Body surfing while attached to a kite.....

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4907 Posts Portland Unstrapped

that sounds awful!

if you get dragged by the kite leash at the back of your harness at least you get spun around and your body folds they way it was intended (a much more pleasant way to drown)

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2575 Posts The 503 METAL

Hmmm, forgot about the whole having to swim to the side C-kite thing...but still, it seems that if you anticipate the wave hitting your kite and point your hands and head at the kite and torpedo your body, you're not going to get tugged much harder than a normal boost in the air.

Oh well, different strokes I guess, as long as we're all breathing when we get to the shore! Thumb's Up

Unhooking and getting dragged backwards seems especially F'd!!

Aeolus · Fri Jul 16, 10 11:18 am

Lots of good insight here. It's great to hear the seasoned folk weigh in on the issue. I've experienced a whole new level happiness when the kite relaunches in the impact zone.

There's a lot going on out there with a downed rig and slack lines give me the heebee jeebees. Anticipation of a yarding seems to help.

I'm trying to avoid dancing with the devil as much as possible and keep that biaotch in the air where it belongs. Screaming RELEASE THE KRAKEN seems especially appropriate to me for some reason.

Nice thread ldhr.

tonyb · Fri Jul 16, 10 1:25 pm

I had an "uncomfortable" session this past winter in SPI on a big northerly day. (30-35 mph, way overhead, 3 to 4 seconds apart, 47 degrees) Dropped the kite, I got washed, the kite tumbled, tangled, rolled inside out, then twisted into some sort of origami pretzel shape so I knew it wasn't going to relaunch.

Things were pretty gnarly out with strong currents so I thought I'd stay attached to the kite and let it help drag me to shore. I was doing fairly well until a really big wave caught me and threw me towards the kite. Once I came up for air I felt lines around my legs, the bar was twisted up with the chicken loop near my harness and the next wave was about 2 seconds from the kite. I ejected and got the lines off my legs as quickly as possible. Then made the swim to shore and retrieved my mess off the beach.

I did the layout horizontal thing to keep the tension off the kite and it works pretty well until you're in the wrong spot and end up going over the falls. Then the lines don't care how nice your form was.

Since then I've had two other sessions where I wasn't able to get a relaunch before things went south and I went with a new technique of immediately releasing the bar and moving the leash attachment up to the hook on the harness (pull from the front this way) then I keep my hand on the leash quick release while swimming in case I need to eject at any moment. This worked a lot better with the leash taking up some of the tension and slack between me and the kite and keeping me a further 4' away from the bar and lines. I also swim at more of an angle to the kite so that the bar and lines are off to my side rather than in front of me as I swim towards the beach. On one of the swims in I had to pull the release to save the kite, on the other, things weren't as rough and I was able to stay connected and sort things out at shore.

Good thread. Nice to discuss things that don't occur very often and see how others deal with these situations.

Tony

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

those fags in kite pants always talk smack .

I guess its part of flock separation..... baaa

I did get a tweeked back yesterday thanks to the karms though. Crying or Very sad

I am taking the down day to track down some backstock pants though.

The safest thing to do is a wild guess at best. Improvise.

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Good tips from the coasties ..

I might add - As w/ surfing, make your mistakes on small wave days.

Ground swell has a lot more energy than local wind swell. Know the conditions before you go out.

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1473 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Follow-up,,, 2 weeks later in Newport.
Spent 2 days kiting at Newport South Beach on 12m in head-high Surf.
In 2 days of kiting I went down 3 times in the impact zone.
Two times I was able to relaunch my kite and escape.
The third time I could not relaunch and the kite was swamped by a big wave.
This time I was ready, push, push, pop, pop. The kite drifted in to shore and I swam in. It took 3 minutes to detangle the lines and relaunch. All was good.

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2025 Posts Windward

good tips
after a long swim in big surf last season
I've come to realize a few things
some will come to your aid
some will not
not have any flotation in big swims gets old fast
no board sucks even more
my board bounced of the rocks
I am getting a leash
and a helmut like the Foghaters, a surf helmut and a float vest for the biggest days when duck diving is out
I'm old and fat
swimming is hard
assitded living is a dream when kite is being drug in waves.,,

When my kite takes a bath and won't relaunch
I swim up wind or over to side to get away from strings, go to leash maybe first , point hands upwards and arch back, try whatever to go up
when I'm out of breath I release the kite.,,,,,
if in a big rip, I swim to wave and have it throw me to shore Shocked

sounds pretty stupid but hangin out and getting drilled over and over is less fun for sure
practice your survival skills before you need them as the Boardrider ponts out