There was a storm coming over the Bay Sunday arvo, Dark cloud and the wind picked up quite quickly.

Got a nice static zap out at Brighton Sunday arvo about 3.30-4pm. I was jumping and on landing I recieved a mild tingle thru my leg that retouched the water.

I could see about 10 kiters out at Doll's and not long after they all came in.

Anyone else get zapped?

got a zap myself - i popped a tiny air and i could feel it under my board and i'm sure i heard something as well. i turned back and came straight in. a minute or two before there were at least a dozen kites out when i landed two guys came in after me and that was it.
so whose got the scientific explanation for these zaps?

Jimmyz .... now that would make a NICE video

Static Electricity 101
As a storm front moves in, friction between tiny water and ice particles in clouds, generates static electricity. The smaller particles pick up a positive charge, and the larger particles pick up a negative charge. Updrafts push the smaller positively-charged particles towards the top of the cloud, leaving the negative charges concentrated at the bottom. Your kite is moving through the negative charge, and the charge collects on the kite (it is like a very big capacitor). The lines are wet with salt water and conduct the static. So static discharges can be heard and felt (several thousand volts). Bad news is that your kite and lines are made out of plastic materials that melt - the static discharge "zaps" can burn small holes. Don't leave it till the last moment to land your kite when a storm approaches. The static effect can precede the storm by 30 - 60 minutes.

Hi Didi good explanation. I don’t think you turn into a capacitor until you jump. Only once have I had static discharge at my harness when sailing around and that was when the harness was dry. It can be hard to tell when there is lots of static in the air and often you only find out when you get a shock. I always Land my kite ASAP and keep it low after getting shocked

orb74 said...

Holy moly Didi! Do you know what would happen if lightning struck you kite? By the sounds of it you are saying that we are basically flying lightning conductors around???

I have been kiting in bad weather every day for the last 3 weeks? Is it any time there is rain and wind around then? Or only when you can actually see lightning around?

Orb, have you checked if your AKSA membership covers you for lightning strikes and stonefish stings? A kite betty with nursing qualifications may be advisable.

Stormclouds with lightning have that menacing look. If you hear thunder in the distance or see lightning, get your kite down ASAP. If lightning strikes your kite you will definitely need a new kite, only you won't be able to use it cos you'll probably be dead. In my experience you'll have the static zap thing with an airborne kite quite a while before you hear the thunder starting up in the distance.

Kiting in rain and wind (ie no thunder or lightning) is no drama, apart from the gusty and unpredictable nature of the wind during squalls. And the fact that you get to take home a wet and sandy kite (how long does it take to dry a kite with a hair dryer when it hasn't stopped raining for three weeks? ).