tangled self rescue, thanks for help

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Big thanks to Henry for bailing me out at SI yesterday, to the dude who brought my board to shore and to all inquiring if I was OK while struggling in the water.

Here is what happened. I got overpowered and fall in the water dropping the bar. I emerged from the water to see my kite rolling over, inverting and launching. I immediately yanked quick release and kite settled on the water. I pulled myself to the bar, redid chicken loop and let go of the leash line. And then I noticed I was entangled in the leash line and I couldn’t free myself from it.

I decided to self rescue, by the time I reached the kite, I was all tied up in knots, not being able to move along LE. If Henry didn’t undo my lines on one wing, no doubt I would have to cut them.

Also, thanks Henry for giving me instructions during the process. It calmed me down quite a bit, so I could concentrate on what I was doing, rather than getting more and more scared. When things go bad, lack of experience becomes apparent fast. It is quite different to go through self rescue in training, and to deal with the real thing, racing against approaching barge.

I think through the experience again and again, and cannot find what I could have done much differently, other than having good luck not to get tangled in my leash line. It there a trick (other than being calm and really careful) to avoid tangling?

davidcomp · Since 03 Mar 2008 28 Posts Â

not sure if this would help if already tangled,
reel in on the leash line until you can retrieve the bar, secure the leash line on to the bar so it wont slip thru allowing the kite to power up, and roll the remainder of the lines on the control bar so they cant get rolled around your neck, arms, legs ect..

of course every situation is different and you have to make the choice of rolling it up or just getting to the kite quickly and letting the lines run behind you

eric · Since 13 Jan 2006 1872 Posts XTreme Poster

Or, pull yourself to bar via leash line as described above and wrap it around bar to lock it off--prevent it from slipping back to full length. Then, and only then, secure bar to kiteboard well. I like to use my foot strap and wrap leash line through it. Then, carefully walk yourself to kite along leash line keeping yourself out of the lines. Self rescue with kite and let lines and board drag behind you under tension. This is how I do it in the Gorge--no breaking waves moving you towards the kite. At the coast, I either wrap to kite, or let the waves pull me in with the kite if I am close to shore, or release the whole shebang and trust that we will all wash up at about the same place at the same time--I would NEVER do this if the beach were crowded, or even just a few swimmers/beachgoers, however!

Eric

hamlindp · Wed Sep 10, 08 7:03 am **Re: tangled self rescue, thanks for help**

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Here is a link to a very thorough discussion of self-rescue techniques.

You can't really blame your kiteboarding instructor for not training you to be competent to handle the situation that you encountered. When you were taking your lessons, you were probably like most of us... just listening for the "how to get up and ride" advice... and like most of us, you felt that there was no need to "waste" time practicing something, you probably would never need to perform. SURPRISE!!!

I hope you will study the ideas presented in this thread, and make up your own mind as to which technique you feel is best for you...and then, of course, take the time each year to practice the technique, to stay in shape for that rare occasion where you may need to use it.

http://forum.bestkiteboarding.com/viewtopic.php?t=6877&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=single+line+iko+rescue&sid=a16c67c96dc1ebcfd6a66230a02a629c

This is a good place to start, but other threads, which I have found valuable are:

http://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2345977&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=self+rescue

And of course a recent thread from our own forum:

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-7972.html

hamlindp · Wed Sep 10, 08 7:23 am

Thanks kitezilly. Excellent info!

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Thanks for the info. It is certainly worth to reread and rethink the procedure, and then of course, to practice it to be ready when the real thing happens. Followiing the links to other forum I found this particular set of step by step instructions quite well written.

Let me be more precise with my question. My trouble started when I got entangled in the leash line (and kite line attached to it) while getting to the bar (between step 2 and 3 from the link above). I noticed that only after I had chicken loop attached to me again, and when I was readying for a realaunch. I am not certain how to avoid that in the future. One thing that comes to mind is to pull line with one hand, and hand it over to the other, keeping about 2 feet loops of line in hand, rather than letting it float in the water. Is that what you mean by reeling davidcomp?

It seems like industry needs to come up with floating kite lines.

Diggy · Since 25 Nov 2006 342 Posts Gorge to Coast Obsessed

Blue,
What kind of kite are you flying?

