LEWISS said...I have recently been kiting with a helmet on, as well as a lifejacket (PFD type 1), a retractible leg rope, sunglasses, wetsuit and try to keep my mobile phone on me at all times in a waterproof bag.
I must say that I feel a lot safer, everyone should be taking this approach, before someone gets killed. I'm sure that everyone will have to agree with me in this major issue reguarding the safety and future of our lives.
Also having this on me, I am more confident to try new sick tricks, like the other day i nailed a dead man. everyone was watching, felt so good.
Remember: Safety FIRST
Before someone gets killed? There has been a lot of deaths in kiteboarding, most people know this and take it as an acceptible risk. If you need all of this extra gear to feel safe, maby your kiteboarding skills arent as good as they should be and with more practise your confidence will rise. Safety starts before you go to the beach checking your gear, when your setting up, making sure your safety works safe launching and landing. Allways kitting with other people and making sure you dont put others at risk.
Personally I feel uncomfortable wearing to much gear, i do wear a helmet on the slider but apart from that only a wetty when cold and my harness has a knife. Knowing my safetys work and practicing relaunch and self rescue plus knowing my limitations and never ridding alone i feel safe.
What happens on a big crash when your board leash tangles around your kite lines and then you end up with a arm or a leg stuck, lines have also got caught on all the extra clips on the life jacket and the kite is looping out of controll? Do you quickly pull out the phone in a dry moment and cal 000? if you can reach it.
What happened to you to make you take all of this extra gear did you have a kite mare and if so would any of the gear you now carry have made a difference?
