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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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 Sat May 21, 11 7:55 am |
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| pdxmonkeyboy wrote: | Sounds like you kept your wits about you. The only thing I would have done would be to untangle your lines, warm up a bit, and then relaunch the kite to get back across tr channel. It's always way faster than riding a self rescued kite
Glad to hear it worked out for you! |
I also had a mishap in the Alley last summer. I was able to crawl out of the pond in the Alley with horrifically tangled kite lines. I then walked across the windless sand island and found a very windy section up on top with a clean shot at the Ore channel. Straightened lines, and re-launched in clean winds, rode home to Oregon.
Ca Ca happens to everyone.
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:02 am |
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kitezilla - I have thought many times about getting a leash. But your idea looks great! I dont really need to worry about tricks ( I want to start jumping though ) so far I am just a "lawn mower." I also wear a helmet everytime I kite - so less likely to get banged in the head unless it hits ya in the face. When I get another board - I will have to consider that as an option for some parts of the Columbia. I have also thought about getting the GoJoe. But I have never seen anyone using them, so I wasn't sure about them. If they work - it would have flipped my board right side up yesterday and it would have caught the wind and I would have been able to catch it. Question is - if I use it - will I look like a "kook?" 
http://www.oceanrodeo.com/kiting/go_joe |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:09 am |
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| Blazeheliski wrote: | | PDX -The problem is that I have never drift launched before - I have only read about it. |
OK... not sure if this is any help, but. I usually ride with 2 kite leashes. One is of course on the kite system, but a second leash is un-used on the opposite side of my harness. This is a spare for: 1) Attach to my drifting board if a kite falls with zero wind. And 2) To use as a self-launch tool.
On the sand island, I just found a stump, wrapped my extra leash to it, attach chicken loop, pull lots of de-power on de-power line, set kite into neutral LE-to-wind launch position, carefully walk to CL and hook-in, launch, grab extra leash from stump to reduce trash on island.
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:13 am |
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| Wind Slither - I was good on point #1. I was pretty toasty in my 5/4 with booties and a lifejacket and helmet. I will try the toe hook thing from now on - good tip. That was probably my mistake - I put the kite at 12 to spot the board. That is probably where I lost the ground that I should have made up. I will also have to try your body drag technique. I know how to dig my arm deep and keep my body stiff to make a keel to try to go upwind - but I never thought about putting my head in the water. That makes total sense. I will try that the next time I am out. I do kick my feet to add power - so I will keep doing that. Thx for the tips! |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:19 am |
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| I thought about that wylie - that is actually how I started my day. Since I was the first kiter to Jones - I hooked a tow cable to the spoke of my car wheel and hooked the other end to my chicken loop and self launched. On the island - there were plenty of things to hook my chicken loop to - but that part of the island was still in the wind shadow. I suppose I could have walked down wind on the island until I got out of the shadow..........hmmmmmmm |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:20 am |
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| Blazeheliski wrote: | | I will also have to try your body drag technique. I know how to dig my arm deep and keep my body stiff to make a keel to try to go upwind - but I never thought about putting my head in the water. That makes total sense. I will try that the next time I am out. I do kick my feet to add power - so I will keep doing that. Thx for the tips! |
A few years ago I think it was PDX on this forum who helped immensely with this suggestion that I use always now:
When you crash IMMEDIATELY go into a good body-drag, START A COUNT OF 12, then quickly tack the other direction and start another count of 12, repeat, repeat. This keeps you in-line with your board
It never fails, I usually end up straight above wind to my board and from that position the board is much much easier to spot.
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:22 am |
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| scottman - I have never even seen heel straps. I have seen the boots that the wake stylers wear. I will have to check it out - thanks! |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:29 am |
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| Wow Markworth! those are some advanced bodydragging tips! I do love to body surf - I will start working on those techniques ASAP. From what I have learn from you and others - me putting my kite at 12 to spot my board lost me a lot of ground. When I am falling - I need to be working my kite to get get upwind ASAP. If I overshoot and get further upwind of my board - then it is easy to spot and an easy downwind drag to the board. |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:31 am |
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| I will try that wylie - the 12 count sounds like a good idea! Do you use a leash system similar to the one kitezilla showed? |
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MarkWorth
Since 02 May 2011
149 Posts
Hood River
Stoked
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:32 am |
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In 2002 I saw a kiteboard go through a helmet and badly cut the scalp of the rider. He had been yanked 30 feet through the air and he stopped when he hit the water, the board stopped when it hit his head.
