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WWYD Destruction of an RPM
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Northwest Kiteboarding -> Gorge / Portland / Oregon Coast
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Wind Slither

Since 04 Mar 2005
2571 Posts
The 503
METAL



PostTue Nov 13, 12 10:36 am     Reply with quote

Great post OC! Thumb's Up

You needed to ditch the board as soon as you realized you weren't going to get it relaunched right away. Problem with a board on your feet is you can't flag your body out and go with the kite when it's getting smacked. Boots no different than straps.

If you can lay your body out superman style, then you can body surf with the kite as the wave is pushing it. You can also body surf the waves that are hitting you. Both cases get you further toward the shore and perserve a chance to relaunch. Sometimes you can hang onto your board under your chest to plane better...but with a surfboard you risk damage from your harness hook.

IMPORTANT: Keep tension in those lines!

When a wave pushes you toward your kite there is the potential for getting tangled up...scary as hell! So steer to the side of the kite and kick your feet to swim away from the kite when necessary.

Ditching the kite can lead to several problems including:
-a strong rip taking it out to sea,
-wrap a line around a crab pot bouy, kite goes nuts, hard to retrieve
-loose lines entangling swimmers and other riders/beach goers,
-kite and loose lines blowing down the beach in high winds
-The rider drowning because he's got no floating thing, catching the onshore wind and pulling him toward the beach much faster than he could swim.

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jackZ

Since 13 Apr 2008
355 Posts
Devon Alberta ca.
Obsessed



PostTue Nov 13, 12 5:26 pm     Reply with quote

A lot of good info . and comment .
Lake kiter , I live on the prairies .
Travelled to wave spots including Maui .
Asked questions about going to the leash , ditching ? I had read a few posts as well on this topic . One main comment that stuck with me and has been mentioned here is getting out of the water with a kite is much easier than swimming ! Keep it in the air is moot info as it happens .
I was at Lanes , I was maybe a mile down wind of the launch @Paia . I went down and so did the kite . A wave was over me and I saw the kite was going to be filled and I was going to be pulled under and hard . I took a deep breath and put my hands on the release in case I was under too long , my bar fully depowered. I came up after the wildest ride I have ever experienced , water had been forced up my nose to the back of my eyes , tried to relaunch the Taco , another wave , another dunking , once more and I got it relaunched . I was sooo happy to see that kite rise up knowing there was nothing but a jagged rock shoreline to swim to for a long way up or down the shore ! It would be very difficult to get out unscathed I'm sure .
I would say the best thing is to use your experience to save the kite ditching as a last resort .
Yes I was fortunate my kite held . I made the choice to go with it until relaunch or destruction .
JackZ

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Occupied Columbia

Since 12 Nov 2011
376 Posts
Columbia City
Obsessed



PostTue Nov 13, 12 6:17 pm     Reply with quote

Wind Slither wrote:


You needed to ditch the board as soon as you realized you weren't going to get it relaunched right away. Problem with a board on your feet is you can't flag your body out and go with the kite when it's getting smacked. Boots no different than straps.


I don't think I could have removed my boots in time... Maybe I could have because they weren't tied to tight. What I tried to do as I was being pulled hard was resist getting pulled over the top and land face first in my lines. I did this by extending my legs straight in front of me where as the board was making the most resistance possible. "pop" went the seams in the kite. bad move.

On a side note I also ripped the stitching out of one of the straps on my Harness.

On consecutive wave pulls I let the board push my legs up to my chest. I could pivot my hips to get the board flatter to the water so I could skim toward the kite as it pulled. Almost on plane but still keeping my body from flipping forward toward the lines. this made for a lot less tension in the lines.

