It's easier and safer to get others to launch and land your kite. Takes a couple of moments out of your time, quit moaning.

Your probably one of those people who will come in when its 20 knots with everyone around on the beach and self land anyway, screw it up and get dragged into carpark.

What if no one is around and your out of control and your kite lands like a powering propeller and all you know is to hang on to one of the lines and wrap it around your self.

Having the kite rigged to easily self land your kite in overpowering conditions seems like a good idea. Cuts out human error from the assistant.

Spacemonkey! said...

It's easier and safer to get others to launch and land your kite. Takes a couple of moments out of your time, quit moaning.

i'd have to question this... most of my bad launches have been while ive been "assisted" ... sometimes whether i wanted to be or not. [}:)] at times the helper gets distracted, or plain just not paying attention. launching before your ready, with a line twist... whatever.

hardly ever had a screwed up self-launch. launch it when youre ready, no-one elses judgement added into the mix.

and selflanding isnt really a problem either, especially if youre using a fifth line c kite. but theyre dissappearing.

but, if you see someone who obviously having trouble launching or landing, give em a hand... only takes a minute.

Kitehard said...


Have to disagree, I haven't seen too many assisted landings go wrong, but I've seen plenty of self landings go wrong. Always ask for help if there is help at hand (preferably someone who knows kiting).

fair enough, but how many assisted launches have ya seen go bad?

and yeah, landing is nicer if ya got someone to catch it... but launching ??? i dont know about that.

i believe on that kite you can attach you c-loop to a heavy object.. for me i use a big log thats on the beach... walk your kite out to the edge of the window and place kite on its wingtip standing upright. if you have enough wind the kite will just sit there, bouncing around a bit until you unhook from the weight, hook in, sheet in a bit and fly the kite up. easy.
this also gives you lots of time to see that the lines are all ok.
and you should hook your safety to the weight as well as your c-loop.

I would sometimes prefer to be launched by a person who is not a kiter, they are petrified of letting go of kite before you are postioned properly.

Some experienced kiters just let go when they feel like it. Had my kite drift nearly 10 foot backwards into power zone, because they didn't wait for me to get far enough into the wind.

If I was a learner, could have ended badly.

The main reason I always get an assisted launch or land is because I don't want to damage my kites on all the shells on the beach.

kitehard ,
it is fair to say as a instructor that will advise your students the easiest way to L&L right ??? so if this be the case you are telling them to go waste someone elses time to be there kite bitch . as a kite instructor it seems to me that you are passing this problem of L&L on to some else and alot of the first time newbies ask anyone who pass by even if the passer by has never even seen a kite is this not highly dangerous . as an instructor you would know first hand how easy it is to self L&L . of course if someone was in trouble you would help but when you are asked evey five minutes it passes helping and it has become bad teaching . in 5 years of solid kiting in every condition wind i have never had a bad self L&L so am i lucky or have i learnt the right way. i go to the beach for kiting not to be ask to stop and help everyone who has one idea. if you cant L&L by your self you are a danger to yourself and others around you.
what if you go out and the wind picks up and you where never taught to land by yourself and theres no one around ?
what a crazy idea that would never happen .
all i'am saying is learn the most basic kiting for your own safety as well as others.
if something went wrong shouldn't the second thing taught be how to push the eject botton to get rid of the kite.
if you are that much of a new kiter should not the third thing that is taught be dont kite in the middle of alot of kiters it might be dangerous , oh yer but who will launch me
why would you be so against self L&L i thought you would be paid by the hour ? or is it about my school will get you up and planning faster than anyone. ?

Land your kite? why? Get yourself a doona and at the end of your session just tie it to a fence post, the auto-zenith will keep it in place till your next session, sorted.

Seabreeze Algebra:

Unclechops = Wave Knave

Unclechops + Wave Knave = Waveslave

unless you have a flexifoil atom 2008 in which case there is no way to flag to a single line (sigh)

unclechops you sound a bit like one off them selfish old grumpy farts that wants to kite by himself, land/launch himself, talk to himself and go home with himself...

Like most people that i kite with i can launch and land the kite without help but if someones around its just common sense to ask them or to help them out..

If thats not your thing then just find somewhere to kite by yourself so you can ingnore the rest of the kite population that don't mind helping others out..

jquigley ... the rebel is a peice of cake to launch and land, I launch and land my 14m on a very tricky very narrow beach with trees and houses very nearby (check my avitar) and have not had any trouble. I have a lanyard with a caribina attached I loop this around a sign pole and clip in the chicken loop walk down to the kite stand it on its edge go back to the sign post and hook in to my harness and put the safety on (for added safety you can pull the bar back on the bottom line and use something to hold it there). Back up a bit to take the load off the caribina and then unclip the caribena then pull 1 side and up she goes. You can do the reverse to land or just bring the kite down on the edge of the window. Pull the depower fully on first bring it down slowley at first then quickly for the las t 2 meters and pull on the top line hard and fast and the kite will drop down leading edge into the wind.

I have a new Ozone edge and I am still trying to work this out one out but the rebel is a real predictable so its quite safe. You can also use the c kite technique of folding over the wing tip and piling on sand if you have enough beach one of those stands that screw into the sand would be good to clip into for self landing and launching.

I don't mind helping others but agree with the comment that everyone should learn.
I have had 1 bad experience self landing, but i had a broken line and was trying to self land as there was nobody else on the beach, everyone was on the water.
....ease up uncle chops, one of the good things about this sport is the comradery thet exists between kiters. I take it from your poor use of engrish that were you come from mateship and comradery doesn't exist, perhaps it would be easier to go back there for a kiting holiday and far less stressful for you as well. That ray everyone there can tell you to Peice off if you need a hand. and you could be a happy kiter again.

"look at me im better than all of you; i dont want your help launching or landing and to make the point clearer im a **** to anyone who tries be friendly and share the kiting scene also im so fncking good i dont need lessons" cried unclechops in a pretend frustration disguised cry for attention

seriously man, how old are you and when was the last time someone was happy to see you for a reason other than you owe them money?

o yer and to correct you on your assumption, i can self land/launch, i have even taught a fair few people how to do so as well because when i go kiting im not a social recluse

but really if you say no to enough guys you can be sure the day you snap a line and your boards drifting out no one is going to give a ****

L AND L I LIKE THAT. WE JUST HAVN'T GOT ANY SAND WERE WE LIVE.
MIGHT TRY MY TECHNIQUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST NEXT.

its amazing to see in this day and age of the 200% depower, fast relaunch ,5 line, 4 line , bow , hybrid , bridle ,direct steering etc.etc. that some kite manufacture doesn't put in a selflanding button /line . this whole topic has been about L&L yourself and i can see from the replys that there are alot of people who cant . why don't you take the time to learn it's not hard, don't you think for your own saftey you should learn. the up side to this , is that you can go for a kite any time you want by yourself when ever you like.
if someone is in trouble of course you would help , but dont ask every time you want to land and launch just because you where to lazy to learn and feel that have the right to waste someone else time.
no matter what the out come of this topic, this on going problem has been bought to the attention of this forum readers and if one kiter takes 10 minutes to learn this basic task than this topic has served its purpose.
untill next time give peace a chance