Kite Prolapse

flipper · Since 17 Oct 2011 320 Posts Obsessed

10M SS Key today. Kite crashes in water, does a slow front flip of sorts and relaunches hot. Steering lines are wrapped up and around two front lines in a symmetrical fashion. Flies like hell. Crashed it in the dirt and ejected. How do I avoid this in the future?

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1530 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

isnt that what happens when your kite inverts. I have heard two theories. Just fly your kite and get to where you can manage it, or try the super top notch move and put your bar through your lines and hope like hell you went the correct way or you have double trouble. Was your kite pumped up all the way?/ had this happen to a friend and he had to pop the safety but it kept death spiralling. Mr Andy Bolt is still owed beers for saving my buddy who was going for a swim down the lake?

BeatrixKiddo · Since 21 Feb 2012 18 Posts Washington Side

flipper · Since 17 Oct 2011 320 Posts Obsessed

KMG, Yeah pumped to 8psi, pretty new kite too. And like your friend, the safety leash wouldn't work very well. It was sketchy walking up the one line when it was wrapped around one steering line. Thanks for the tip.

Beatrix, lol

MarkWorth · Since 02 May 2011 149 Posts Hood River Stoked

To avoid a repeat of this event you need to keep tension in your line set at all times.

If the kite crashes when you are riding, turn your board upwind and sink into the water with tension in the lines. Crashing the kite and riding towards it will give the kite enough slack to allow the kite to flip over and tangle itself. Riding into your own line set when you crash your kite, can tangle you, power the kite, and drag you to your death.

In gusty conditions, your kite can fly up wind of you, or the wind can shift to an angle that puts the kite up wind of you. In this case the kite can flip and tangle before hitting the water, or flip after hitting the water if the kite is not downwind of you. To avoid this you need to keep the kite down wind. Power strokes or turning the kite into a climb will keep the kite away from the slack line point on the sides. Do not park the kite at 12:00 in gusty conditions; keep it below 11:00 or 1:00.

If you are in the water and the kite is down with slack line, swim away from the kite to regain tension before it has a chance to flip.

flipper · Since 17 Oct 2011 320 Posts Obsessed

Mark, Great advice! Thanks!!!!!

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1530 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

mark sounds like he has great advice. what would be the best and/or safest (which I realize are two different avenues) ways to fix this if this occurs?

MarkWorth · Since 02 May 2011 149 Posts Hood River Stoked

If the lines are not rapped on the kite, but the outside lines are shortened by deflecting around the center lines, the kite will be over sheeted and will turn radically and back fly. This is because the trailing edge of the kite is pulled too much. The solution is to trim the front lines 6” with the trim strap or cleat to offset the shorting of the steering lines.

If the kite is inverted, it will still fly, so you could go to the beach and fix it, or you could crash the kite as far up wind on the side as possible and the kite will fix itself 60% of the time.

dancingwind · Since 18 Jul 2007 321 Posts Obsessed

Mark, as always great helpful advice with a valid solution. As mark said, 12 o'clock is not the Neutral position in the Gorge. Keeping kite below 1 or 2 o'clock or just parked on the water in the launch position are your best Neutral options. And keeping tension on the lines is key. Kites behave best when lines are equally tensioned and misbehave when slackened! It's great to have someone like Mark with legitimate kite knowledge on our forum!!