Rescuing A Loose Kite At Sea ...

[tautologies]

Wasn't my experience...

Maybe it was a bar who sank? I mean most bars today float right? I hope they do...

[Faxie]

Wasn't my experience...

Maybe it was a bar who sank? I mean most bars today float right? I hope they do...

Can't remember...

[Toby]

My advice: NEVER approach from the back!!!
The kite can fly into your lines and you can die.

Come slowly from the side, always ready to get your ass away in a second!

[geir]

Done it twice. Mind you I’ve only got one forearm, right one missing below elbow. Consider myself compitent though after 15 years of kitesurfing. Boards are easy, tumb in the handle and gentle on controls. Kites, a different ballgame. I approach from upwind after watching what the kite is doing and stay clear of lines, then just deflate fully and let the unfortunate person handle the rest. No one drowning in both cases luckily; one the kite flew offshore from the beach and the other I checked to see if the kiter was ok, then went after the kite, deflated it and dragged the kiter to the kite on my leash. He then swam in with his gear (well I actually collected his board meanwhile aswell).

Full deflate totally kills the kite and saves it from damage or getting lost at sea. Not sure people expect more than saving gear from damage. People first - then gear if possible. I really don’t reccomend kite rescue unless 100% sure of not getting yourself in trouble doing it. In my cases conditions were really ideal, flat water and lowish wind.

[Toby]

If it is a Rebel 2015 18 I will first rescue the kite !

[Hugh2]

I’ve chickened out of trying such a kite rescue several times, primarily because I’m simply neither that good a kiter nor that strong. In each case the wind was strong and the kite was tumbling, so no way to deflate it safely. But I’ve seen it done in Cape Town by an excellent rider who rode along the leading edge fast, scoping it up with his upwind trailing hand, flipped the kite upside down and rode to shore, all without coming off a plane. Remarkable!

[slim_charles]

However, the most impressive thing I saw that whole time I was there, was this local kid saving 2 tangled kites from being shredded on Big Bay island. Underpowered on a 6... Strapless...

That's awesome, sounds like he's got some serious skills! Oddly enough i done my first ever kite rescue in 12yrs of kiting only recently, was surprisingly simpler than I expected however I did not have sharks in the back of my mind at the time !

[Pemba]

Never done it or seen it done. But around here leashes tend to be long and attached to the back of the harness. In that situation I wonder if it wouldn't be better to attach something (pump attachment or bridle) to your leash and tow things in to shore like that. No big risk of getting tangled I think, rescued kite and bar are behind you and your own kite and lines are in front of you. Control of your own kite is also as easy as it can be, two hands on bar etc. ??

[Mksonius]

Reminds me of Gillion fluidkiteboarding clip on facebook. Think it is done like this.

https://www.facebook.com/mr.fluidkitebo ... _video_tab

[Pemba]

Reminds me of Gillion fluidkiteboarding clip on facebook. Think it is done like this.

https://www.facebook.com/mr.fluidkitebo ... _video_tab

Yes, that's an appropriate video ! Shows that I was wrong since the kite (and bar/lines) often end up downwind of him, I expected everything to be dragging through the water behind the kiter/bodydragger. Gillion doesn't appear to be feeling any pain though.. Pretty smooth.