Sounds like the instructor didn't like it when he couldn't make a sale of his brand after the lesson.

I did

Its not the C kite thats unsafe, its the person using it.

I still think there is too much emphasis and general promotional bullsh!t by manufacturers, shops etc that the new(est) kites are SUPERSAFE. Look at this wind range, how safe it this kite yadda yadda.

A C kite in the hands of a well trained learner is MUCH safer than a talked up Bow kite in the hands of a donkey.

So the bow kite has more depower? ok, this puts in the mind of many people that you can use it in any situation. Like the guy i saw on the weekend kiting in offshore winds. I mention to him that maybe he should think twice about where he uses his kite. "oh its ok" he says, its a 2008 <brand> which is super safe, the shop told me that this years model was the safest so far. Bollocks buddy. All kites are equally dangerous.

It some ways the C kite "might" be safer, because after you get spanked a few times you realise what dangers you are putting yourself in, unlike newer kites where you can "get" away with bad decisions, keep taking more and more risks becuase its been fine in the past and hey presto, offshore wind kiting claims another donkey!

Sorry all this talk of C kites being unsafe is rubbish.

Accidents happen for alot of reasons, but the most common that I see are people going out when they are overpowered for the conditions.

Saw a newbie out the other day on a 9m sle, I was on a 7m sle, but he must have had the fact drummed into his head that bow type kites have massive wind ranges so should be fine in strong winds.

Sorry but when newbie get overpowered there first natural reaction is to pull harder on the bar, which as we all know powers up any kite, bows even more so.

He did and only after he had taken a beating realised that letting go of the par is what makes an sle safe. Granted that this action is safer on sle than C, but pulling safety does same thing.

The other major problem people have is setting up their lines wrong, back lines on front of kite and so on.

Both of these common problems can be solved by good instruction.

The reasons that most instructor push sle is that students do progress faster on them, fact.

jjd said...

...apparently he says an instructor told him that the kite is "unsafe"!

Yeah, I wonder if the instructor didn't say they're 'not as safe'. Can easily see this being misinterpreted back to you.

Anyway I learnt on a 2003 fuel with a safety release and it... oh nevermind, you get the picture.

koma said...

Started off with a Naish Aero2 12m 4-line and copped a few beatings. I've had a reasonable amount of kiting experience over the years so the beatings were minimised due to proper instruction and a modicum of knowledge of the safety systems of the kite. Still, after one mild concussion after landing head-first on a sandbar i decided it was time to buy a Bow/SLE and ended up with an '06 Instinct. Since then i've progressed in leaps and bounds instead of loftings and beatings.

Am currently retrofitting a 5'th line kite to my Naish Aero2 as i love that balls to the wall grunt that thing delivers compared to the well mannered Instinct.
FWIW my last lesson was on an '06 Fuel, and i thought it was a great kite to learn on!

I really like my 5th line kites and i love my B&W tv too! Nah.. but I do like my 5th line Cs and I agree most newbies in a gust etc are going to hoik in the bar instincively on any kite...

Yep i am getting my old Aero 10m sewn up as 5th line as we type for a mate to tool about on (big board small kite - remeber that philosophy??) They are BtoW kites alright!!

Similar thing happened to me on the weekend. I was going for kite at a secret/safety spot, as I'm putting my wetty on a guy pulls up next to me.

Mr. X say's. You going kiting?
Yep. I says.
Mr. X. What kite you putting up?
9mtr. I said.
Mr. X What type?
Slingshot.
Not a C kite I hope! It's too windy for a C.
No it's a new Rev.
Do they have a bridle? (its hobbits land down here, unless you ride a Airrush the locals don't want to know you)
Yep.
That’s good; you could only ride a bridled kite today. Too windy for a C "again"

He was being good about it (I think maybe just feeing me out to see if I was kook) but he was serious about it being to windy for a C kite? I have just gotten new kites 7,9 &13 Rev's but I know I would have fine on my old 06 C kite.

Admittedly it was 25 to 30knots so quite strong, but I think people are so quick to get on this 100% depower thing and they think they are safe in anything.

Gerard.

Harden up.

C kites arent any more dangerous than Bow kites. Especiallywhen learners get a false sense of security and put up way to much kite for the conditions. I went out City Beach last night and there were a heap of learners with 12m Bows up. That is dangerous. It was 7-9m weather and learners should always err on the side of caution.

coreyb said...

Harden up.

C kites arent any more dangerous than Bow kites. Especiallywhen learners get a false sense of security and put up way to much kite for the conditions. I went out City Beach last night and there were a heap of learners with 12m Bows up. That is dangerous. It was 7-9m weather and learners should always err on the side of caution.

I must admit that I experienced this phenomenon first hand at Easter time this year. In winds that had me on my 8M Nemesis, there were 2 relative beginners out with 14M (IIRC) Waroos. Both on max depower the whole time, with the canopy flapping like a plastic bag in a cyclone. I remember commenting to a mate at the time that these 'safe' kites are obviously promoting some pretty poor choices when it comes to deciding what to put up.

i'm with the pornstar. I have been spanked more in nuking conditions on a hybrid than a c. I always feel like i have more control on my 5 line c, and i know that if i pull the safety, the c kite is straight on its back and powerless, where as the hybrid would flag, and spin around and rip you downwind. I've snapped the flaging line a couple of times on the hybrid as well. I think the hybrids are overated. I learnt on the c, then gave the hybrid a go because of all the hype. I'm back to using a c full time now. Just my 5 cents worth.

NJPornstar said...

waveslave said...

C-kites are unsafe.
In three years from now, you won't see any.

Yeh and you wont see any more manual vehicles in 3 years from now.
Too hard changing gears

Paragliders have basically more C shape these days cause its more stable in extreme situations. They successfully pass more safety tests.

Well sure,
You can always put lipstick on the pig.
Get yourself a c-kite, tack on a dumb 5th line, stick on a smart loop,
but the reality is.....
you can't polish a turd.
lol.