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Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

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Don Monnot
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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby Don Monnot » Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:59 pm

tomatkins wrote:Is there no place on the lake that you could paddle to, that would have the wind blowing a little bit off-shore? If so, then, you could use one of 2 techniques to get out and riding. You would need to put a fifth line on the kites and make some stuff out of PVC. If you are willing to go to a bit of a hassle and take upwards of an hour to get riding, then, I have some suggestions.
The only public access to this lake is from a State Park, and surrounding hills make it lousy kiting if the wind is even slightly offshore from anywhere along the park's shoreline. I'm also usually limited in the amount of time I have for a session, so an hour or more to paddle/swim/walk to some other spot, then an hour to set up wouldn't be worth it. If I've got that much time to work with, I'd head to another lake. For the same wind direction, there's a good lake with a better public access about 45 minutes farther away. Thanks, though.

Don

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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby Ittiandro » Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:03 am

FredBgg,

I’d love to try SUK’ing myself. I read your post about deploying the kite directly from the SUP. and I’d like to do the same. The windsurfing spot I usually go on a local lake is very small , with a lot of trees, practically no beach and usually jam-packed with too many kiters and I don’t feel safe.

I’d use a three lines HYDRA II 4 mt trainer kite to begin with.. It should be easier ( and safer) than with a full power kite, but I am a bit uneasy about unpacking the kite from the tight spaced SUP or from the water because the lines may get tangled and I may not be able to align the kite properly with the wind..
Do you pack the kite with the bar and the lines already connected before deploying it from the SUP, or do you do it on the spot? If so, did you have any problem?

Do you or anybody have any tips or comments?

Thanks

Ittiandro

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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby foilholio » Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:43 pm


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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby tmcfarla » Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:03 pm

Drift launching is great in shallow, flat water. Deep water drift launch is an advanced technique, doubly so if a boat is involved. Drift launches in waves are just plain dangerous. Regular beach launches are not “dangerous”, and when fatalities occur, it is after many thousands of successful launches from hundred of kiters with varying skill, and it almost always involves someone being careless (experiences kiters can be careless too). If you had all of those people drift launching instead you’d see more accidents than you do now.

Drift launching is not immune to carelessness, and the stakes are even higher since you can end up with lines wrapped around you. I prefer to drift launch because it is easier at my beach, but it should not be the default choice for most users/beaches.
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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby Ittiandro » Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:34 pm

foilholio wrote:
Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:43 pm
viewtopic.php?f=197&t=2402590
Thanks for the link.Unfortunately, I have only a reading understanding of German and I'd be unable to follow the video. Besides, this video, as well as the other one won't play.
There seems to be a very lively discussion on this topic between , on one hand, those who advocate the " verboten" approach because of the alleged dangers lurking behind the " easy-goes-it" approach of the instructional videos and , on the other hand, those who think that all these caveats are excessive and perhaps unnecessary if we use common sense. Both these positions have their own merits.
As I said on a previous post, I'd like to give it a try, because the local launching spot is small, crammed with kiters, with lots of trees and rocks, which make it difficult, if not unsafe ,to deploy the kite from land.

If I was planning to start out with a 14m2 kite, the would be no need to convince me that it would be sheer madness for a beginner. However, I'd be using a 4 m2 training kite ( possibly a HQ Hydra) in light winds ( 12 knts) on my SUP. I believe the size of the kite won't develop enough power to present a danger. In fact, some kitesurfers even say that this trainer kite is so small that it won't pull the board ..A waste of time and money. Others claim the opposite and in fact there are videos showing trainer kites pulling SUPs very effectively..
Also, before going out in deep water, I'd train as long as it takes from shallow water and learn how to get on the board from the water while holding the kite, which can be tricky, but not dangerous in these conditions. ...This will eventually be followed by water starting.

The only point which concerns me a little is how to deploy the kite from the water, even in shallow water, because I see a risk that the lines get tangled ..I am sure there is a technique. In a previous post I raised this point, but somebody , as an answer, only gave me a link to the German video, supposedly because the technique was explained there. Unfortunately, I could not open this video and, besides, I don't understand German well enough to follow the video. ..

Bottom line, I believe that the way I am planning to start out ( small trainer kite, light winds, shallow water) shouldn't present any serious danger, unless my lack of experience hides some real dangers.

Thank you all for any comments

Ittiandro

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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby jumptheshark » Wed Apr 10, 2019 10:14 pm

Think you have a pretty level head on this.

I've never drifted a foil kite, but can tell you It's ideal to let the kite drift downwind and unwind your lines at just the right pace. Too fast and you get loose loops of lines in the water that can knot when they eventually tension, too slow and there can be tension in the lines on the bar making it difficult to unwind if one binds into the others. Also the kite is more prone to flopping around and ending up twisted or otherwise messed up.
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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby foilholio » Wed Apr 10, 2019 11:40 pm

Ittiandro wrote: There seems to be a very lively discussion on this topic between
because what is darn obvious, this below
jumptheshark wrote:I've never drifted a foil kite
Honestly you should just shut up at this point. Lei and foils are different, a semi inflated foil or even an inflated one, both on the water, are completely different to an LEI. It's like the difference between a beach towel (foil) and a beach umbrella (LEI) on a windy day at the beach. Of course if you have the beach umbrella you are going to be having some issues.

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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby tkaraszewski » Thu Apr 11, 2019 12:31 am

bloah wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:24 pm
marcfrm wrote:
bloah wrote:Ihere is the video of other guy doing it
Well, he is a Flysurfer team rider on the boat with the Flysurfer boss.
Does it really count ?
Does it really work daily for the "average kiter" ?
If needed it will work, besides how often do we need deep water launch anyway. But it could come up handy some time.
I've launched a 10m Flysurfer Soul off an inflatable boat only a little bigger than that one, but by leaving the kite on the boat, jumping off the windward side, and unrolling my lines while swimming the boat, and having the boat driver help get the kite straightened out on the boat. I don't think I'd want to attempt that launch alone.

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Re: Full kite deployment in water for safety (and access).

Postby kitesurfvoilier » Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:53 am

Hello,
Maybe some ideas also here:


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