System Check!! Kite, Lines, Bar, Pfd., PSI and Wet suit

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1691 Posts I give out bad advice.

I've been out kiting twice so fart this season and both times I made sure to do the following:

1. Pump your kite up and make sure it's holding air. If it leaks might wanna get it fixed. Check your pig tails, and bridals. Any damage to lines, pig tails or anything looks weird? Get it fixed.

2. Check your lines. Get a beaner and hook it to a tree. Connect your lines to it and put your harness on. Walk to your bar and put pressure on your lines. Then put your bar down and check everything out. Any weird places on your lines? Get it fixed. Don't kite with bad lines as it can make kite control more difficult.

3. When you check your lines out, step 1, look at your bar. Is it bent? Is it cracked? Check out your chicken loop, and all Oh Shizzle handles. Look for anything weird. Check every line attachment. Don't use it if you see something weird. Get it fixed.

4. Personal Flotation Device, Poofda, Get one and wear it. Promotion makes a really nice one with a little pouch and some cool graphics. Get one, wear it, float better.

5. Pumping up your kite to the proper PSI is gonna help you relaunch easier. When an already under inflated kite hits cold water it's gonna get softer. The chances of a bow-tie are greater. If you have an older pump with a PSI gauge make sure you check the kite by tone. When you flick it does it sound solid. You can also do the wing fold check. If you fold the wing on the beach does the kite resist enough?

6. Is your wet suit warm enough. 100 degree rule applies here, but only if you have a good 5/4 wet suit and booty.

OK, this is my best advice and only my personal opinion. I figure by posting this stuff people will take some time and be more careful about checking their stuff. Weird things happen when things go unchecked. Last year in the spring I was launching my 10 RPM and somehow one of the extensions off the harness was taken off and missing. This resulted in a shorter line on one of the steering lines, back lines. Doug was launching me at Rufus above the Rock Pile. I was down in the water and excited ready to go. I'm thinking that my lines were caught on something, but they weren't. I pulled on my bar and then and it was still not straight. I looked at Doug and he was waiting for me to give the thumbs up. I did the kill it, hand across my neck gesture as well as a double thumbs down gesture. Doug secured my kite and I was still befuddled as to why my kite lines were bedoinkeled. Got up to the kite checked the bridal and found the missing 8 inch piece missing. Holy bedazzled bedoinker shloklin meiser holstien mama.