On my T2's I tried "re-riding" them several times after hitting the saftey or having the chicken loop accidentaly come un-hooked from my spreader bar. Each time I had problems reseting out on the water and I would self rescue in, sometime very concerned about my lines.

Once when I tried to reset the bar the leash got hooked around the other ring attached to the front lines and when I let go of the bar the kite stay powered, luckily I was able to reach and grab a oh-shit handle and then release the quick release on the kite leash.

After that experience I and basically came to the conclusion that with this kite I would just self rescue after loosing the bar un-hooked or hitting the safety.

On my current kites the bar does not travel down the line hooked to the leash so I can just reset it and go, the down side is that it does not have nearly the de-power of a kite completely flagged to a single line. Basically what releasing the bar does on my current kites is a Double Depower by pulling the front lines much further that the bar tavel alone would do, the leash can also be attached to a Oh-Shit handle to completely flag the kite but then you would be back to having the bar travel down the line much furhter.

Anyway it is good to practice your self rescues, winding the line up or not has been debated before. If you do wind up your line make sure you wind a single line first sufficiently so that the kite will not power up. If you do not wind up your lines you can stay up current of the line to help not get tangled.

~dig

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

After looking around all over the net, I cannot find an answer to my leash kite line tangle question. It looks like “wishing really hard” for it not to happen is the best option there is.

My conclusions are:

Stay calm, no need to rush with quick release in this particular situation. This point is really tough one, since reflexive reach for quick release is what is needed for successful bail out in most other situations.

Try OSH handle before engaging QR. I forgot to try this one.

If tangled in leash line (at least with new SS bar), try to untangle at all cost, before trying self rescue.

The goal of the above points is to relaunch the kite, which should be a priority. It that fails, proceed with the self rescue method of choice.

Not wanting to start new tread I will pop one more question here to which again I couldn’t find an answer on the net. Everyone says when you get to the kite “flip your kite over”. Well, how exactly do you do that?

hamlindp · Fri Sep 12, 08 11:19 am

All I know, because I haven't flown your kite, is when you do wind up your lines on your way to the kite, DO NOT wrap your lines on the ends of your bar as this tends to render a rats nest when one or two lines slip off.

1) What is recommended is staying connected to your CL, wrap your lines in a figure 8 on your depower bar, with the CL as the center point. Be sure to wrap a couple pulls of back lines, before wrapping all the lines, to ensure a depowered situation upon unwinding.

2) When about 4 feet from kite, tie a half-hitch, to secure wrapped lines to your bar.

3) Unflip the kite.

4) Untangle your bar from any bridle lines you may have snagged during unflipping.

5) Release half-hitch and unwind your kite lines. Stay connected to your CL, it's your point of reference.

6) When you reach the point of unwrapping, where only the back lines alone are wound, grasp them and don't let go until you've unwound them the rest of the way.

7) Slowly release back lines to relaunch.

My concluding thought here is, since I haven't flown your kite, everthing I've said here may be completely wrong, so grain-o-salt this info.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Blue -
You should have been able to do this:

1) Release to safety/leash line.

2) recover bar by slowly pulling in leash line (being careful to not it get it wrapped around you in the process)

3) once you are at the bar, make sure you are not wrapped in line, then slowly feed the leash line back through the bar

4) as it gets close to the end of the line it will start going quicking as the kite will start to power up on the water, just becareful and if you need to you can remain unhooked so you can always let go if anything goes wrong (and start back at step #2)

5) relaunch the kite and go... if you can't do this for whatever reason, start over again by releasing the bar and then either swim to the kite to self rescule (working your way up the one line.) or work your way to the bar, then wind the leash line up, then the other lines.

Any time you relase to a safety line you need to be aware of lines around you in the water. Don't trash about, instead pull lines off of you and to one side carefully.

If none of this is making sense you main want to go spend an hour lesson with an instructor who can teach you to self rescue. Make sure you go to somebody who will teach you in the water with a jetski.

Nak · Fri Sep 12, 08 8:40 pm

Whenever you get a new kite, before you ride with it you should take it somewhere safe and dump it to its safety and then relaunch it. You should do this repeatedly until you are very comfortable with the system and how it works.

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

hamlindp · Sat Sep 13, 08 6:46 am