well...
was at melville and got caught way overpowered in the typical melville crappy conditions.... using my 8!
i bodydragged to the shore leaving my board to my trusting boyfriend (who recovered it with pure skill and style...hmmmm...)
a guy walking back up the beach with his kite was kind enough to drop his gear to give me a hand landing
i was getting lofted and needed to get the kite down fast
SO FAR SO GOOD
he grabbed the kite (sigh of relief) and i walked towards the shore with the lines now slack
next minute he accidently let go of the kite while turning it over resulting in the kite filling, looping .. going straight through the power zone with me getting slammed on the beach a number of times
went to release safety but managed to get the kite over the water and recovered
THEN...
take 2 (second verse same as the first!)
i walked back out (cursing under my breath) so i could attempt a second landing....
AND
OOOOps he did it again!!!
YES you heard me
he grabbed my kite and dropped it again and i went slamming and spiralling down the beach for a second time...
as if once wasnt enough!
eventually another guy came along and secured my kite
hmmmmm
having this happen on a beach near rocks, trees, roads, cars and houses is potentially life threatening....
whilst accidents happen do whatever it takes to secure a kite....
JUMP on it if you have to
(i can live with a tear in my kite... steve will buy me a new one)
at the end of the day if it all turns to crap, AT LEAST have the courtesy to come up and ask if they are ok!
sorry you had to see my temper, dont take it to heart... we can all learn from this
xxx
anyway now with my fractured hip and kneecap, we can all continue kiting merrily... NAAhhh just scratched up knees... im tough!

Hey Nonikkers,
Stop applying grease to the leading edge of your kite!

unhook right away NN, or get to that quick release if it all happens too soon

i had a scare myself on the weekend - light wind made it not too bad - bloody pigtail broke on my 16 after launching!!! glad the quick release worked let me tell you [}:)]

Perhaps you should get some lessons, especially regarding quick releases etc. Or some common sense (I ask myself why would you try to land your kite ((in overpowered, gusty conditions)) to the same clown who let it go on the first attempt). Grow a brain.

I call shananagans!

Waveslave - No hang ups and I dont see it as snobbery maybe just a little strange, do you actually refuse help to land/launch? I gather you never Kite Melville.

I hear you on the human error thing but I personally feel way more comfortable with someone assisting I just keep my eye on them the hole time if I,m suss - also with my finger on the release.

I suggest to all the newbies go for assited where you can. ever had a loop or knot form around your stopper ball? or a half hitch around one line and a piggy tail. this can easily happen (has to me) while you are walking to your bar or taking up slack to self launch with the wind flapping lines everywhere

my thoughts

religously practice self landings when wind is under 20knts if nothing more than to give the old quick release a work out, but then again, i've got the wide open spaces of leighton to do it in. would not really recommend for places like gusty bay

NN

IHMO 5th lines are best for self landing.

If you use someone else to help land - (and even your most trusted BF can still trip and drop your kite) - then be ready to pull QR until your kite is on the ground LE into wind with board/sand on it. Probably best to unhook as soon as the lines go slack (but keep a leash on).

From my light aircraft experience - a common time for accidents is right at the end of a flight when you start to relax. Approaching the runway - you begin to think about a beer in the bar - and wham - engine cuts out/wind gust picks up one wing/another aircarft taxis out onto runway in front/you forget to put undercarriage down or (as happened to a Korean guy out of Jandakot two years ago) you run out of fuel and land upside down in someone's backyard.

It ain't over till its in the kitebag.....

Went to check out Melville yesterday , as there was no wind at peli and i have to say people seemed to have no problem self landing there kites there yesterday .
Oh come to think about it the kites yesterday weren't landing they were fulling out of the sky .

quote:

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Originally posted by PsYLoR

I agree with you PaulG, maybe we just see it as more of a social sport we can do with our mates (kiting mates) & have a great time. Not as an i dont need your help, its every man for himself thing.
Having mates that you trust to help you lauch & land makes your kiting experience that much more fun & enjoyable IMO.

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until....you find yourself all alone on a beach somewhere without ever having practiced using your QR and self landing

I THINK THERE HAS BEEN TWO DAYS OF NO WIND AND EVERYONE HAS GONE MAD AND MISSED THE POINT
NN FIND THE GUY THAT LET GO OF UR KITE TWICE AND SLAP HIM DOWN.
WHAT AN IDIOT.
TELL HIM THAT IN FUTURE HE SHOULD NEVER OFFER TO HELP IF HE CANNOT DO THE JOB.
HELL I HAVE ASKED GRANNYS WALKIN ALONG THE FOOTPATH IN THE PAST AT MELLVILLE AND MAJESTIC BAY TO CATCH MY KITE, ONE GRANNY JUMPED ON THE BUGGER AND LAYED ON IT TILL I RAN OVER AND TOOK IT OFF HER HANDS, SHE WAS DAMMED IF SHE WAS GONNA LET IT GET AWAY...
HONESTLY HOW CAN SOMEONE JUST LET IT SLIDE AWAY......
UNLESS IT IS A DEVILISH PLOY AGAINST YOU NN, IS THERE ANY ENEMIES IN THE SKY???