Self Rescue: To Wrap, or not to Wrap?

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

do the slingshot T2 bars float? I dont remember them doing this while I was swimming in one day. The bar floats are pretty small compared to all 1:1 kite bars.

I definately need to practice some self-rescueing in shallow water to get good at it...

nesterg · Since 10 Sep 2006 23 Posts

Just had my first self rescue last friday. My friend watching from the beach said it looked textbook but I was not so pleased. I would say it went badly. First off there was very light wind (reason the kite went down in the first place and also reason I couldn't relaunch) and even with very light wind I couldn't pull myself up the line to the kite. I had gloves on so it might be better without gloves I don't know but I could not grip the line. In high winds I would have never made it to the kite without wrapping. Secondly my legs did get all tangled in the lines. If a gust would have come up and launched the kite it would have been ugly. Also spent about 2 hrs untangling the lines. Good learning experience in very friendly conditions but next time I'm going to wrap one line for about 30 ft and then wrap the others.

Chooch · Mon Apr 21, 08 4:12 pm

30' is not necessary. You should only need to reel in 6-8' of your "flagging" line. I would say that I have 8-10 self rescues in all types of wind conditions, 6-8' has always done me good. I have also noticed that gloves make it much more difficult, I ended up pulling a glove off, placed it against my bar, then proceded to wrap my lies around my bar and glove holding it in place. The hand was a little bit cold but the self rescue was succesful.

During a self rescue I have found that it is best to mentally tell yourself that you are going to be blown down wind no matter what so I relax lay back in the water and slowly wind my lines, a little patience during the routine pays off huge in the end. Also if I still have my board I like to disconnect my kite leash from my 5th line (or flagging line on a 4 line kite) and attach my kite leash shackel to one of the metal loops on my footstraps. The board can be a bit of a pain dragging 3-4' behind you, but the $800 savings is well worth it.

kyle.vh · Since 11 Jul 2007 713 Posts city of angels Addicted

I have always wrapped my lines in the past, since I was kiting on the coast, and seaweed can be really, really crappy and kinda dangerous to get caught up in. I also agree that it is a bit rude not to wrap if it means your lines would be in others' way. But honestly, with the few gorge veterans saying they don't wrap, I'll definitely consider not wrapping in the future if there are no obvious obstructions (submerged or otherwise, including people), just cause it does sound like less of a mess in some situations, especially if you're close to shore.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

I have had lines wrap in seaweed while not wrapping, I had the bar in one hand while swimmin on the kite with the lines drapped out anf back.
had to swim back un tangle the damn lines then wrap it up, with sea weed.

If you can wrap safely do it. If you need to rescue yourself, focus on getting to your kite , then after catching you breath re evaluate and wrap if so desired.

in the waves usually your lines will get you , best to keep trying to relaunch while unhooked so that you can drop the bar if the wave loads the kite. keep trying to relaunch until you get in and can stand , if you can't relaunch standing with clean lines call floras lake and get some more lessons and lose the board leash.

Most my expierience comes with C kites so maybe there are some considerations with hybrids possibly getting tangled bridles while relaunch I don't know.

sentone · Since 10 Feb 2006 66 Posts

just a quick tip for the cut my hand thing if its super windy or the white ghost is lurking gloves or not when walking up the kill line.... balay off your hook.. meaning hook your line to your hook pull your line behind the load.......DO NOT LOOP THE HOOK cuz it might bind....but if your kite gets lifted or the ghost shows up the load will be on the hook not your fingers.....when it settles down pull some more untill ya get where ya need..just zipping up a tight line well do damage on your finger joints.......like mine as i write........... Idea

Reaper356 · Since 10 Dec 2006 781 Posts Salem / LC Oregon Opinionated

After having had trouble wrapping once, next time I won't unless there's driftwood or other obstacles present.

I liked the wrap the lines around the chicken loop tip too. If I do wrap I'll do it that way.

funjunky · Since 05 Mar 2008 5 Posts Hood River / Japan New Member

Seems like the best thing to do is to be comfortable with both techniques and know which one will work best for different situations. When the wind is light, if you have time, or if there are obstacles for your lines to tangle on, wrapping your lines seems like the best option. But when shit hits the fan, you are exhausted, cold, in sketch wind or currents, etc., getting to the kite as quickly as possible can be the best option.
Having learned in the Gorge, I personally have had two incidents on a 5th line Fuel where attempting to wrap my lines turned into a problem. Both times, while trying to wrap the 5th line enough to flag the kite, the kite powered up, ripped the bar/lines out of my hands and taking me for a ride while doing the dreaded death spiral toward the Hood River bridge. This might have been avoided if I got hold of the 5th line and worked my way up it as fast as possible.
Another personal testament to having a proper safety leash: The second time this happened was when the wind picked up very quickly and the kite ended up pulling me through the water by my leash. While struggling to keep my head above water and pull myself to the bar, the leash ring broke where it attached to my harness. I was thanking God for this, because the leash did not have a release on it and I was skipping across the water, exhausted, and a long way from reaching the bar.
Aaaahhhh, the joys of learning to kite in the Gorge Smile

shastadogs2 · Since 28 Mar 2005 336 Posts Obsessed

good threads (like this one) make you think about what you do and why.

off kihie last year, my trusty 11m blew up in a gust, sort of looked like a sick sea-gull in the air for a second or two and augered in. swam the whole mess in, maybe 1/3 mile. got some help at the end which was much appreciated.

the kite was floating on its struts, the le bladder blew when the seam seperated. i just chose to sort it out on shore, it worked out.

if you are a wrapper, i think its good not to kick your feet.