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dangler

Since 26 Feb 2006
1742 Posts
WINDY SPOTS
XTreme Poster



PostTue Nov 13, 12 6:51 pm    now what Reply with quote

so what's up with the kite? I get kinda bored this time of year.
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DownStream

Since 18 Apr 2007
381 Posts

Obsessed



PostTue Nov 13, 12 9:13 pm     Reply with quote

Quote:
I did this by extending my legs straight in front of me where as the board was making the most resistance possible. "pop" went the seams in the kite.



my knees (and probably back) would most likely be going pop at this point. i can't believe you opted to take that with board out in front, and through the harness.

when my kite is about to get crushed like that i am usually already off the hook and leash releashed, just holding the leash in my hand, ready for a good torpedo style ride. depending on the situation i almost prefer to let the kite fend for itself while i swim in, history has proven they have a way better chance of survival when its not attached and on its own. depends on the situation tho, can't put beach people at risk, and if you do lose the kite you gotta report it so no one thinks your missing at sea and starts a search.

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Pete

Since 29 Oct 2007
829 Posts

Opinionated



PostWed Nov 14, 12 10:45 am     Reply with quote

If your kite is going to get hit by a substantial wave, and you stay connected to it, it's most likely going to rip. If you want your kite to survive, you gotta let it go before the wave hits. Otherwise, exactly what happened to you will happen. The force of the water pulling on the kite, with the drag you create being pulled, will rip out the canopy.

Of course, there are many other factors to consider, but if your sole purpose was to save the kite, then you gotta let it go....

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sfbomber

Since 27 Jun 2012
112 Posts

Stoked



PostWed Nov 14, 12 11:55 am     Reply with quote

I think your problem was in the first 4 seconds of the video. Your input told the kite to crash. If you don't want your kite to get eaten in waves, don't crash it. What settings are you using on the RPM? Agree with others that you should unhook when your kite will be hit by a wave. [Unless it is a crowded with beach goers]

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Occupied Columbia

Since 12 Nov 2011
376 Posts
Columbia City
Obsessed



PostWed Nov 14, 12 12:18 pm    Funny Reply with quote

sfbomber wrote:
I think your problem was in the first 4 seconds of the video. Your input told the kite to crash. If you don't want your kite to get eaten in waves, don't crash it.


LOL. Only problem there is, for me... If I dont ever want to crash, I'll have to leave the kite in the bag.

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1surfer

Since 20 Apr 2010
354 Posts
'Ualapu'e / High Rockies
Obsessed



PostWed Nov 14, 12 6:12 pm    So true. Reply with quote

Wind Slither wrote:
Great post OC! Thumb's Up

You needed to ditch the board as soon as you realized you weren't going to get it relaunched right away. Problem with a board on your feet is you can't flag your body out and go with the kite when it's getting smacked. Boots no different than straps.

If you can lay your body out superman style, then you can body surf with the kite as the wave is pushing it. You can also body surf the waves that are hitting you. Both cases get you further toward the shore and perserve a chance to relaunch. Sometimes you can hang onto your board under your chest to plane better...but with a surfboard you risk damage from your harness hook.

IMPORTANT: Keep tension in those lines!

When a wave pushes you toward your kite there is the potential for getting tangled up...scary as hell! So steer to the side of the kite and kick your feet to swim away from the kite when necessary.

Ditching the kite can lead to several problems including:
-a strong rip taking it out to sea,
-wrap a line around a crab pot bouy, kite goes nuts, hard to retrieve
-loose lines entangling swimmers and other riders/beach goers,
-kite and loose lines blowing down the beach in high winds
-The rider drowning because he's got no floating thing, catching the onshore wind and pulling him toward the beach much faster than he could swim.



I just showed this video to my 12 year old son as an example of exactly what not to do.

The above quote is right on.

I always unhook chicken loop and safety if wave pummeling is imminent. I have also hooked my board and harness to the kite and let it all go together as one ball. If its all going toward shore, the kite will make it easy to find the board and harness.

I dont like swimming in a harness if the waves are big or its a long swim. If its not too big I will sometimes unhook from both and hold on free hand for a ride to the beach but I can still let go if it gets to scary.

