If anyone finds my kite, bar and lines please contact Clive on 0418 967 950. Was out at Woodman Pt alone at noon last Thurday in a 20 knot NE wind inside the most western bay, and the wind dropped to 12 knots as I was just out of my depth. Stupid I know but it was sooo good. So after trying to work upwind to no avail, and the point getting further and further away I made the heartbreaking decision to ditch my kite and save myself and my board. Even without the kite it still took forever to swim in.
Anyway, I notified HMAS Sterling later, as it was heading toward Garden Island when I left the carpark to drown my sorrows.
So, in the remote chance that someone stumbles across an 04 Fuel 15m black and red, with bar and lines still attached, give us a yell.
I guess this is also a warning to others of the dangers in offshore winds even if you're experienced.

Sincerely,

Clive (reward payable in Coopers)

S...t BB, someone will see it. Whether you get it back is another question. Yea, I would be very depressed too.

The wind this time of year s........cks big time if you do not know exactly what you are doing. But hey, sh...t happens, and good on ya for being out there.

Hope you get your big baby back.

Hoo Roo

Yea, ellery you can do all those things. However, sometimes you just stuff up and away she goes...has happend to me 2 times during learning stage..and as I'm always learning, I know it may happen again.

Assess your risk each time you go out and get self rescue lessons. And then go out and trash your kite and recover time and time again. You can reduce your probablity of kitemares by doing as much of it as possible....because each kitemare is the last one you want to every experience again.

Hoo Roo

Yeh, I've self rescued heaps of times in cross-on winds, and even if you don't paddle you'll still eventually float in, and you're right - rolling the gear up to reduce drag does speed the journey up abit.

However, the wind dropped just enough for me to get worried, but not enough to make the swim against it at all easy. I tried for about a minute swimming in with just the leash attached to the depowered kite in the water but I got nowhere and started to panic a little. Bitching cold too.
Tacking or body dragging upwind seemed fruitless, as in a NE wind my options were Rotto or somewhere towards Kwinana, and although the mainland seemed the obvious choice it's a frikkin long way and would of got gusty and unpredictable as I got closer to land. I tell ya, when you're in the water in an offshore in that situation, land is a long way away and a hell of an effort to get too. I don't regret my decision at all, as I'm here to kite another day, but if I get the kite back it'll be a very nice bonus.

hey sheppo,

how'd u keep the board positioned as a keel?

do u just hold it against your chet and lie sideways in the water?

io might give this a practice next time im out.
robbo.

i actually have the board on the upwind side of my body, with the board under my arm and my elbow between the straps and my hand holding the front strap (kinda hard to explain) but the board is on its side like a long fin.... with my downwind arm flies the kite.

the reason i have the board upwind is incase i get hit by a gust or somthing and get pulled off downwind, i wont be dragged over the board and get hurt...nor will the harness hook damage my lovely Naish TT

but yeah, i spose u just figure out ya own technique, as this style works for me.