What is the protocol when 2 kites cross lines?

hiker1 · Since 01 Jul 2007 125 Posts Portland Stoked

As a newb rider, the thought of this happening spooked me the most. It happened.

I was out about 100 yards off the NW corner of the spit yesterday on a port reach -got gusted off my board, spun around backwards and my kite tomahawks right across the lines of an incoming kiter just downwind.

The kites crossed about midway up the lines. The other rider immediately put his kite down. Both kites were twisting around a bit with a little tension on the lines as they were pulling in opposite directions, but stayed on the water. So I'm floating there not sure WTF to do. I was ready to pull the release on the chicken loop if my kite hot-launched. Thankfully, the other guy seemed to know exactly what to do --- he quickly swam to the lines where they intersected, lifted mine up, swam underneath them - pulled his lines through and relaunched his kite - all in about 2-3 minutes. I shouted my apoligies - he responded with "no worries" and was off riding. My kite lines had a bunch of twists in them, yet I managed a relaunch and body dragged back to the sand. No damage to lines or kite.

Questions:

If the tangle was worse or the kites were playing tug-o-war in the sky, is it better to release ASAP at the chicken loop and stay attached with the safety, or detach completely from the kite? It seems if 2 kites are tangled - staying attached even on one line could escalate damage to body or kite.

When the shit hits the fan as kite lines cross on the water, is there a rule regarding how best to detangle the situation? Who initiates the fix? I just stayed still hoping the other rider knew how to get the f@ck outta the mess. He did!

BTW, thanks if you were that rider! Thumb's Up

The dude even came back and helped to flip my semi-inverted kite back into a launchable position.

marina c · Thu Aug 28, 08 4:36 am

Check out the October issue of The Kiteboarder. We have a feature on this very subject, along with 3 other common 'kitemare' type situations.

It just started mailing out on Monday! hope you find our tips useful:-)

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Hiker,

You were lucky that the wind was light.

I don't think that swimming among 8 or more lines is a good idea, even with a good double bladed kite knife.

In 2002, the kiting world learned a lot about what can happen with crossed kite lines, with the incident involving Silke Gordt.

After that incident, and the invention of the reride safety system, most kiters agreed that the best answer was for each kiter to throw their kites to their SINGLE line safety system.

This is not the case in the year 2008, since a high percentage of kiters do not fly their kites rigged with a full-time SINGLE line safety system. There are even 3 kite companies that sell kites rigged with a TWO line "safety". and many kites are flown with a variety of places to hook up the safety leash, so in effect, these kites have a 4 line "safety" system. This results in the use of many "safety" systems that are not really safe, in my opinion, especially when a two-kiter-cross-up occurs.

Even though flagging a kite to a SINGLE line is not 100% safe, it still seems like the safest option to prevent tragedies from occurring in the cases of crossed line tangles. Following that logic, you could make a case for requiring all kiters to have their kites rigged with full-time, single line safetys, when kiting from crowded kite launches, such as the Spit. This of course will not happen since it would be viewed by most kiters as being too draconian.

There is a lot of room for individual opinion on this subject, and I welcome all opinions. I will be particularly interested in the recommendations of the manufacturer's representatives in the new issue of Kiteboarder magazine.

I think that the "golden rule" of two-kiter-crossed-line-tangles would be: "Do not release your kite" as this can place the power of both kites onto the one rider who does not release his kite. It may turn out that the only "safe" thing to do is for both kiters to completely release their kites at the same time... and then, collect the mess later.

hiker1 · Since 01 Jul 2007 125 Posts Portland Stoked

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Keep in mind that releasing your bar does NOT guarantee that the kite will depower when it's tangled with another. Depending on how bad the lines are wrapped around each other it might create enough tension and hold the lines fixed in place allowing equal tension in the lines which would allow the kite to stay fully powered. If a relatively safe and quick untangling isn't possible and both of the kiters aren't willing to release their kites the next step should be to get to your kites ASAP and grab them. Luckily they seem to end up in the water on many occasions so you can swim to it and grab it. Dropping the bar can help get it into the water potentially. It's important to communicate with the other kiter and act quickly (while staying calm obviously).

hamlindp · Thu Aug 28, 08 12:06 pm

Gene,

Doesn't David Hasselhoff do it that way? Laughing

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Aug 28, 08 12:34 pm

I think the proper protocol is:

1. Panic
2. Cuss
3. Slash at lines violently with hook knife
4. Swim

Dickfircrick · Since 29 May 2007 62 Posts Hood Rever

Hey there Hamlip- don't be messin with Hasselhoff

gay4pay · Since 24 Aug 2008 10 Posts New Member

Yeah, lay off the Hasselhoff. Besides, that shit was funny like... 2 years ago.

Dickfircrick · Since 29 May 2007 62 Posts Hood Rever

WELCOME Gayfir

gay4pay · Since 24 Aug 2008 10 Posts New Member

Hey thanks, I just started taking lessons and I'm jazzed about kite surfing. Looking to buy my first quiver. Thinking about a peter lynn foil. My pals in Chicago rave about them.

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

That sucks John - next time, be prepared, hit his kite first - Thunderdome rules apply

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

hamlindp · Fri Aug 29, 08 3:37 pm

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

Good question Hiker1. Although this has not happened to me, I would like to add my .02. In my opinion, when two kites cross, an infinite number of potentially dangerous scenarios can occur. For that reason alone, my protocol would be to:

1) Quick Release
2) Stick my hook knife in my teeth
3) Keep one hand on my leash QR at all times
4) Get eye contact and communicate with the other kiter
5) Attempt to self-rescue to where both kiters are to a kite.
6) Be prepared to ditch if something goes haywire.

Most fatalities and accidents occur because kiters do not QR fast enough. The new paradigm is that when your kite acts, sounds, looks funny, something is wrong - QR. Hopefully, this will be to a flagging line still attached to your leash. In my opinion, crossed lines fit the criteria to blow out of QR. Way to dangerous and unpredictable not to. This is a good topic as I think that if all kiters agreed to QR as soon as they suffered crossed lines, we could somewhat diffuse a potentially dangerous situation.

SR