Hi All,

Can anyone give advise on easiest, safest & most kite friendly self landing technique for the Switchblade3?

I've just come over from an old Crossbow that I used to do the 'flip' with. The Crossbow had a front line attachment for the leash. The SB only seems to have the oh sh*& handles as flagging lines.
I was happy to do the 'flip' with the safety on the top front line cause when I got it wrong it just rolled back through the window (a little bit of a bugger to untangle, but no drama). I don't think the SB3 flagging to a back line will be as relaxed if the 'flip' goes bad.
I've seen youtube vids of the dive from 3-4m up approach but it just looks a bit vicious on my nice near-new toy.

*** by 'flip' I mean drop down to the edge of the window, grab the top front line & pull it over***

I'm sure you guys are self landing these things so what is the best technique?


Advice appeciated,
Thanks.

I have a 12m SB3 and do the following.

Before I plan to come to shore I move the safety clip to the flagging line which is on your left.

Next I depower and fly kite to window edge, yank on centre lines, if the kite does not go upside down immediately (I also pull on the back line in lighter winds) I release from the chicken loop and kill it to 1 line.

Yea, in all those vids you only see the perfect landings for marketing purposes. The wind in that vid is not very strong, and I do not recommend his method for high winds.

Practice in light winds.

You can also just forget about even trying to fly to window edge and just release to 1 line when in doubt.

The method shown in the previous video (moon guy) seems to be quite straight forward. I also have a SB2 and have wanted to see a straight forward approach to landing these suckers. Thanks

Mate use a sandbag or some other solid object with a carabiner attached, and clip your chicken loop to it while kite is at the edge of the window over either sand or water, over-ride stopper popped off. Then release the bar, unclip your safety & walk up to kite and restrain it.

have a look through the past threads, we have discussed this a few times.

IMHO, this is the only safe way to self land and launch the SB3 in "strong winds" (25+ knots).....all the dive it down methods rely on the kite staying still on the sand.....I think this is questionable once the wind gets near 30 knots, especially if the sand is smooth.

Just finished 3 weeks at Lizard in winds ranging from 18knots (min) to 35knots (max we rode in) on the SB3 8m and this was the technique we were using every day. No problems. In 35kn the kite is leaping around a bit and I wouldn't like to try in much stronger than that.

Andy

Buy one of these http://www.rapidanchor.com/wombat/ and screw it into the ground (takes all of about 60 seconds max) and attach a rope with a carabiner to it so you have more flexibility in moving around. It holds 400kg's, you can self land in confidence without worrying about the sandbag moving. If a gust is strong enough to snap the 400kg breaking point, then you probably don't want to be holding the lines or still attached to the kite because thats one big &^$# gust.

As a bonus, its also Aussie designed and made so you can feel patriotic about your purchase.(in WA too)

Saffer said...

Buy one of these http://www.rapidanchor.com/wombat/ and screw it into the ground

Screw this sh1t. ^^^

This gay hardware will get kiting banned.
It's not a fken wombat, it's a steel auger.
A wombat is cute and furry....
and it eats, roots and LEAVES.
This piece of sh1t is left in the sand to rust on our public beaches.
Don't litter the natural environment.

waveslave said...

Saffer said...

Buy one of these http://www.rapidanchor.com/wombat/ and screw it into the ground

Screw this sh1t. ^^^

This gay hardware will get kiting banned.
It's not a fken wombat, it's a steel auger.
A wombat is cute and furry....
and it eats, roots and LEAVES.
This piece of sh1t is left in the sand to rust on our public beaches.
Don't litter the natural environment.

And pray tell us how this gets left in the sand to rust? You screw it in before you ride and you unscrew it when you leave. At $70 its hardly something you're just going to leave behind to rust.

How will this result in bans? When a 400km/h gust hits and rips it out of the ground and takes out a passer by who happens to be walking in said 400km/h winds? Of course, your kite (which you ride leashless) would never go flying in said gust of wind because you'll happily hold onto it because you're a real man and real men can hold onto their kites in 400km/h gusts.

If you really want to fly natural, lets see you move to environmentally friendly and bio-degradable kites and boards.

Your statements are as unsubstantiated and baseless as are the rest of your testosterone induced babble.

Saffer said...

Buy one of these http://www.rapidanchor.com/wombat/ and screw it into the ground (takes all of about 60 seconds max) and attach a rope with a carabiner to it so you have more flexibility in moving around. It holds 400kg's, you can self land in confidence without worrying about the sandbag moving. If a gust is strong enough to snap the 400kg breaking point, then you probably don't want to be holding the lines or still attached to the kite because thats one big &^$# gust.

