hey all, i was kiting on wallis lake near forster on sunday morning in heavy rain when coming down from a jump i felt what i thought was a pinched nerve in my neck causing my arms tingle & contract..
this happened 4 times about a mtr or so from the water when landing a jump.the last one i felt through my whole body starting at my feet!!! that one made me get off the water... it was heavy rain & big black clouds everywhere.i didnt see any lightning & it felt like it came from the water to me,not from the clouds...
was this heavy static from clouds to water & i made an easy link or what???
has this happened to anyone else???
i know lach at nobys had this happen 12 mths ago just before it rained..
cheers
daz
newcastle.

Ask Benjamin Franklin.

the Hindenburg* version of seconds from disaster showed that blimps collected static when travelling and when touching the ground the people securing it some times would be delivered huge static shocks.
the idea was that the friction caused the build up on the canvas. i don't see how it would differ from kitting.
*how ever you spell it

Death is Mother Nature's way of telling you to get off the water when an electrical storm is pending.

I always find it entertaining that kiters feel the need to stay on the water attached to a really large lightening conductor in conditions that would have golfers running for cover, but perhaps these are the genes Darwin was referring to in his theories of evolution.

i'd prefer not to get that close to a poleboarder, even if it is to avoid being fried

You don't need to be kiting in or directly under a thunderstorm to be hit by lightening, it can often spurt out the sides. But sounds like your building up static electricity. Two things to remember, If your wet ( saturated) electricity will travel throught the water on the outside of your body rather than the inside, hence if you manage to get struch by lightening and your allready wet , you are far better of, and as for the static, if you carrying anything flamible it could catch alight , if the charge build up enough your muscles they can uncontrollable twitch ie you could send your kite looping and cause more damage, and you can get burnt where it leaves your body.

The thing I would be far more concerned with is the wind. You are far more likely to get smashed by a violent gust near low dark clouds or in the vicinity of thunderstorms than actually hit by lightening. these gusts can come in the complete opposite wind direction but what is the absolute worst of all are any gusts that are from up or down drafts as they will loft you vertically and pretty much render any kites depower ineffective as the wind carries the kite straight up or just drop the kite and case irratic/ inversions /bow ties / tangles and all sorts of bad thing in a 30kt gust which in turn can render your depower and some safety systems useless aswell

Yo Luke .Are you back for Summer?Any more kids in tow?

Cheers

Lach

quote:

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Originally posted by swiss cheese

Getting buzzed, Lach and I should know Dixon Park, southerly buster Black clouds charging up the coast from Dudley Beach me on the water having the pinched nerve feeling, Lach waving me in to the beach. Me thinking F*** its going off what does he want!!!!!! also thinking **** what a strange feeling. I come in and dump my kite.
I see Lach getting lifted on the beach so I go and help, what do I see coming out from his feet long white bolts going into the ground. Lach lets go of his kite PeterLynn Proto Arc.The bar goes the kite as well and for a split second more white light between hands and bar.
Now that we are older would we do it again?????? THE WIND HERE HAS MORE HOLES IN IT THAN SWISS CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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its a static charge built up from your lines and kite, just install a few static wicks on your kite and your fine (ROFL), whats what aircraft do to prevent static build up ;)

I have had shocks through the control bar, a few times when a high is approaching on the sunshine coast QLD from the NW only. Not directly from lighting but static. Static through moving helecopter blades can reach 50,000 V, so just the constant friction of kites in the right atmospheric conditions can create low votage levels enough to give the kiter a static shock. Well I'm not sure and well I, er just made that up, but I think It sounds reasonable and could be true or false.