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Apr 22, 08 11:27 am

mack · Since 08 Aug 2006 29 Posts Hood River, OR

wrap that shit up!

you can use the bar like a lever to end over end the line.

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J.P. · Since 10 Mar 2005 638 Posts Addicted

It's depends completely on the location.
If it's a busy beach, wrap them up.

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

sometimes I get scared looking at my kites, even when folded up in their bags...

The slightest mistake can turn a fun day into a deadly "adventure" Shocked

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

I was out on my '06 9M Waroo a few hours ago, and the wind got weird and scary high....see the graph....geeez! I didn't even want to get close to shore, so I brought it down in shallow water, just for the fun of practicing the self-rescue procedure. I brought the kite down to the water at the edge of the window, and hit the quick-release, letting the bar slide up the rear line reride. The kite spiraled about 6 times, as it drifted into the downwind position, and just would not settle down in the 43 MPH gusts, but kept doing the "alligator death twist", exerting enough force, at times, to almost pull me off my feet. These were great conditions to give a real life test to self-rescue theory, so I decided to play around with the 2 techniques. Even though I have done (mostly for practice) well over a hundred self-rescues, I learned some things today, about self-rescueing in extreme conditions. First, if you are standing in shallow water, and the kite is jumpy, you don't want to do the "one-line" self-rescue. I have 30 feet of spectra leader line on my old-fashioned rear line reride safety system and with both hands, I could not keep it from sliding rapidly through my hands. In deep water, I think that I could have worked my way to the bar, but not while standing in shallow water. This is due to the fact that the standing kiter, as opposed to the floating kiter, has a lot more force exerted on his hands, and this force is instantaneous... even the nice thick smooth leader line would burn my hands. I would not even consider grabbing a thin kite line, even for a few seconds, under these radical conditions, let alone, planning to make the one minute long trip all the way up to the kite. Just to make it easier, I ended up belaying my way to the kite, by hooking the leader line under the hook.

So, from this experience, I have ruled out the use of the "one-line" technique, when self-rescueing in shallow water, in "radical" worse-case conditions. I used the "wrap it up" method, and I was very happy to have the bar in my hands, when the extreme gusts made the kite jump.

The other possibly valuable observation I made while winding up the lines on the bar, using the "wrap it up" technique was, that, it is better to go "slow-and-sure" to get to the kite, than it is to "get to the kite fast". I would present the argument that, under extreme wind conditions, the kiter can not afford to make any mistakes, and that by going slow and taking the care to double check every component of the procedure, that the kiter will be more likely to arrive at the kite, without adverse incident. The thought of a kiter trying to "speed" his way to the kite under the conditions I experienced, gives me the creeps, as I picture a severe gust hitting the kite, while the kiter is caught half-way up the line, and not able to let go quickly enough, what has, basically turned into a bandsaw.

Another observation I made has to do with the fact that at about 35 Knots, spray blows off the surface of the water, and up, out of the water, with the spray, comes the possibility of flying loose lines, and even that board, that was supposed to stay under the surface, and act as a drag. For those of you, who were at the Spit last July, on that Sunday, and then the following Wednesday, you know the conditions, that I am alluding too. These extreme conditions are the conditions that will test your self-rescue technique, and quickly show you in the cruelest way, the flaws in your technique. I would definitely prefer the "wrap it up" technique in these conditions, because the kiter has the ability to control his lines, and keep any loose lines to his leeward. If the wind increases to the point that the kiter fears drowning, then the kiter can, out of desperation, release the whole rig, without fear that any trailing lines will snag him.

Even though I have trained using both the "one-line" and the "wrap-it-up" techniques, and find them both valuable, I think that I would have to favor the "wrap it up" technique, as the go-to technique for the most extreme conditions... and that if a kiter is only going to learn and religiously practice only one technique, it should be the "wrap it up" technique.

I have found that, as a general rule in kiteboarding, that desperation combined with speed is a recipe for disaster. I view the thought of racing up one line to access the kite before the impending and unpredictable next gust slams the kite into action, as a violation of this rule.

I think that the "wrap it up" method is the method that would work best in the most extreme of circumstances, and have so voted. The "one line" method has a lot of nice features, but when the "wolf is at the door" I want the big gun, not just an OK gun.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Did you just follow your leash line to the bar and then wrap the below the bar part of the leash line followed by all 4 lines?

Thanks for posting your experience, interesting observations. I've found the front line oh-shit handle to work a lot better and not cause as many problems especially if you bring the kite to the side of the window where the oh-shit handle is (e.g. oh-shit handle on right front line means you should bring kite to the right edge before letting bar go). I've used this technique for self-landing my Havoc at RR in 40mph winds and it worked without any problems as usual. That's probably what I would do in the water as well if I had to.

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

I think you are saying that the front line oh-shit-line is on top with the kite is just above the ground at the edge of the window. Pulling the release makes the kite flop right onto the ground, leading edge down and facing upwind as it should. Things go wrong real fast however, if you have the kite on the wrong side of the window: it will fall on its back and sprial and blow downwind of you, and you basically have to wrap your lines up to get to the kite.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Interesting...didn't know you could make it flop face down by having the oh-shit line on top.

No, I meant the frontline oh-shit should be on the bottom. This makes the tips of the kite face the sky and the kite floats back into the window a bit, but gently. Then it just sits there in the U shape as if someone was holding it (with no power). All of these issues are probably kite specific so figure out what works best for your kite.