bar as you would with a training kite.


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