Do Not use a leash!
Learn to bodysurf up wind. It only takes a few minutes of focused practice on body postion.
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Have More Fun!
Mark
Gorge Kiteboard School
http://gorgekiteboardschool.com |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:42 am |
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| Stories like that so far have kept me from using a leash! ouch! If it takes a little while before I can get another board - I am going to have lots of time for focused body drag practice! LOL |
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Sella
Since 21 Apr 2007
1794 Posts
Doin' The Dalles
FLY'IN HIGH PIE GUY
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:47 am |
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| Wind Slither wrote: | Here are some tips have have kept me from losing my boards in strong opposing currents...these may or may not apply to your situation, but may have value for others.
1. Dress warm enough so that you can last for an extended body drag. This is just good saftey anyway. Right now at least a good 5/4 with a hood.
2. When you know board retrieval is hard, kite a little more conservative in order to avoid long distance separations. Just keeping a toe hooked in your footstrap as you go down can make the difference.
3. Most important: When you do separate, don't hesitate at all to commence body dragging up wind. If you fly your kite high and try to spot your board first, the game is lost. Make some mental notes where approimately you think the board should be as you start hauling ass upwind.
4. The board can only go as fast as the current, but with good technique, you can go faster than the current. Keep your body horizontal, deep arm wedged, your whole body one big keel knifing upwind. This means keeping your head and face down in the water which is a show-stopper for a lot of newbies. Kite low-ish, powered and forward in the window. Take long tacks and make your transitions fast and efficient. A constant flutter kick helps too.
5. At certain points, you're going to have to try and spot your board, but try not to lose your upwind progress as you raise up to look.
Good job making it back...Jones can be super sketchy!  |
Point's 3 and 4 are gold. For any newbie reading this thread realize you will lose a board eventually but if you remember and practice Slither's 5 points of wisdom you will GREATLY enhance your chances of saving a riding day and some hard earned $$$ that you can utilize for beers and chiba on the beach with your bros afterwards. |
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wylieflyote
Since 30 Jun 2006
1648 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster
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| Sat May 21, 11 8:47 am |
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| Blazeheliski wrote: | | Do you use a leash system similar to the one kitezilla showed? |
NO!
My progression in kiteboarding: No Leash Ever, GoJoe for 1 summer while focusing on proper body-drag techniques, 2nd summer ditch the GoJoe.
And.... always, always, always write your name, email, phone on your board with a sharpie.
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pauls
Since 20 Jun 2005
564 Posts
Northern Portugal
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 9:43 am |
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A while back I blew out my leading edge bladder on the WA side. Packed up my gear and tried to swim the shipping channel back to OR. When i was right in the middle of the channel downstream of the island a freighter came round the up river bend - this was by far the scariest situation i have been in whilst kiting. I thought i had a very good chance of dying and time to think about it. I dumped my board and kite and started swimming back toward the island. Luckily i just got out of the way before the ship reached me. I ended up swimming nuke alley and hitching a ride back round to Jones. I'd body drag back to OR but would never try swimming that channel again, its too wide, too many ships and they move way too fast. I agree with the others you would have been much safer untangling and relaunching your kite for a body drag. I got the board and kite back from different people the next day.
i'm very glad you made that swim safely and hope your board turns up! |
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fredf
Since 10 Jan 2009
80 Posts
Eugene. Or
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| Sat May 21, 11 10:23 am |
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| If you are willing to suffer the real or imagined stares of disdain and save some bucks use a wheelbarrow innertube through the board handle. It may not be quite as efficient as a GoJoe but costs a fraction, is easy to mount and remove with only a screwdriver, gets the board high enuf in the wind either right side up or upsiide down and folds down flat so as not to be quite so conspicuous. |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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| Sat May 21, 11 11:30 am |
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| Wow pauls - that sounds scary! Luckily for me there was almost no ship traffic yesterday. I only saw one barge the 6 hours I was out there. Normally - I see a lot more at Jones - yesterday must have been a ship holiday or something! |
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viento
Since 18 Dec 2005
56 Posts
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| Sat May 21, 11 12:34 pm |
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| When I go out at Jones I make a point of letting someone I am with know that if something like that happens on the WA. side to pick me up at the Star Bucks on the Wa. side of the Longview bridge. I figure I can hitch a ride to there. Nice work on making it back in one piece this time of year can be sketchy we have all been there!! |
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