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kiteboard117

Since 02 Mar 2005
450 Posts
PDX
McLovin



PostWed Nov 14, 12 7:55 pm     Reply with quote

Damn man! flagging your kite to safety is definitely your best first option in those kind of situations. It could have been a lot worse if that first wave had washed you over your slack lines, although once they were taught there really wasn't any risk in getting pulled into them.

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DownStream

Since 18 Apr 2007
381 Posts

Obsessed



PostThu Nov 15, 12 1:19 pm     Reply with quote

had to come back for another look....


thanks for a great post! (and better luck next time ... bummer about the kite, i sunk a much loved 7m one time, r.i.p)

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
541 490 6872
www.ProKiteLessons.com
info@prokitesouthpadre.com

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dangler

Since 26 Feb 2006
1742 Posts
WINDY SPOTS
XTreme Poster



PostThu Nov 15, 12 4:20 pm    munched kites Reply with quote

I bet I've fixed worse. but maybe not.

   9435_1245698819633_1144269918_30794320_2134864_n_694.jpg 
   dangle1.jpg 

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pdxmonkeyboy

Since 16 May 2006
6081 Posts
forever labled as the
retired kiter & motorhead Unicorn Master



PostThu Nov 15, 12 5:33 pm    Re: munched kites Reply with quote

STARBOARD!!!!,,, STARBOARD!!!!!
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Bury me standing cause I won't lay down!!

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NCKite_Ryder

Since 16 Mar 2011
38 Posts
Nor Cal Coast
 



PostWed Nov 21, 12 10:37 am     Reply with quote

boots in the surf... 12m is bad enough in big surf... you're lucky you didn't drown bro!

People are free to rock the gear they want but boots in the surf.... you better be throwing handle passes... and by the way you handled that crash I assume you're not. gnarly.

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Occupied Columbia

Since 12 Nov 2011
376 Posts
Columbia City
Obsessed



PostWed Nov 21, 12 11:21 am    What?? Reply with quote

I don't see what the big deal is about having Boots in surf? If you haven't tried it... I don't know what to say about that. Riding a surfboard must be amazing because of the 50+ days I've Been on the water this year wearing boots out in that big surf was at the top 10% of the fun factor. That includes losing a kite in the process. I've crashed and relaunched in the surf with boots at other times, this time I couldn't catch wind where it landed I don't think the boots had much to do with it.
As far as a "12m in big surf" goes... you ride the kite for the wind range not the wave size unless thats different on surfboard. No handle passes here, a few unhooked jumps but I'm not going pro.
I used a strapped twin tip in the surf before going to boots, not near as much fun for me in straps. I'm willing to give a surfboard a try, but I can't imagine giving up those twelve+ foot kickers.

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broadbandito

Since 26 Apr 2005
342 Posts
CSO headwaters
WheatHead



PostWed Nov 21, 12 12:06 pm     Reply with quote

I think the comments on boots are just about having your feet free to kick, either to manage kite and lines or, more importantly, to keep your head above water so you can breathe. You may wear flotation or have monster lungs, so it might not matter for you. The resistance to the kite pull will make it more likely for something to break.

I have let my kite go twice in surf. Both times were when I was in a river mouth with the wind blowing the opposite the current, and feeling stuck in a "standing wave" like situation where I couldn't hold my breath long enough to get out of the white water. The downside is the loose kite becomes a potential danger on the beach.

Generally the kite is helpful to get you to shore, so it's best to stay with it.

If you can let go of a board and focus on the kite after dropping it, it seems to me that's the highest priority.

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot



PostSat Nov 24, 12 9:54 am     Reply with quote

broadbandito wrote:
I think the comments on boots are just about having your feet free to kick, either to manage kite and lines or, more importantly, to keep your head above water so you can breathe.


Spot on/ your clairvoyant Broadbandito w/my comment about the boots in bigger swell and waves.

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