As a bonus, its also Aussie designed and made so you can feel patriotic about your purchase.(in WA too)

I bought two of these rapid Anchors because most of the areas that I expected to Kite, I would have to launch & land myself.

I have used the anchors while learning to control my 14mtr kite and apply the official lessons I have had so far.
This seemed like a better alternative to learning than being dragged all over the countryside.

I now have a huge respect for the power inflicted by my kite (without causing injury to me or others).
This also resulted in having two rapid anchors with shafts bent like bananas!!

(before you ask, YES I did have the anchors screwed into the sand right down to the shackle point.)

Having said that, the anchors did NOT pull out of the sand but i have had to "beef" up the shafts with 3/4" steel water pipe.

I have not had the chance to try out the modification yet.

The point of my post?

(a) The anchors will hold a kite (evenwhile powered).
(b) The anchors will probably be bent after a couple of sessions (making it hard to wind into the sand.
(c) The anchors can be lost on the beach if not well marked...how do I know this ??
(d) The anchors can be diffiult to set in all but pure sandy beaches (no buried rocks etc.)
(e) They are awkward and sharp to add to your kite kit, (misplaced the nice plastic caps on the first outing) , as well as the extra weight.

(d) I consider them an asset to my kit for use as a self launch land helper.

Regards
The Fossil

If you rely on sandbags and other devices and don't bother with learning other techniques, are you not limiting yourself.

Are you going to carry one of those devices on your back when you do a down winder?
What about when you are travelling around? Do you then have to carry this extra bit of metal in your board bag?

Do you leave a bloody steel auger sticking out of the sand whilst you are on the water for hours? Sounds pretty irresponsible to me [}:)]

Not that irresponsible as it is Australian stuff.

Hate to ram a sepo or euro stick in our sand. Never liked sepo or euro surfboards either. Dont like their voices either [}:)]

great idea, steel booby traps in the sand. i can't wait til i stand on one

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the advice.
I'm having trouble viewing the Video (maybe I should be doing work instead!!!)
But can understand the advice given - thks Sunseeker.

I will try this next time. Basically as you say looks same as the IDS system.

In response to the anchor & shackle idea - I've tried & don't like this much. It seems pretty safe & surefire, but a bit cumbersome.

Thanks all,
CJ

I use the wombat in Gero - 12m kite only had it pull out on me once when only one stake was in so always screw down 2 now, on angles to each other and connect them up.

I also bought a little flag (pirate flag) from the 2 buck shop and taped it to the top so it is easy to spot and not walk on.

seems to do the trick.

Saffer said...

Are you using wombats or dog stakes and are screwing them straight down in ground all the way down till only about 5cm is showing?

lol.
2" of eco-nasty steel sticking up out of the sand so you can stub your big toe.
Nice.

I am using the wombat, I was at sep point had it right up against the dune (was a bit soft) but on the same angle as the dune so I guess Kite could pull it... had to move it towards dune as cars come through and there was random mass weed

It was wound down till only the flag was poking out and the d-shackle. (top inch+ 1/2)

There was a fair bit of weed at sep point which as the kite was sitting on the window bounced up then caught the wind snagged one of the lines on the weed as I was walking towards it to flip it and it . I had my hand on one line which pulled through nearly slicing hand (just string burns)

So my lesson flat compacted ground at 90deg to kite pull, flags save stubbed toes, and tyres! but don't stop people coming up to inspect it and kick it to see what it is - the flag draws attention both ways - I leave all my gear surrounding it but curious buggars still want to toe poke it!

Saffer said...

waveslave said...

Saffer said...

Are you using wombats or dog stakes and are screwing them straight down in ground all the way down till only about 5cm is showing?

lol.
2" of eco-nasty steel sticking up out of the sand so you can stub your big toe.
Nice.

Oh my god, call the police, someone is leaving 2" of metal sticking of the ground with a bag next to it and a long piece of line attached...the blind people are going to trip and their guide dogs might just stub their paw.

Its no more risk than someone leaving their board or bag on the beach to trip over. Its not like its not visible with a tag, long line and carabiners attached.

Hey Saffer,
Maybe you should go back to kiteschool and get a guru to teach you how to land a kite in strong wind.
Oneday you might get blown down to a different beach from where you launched....
and you won't be capable of landing your kite,
cause you won't have your rusty wombat.
lol.