I feel I need to say something about kiting in offshore conditions after witnessing yet another kiter becoming a small dot on the horizon as he floated helplessly out into the shipping lanes yesterday.

It was a crap squally NW'ly at Woodmans point, and some poor bugger put his kite down a fair way off the beach. He couldn't re-launch it, and started floating off. He then de-flated his leading edge and tried to swim the kite back. But by this stage he was really far, south of Woodmans, and a strong squall came in, He had no chance of swimming against it. Sea-rescue was called and hopefully the dude is ok!

I thought I would ask the forum for constructive ways to rescue yourself (or your mates) from this kind o situation. Cos we all like off-shore flat water conditions, and even the best put their kites down too.

Years ago I put my kite down in the middle of the harbour, couldn't relaunch, and had to swim my kite back. I pulled the kite to me, deflated the leading edge, rolled up the inflated struts from the wing tip. This created a nice rolled up inflatable bundle which in theory you can lie on and paddle. Paddling went well for about a minute, until the bundle started to unravel, collecting more and more drag and water until I had a huge sea anchor. Worst still all the lines had floated out and were all around me getting tangled around my flapping arms and legs. By the time I crawled onto the beach my ankles were tied together, my arm waswoven into the bundle, and I had one free arm to untangle myself- feeling like a real kook infront of a huge tour bus of photo-crazed asians, who had never seen a crazy swimming escape artist lying on a beach before.

What I learned should this happen again: Take a look around and decide just how long you are going to attempt to re-launch your kite. If you are confident you can do it, then carry on, hopefully you'll be body dragging your sorry ass back to the beach in good time. If you're still stuggling, and starting to drift too far, make a decision and act on it. Chances are no-one is going to help you. Pull your kite in,roll up bar and lines (tangled lines are the least of your problems), put them in the middle of your kite, deflate leading edge, roll up kite as tight as you can, then wrap your harness around the whole bundle to keep it together. put bundle on board, lie on top and paddle home.

Option 2: pull the kite to you, bundle up the bar and lines, grab the 2 kite wing tips, and point the kite towards shore. Hopefully the kite will pull you across the wind (and obviously downwind) back towards land. I've never done this before, but I'm sure it would work well- but no good if directly downwind of land...

Lets keep sea-rescue out of this guys, hope this helps, and let me know if theres any other ways to dig yourself outa the ****, I hate it when a good day goes bad...

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Originally posted by hi fliya

Years ago I put my kite down in the middle of the harbour, couldn't relaunch, and had to swim my kite back. I pulled the kite to me, deflated the leading edge, rolled up the inflated struts from the wing tip. This created a nice rolled up inflatable bundle which in theory you can lie on and paddle. Paddling went well for about a minute, until the bundle started to unravel, collecting more and more drag and water until I had a huge sea anchor. Worst still all the lines had floated out and were all around me getting tangled around my flapping arms and legs. By the time I crawled onto the beach my ankles were tied together, my arm waswoven into the bundle, and I had one free arm to untangle myself- feeling like a real kook infront of a huge tour bus of photo-crazed asians, who had never seen a crazy swimming escape artist lying on a beach before.


Option 2: pull the kite to you, bundle up the bar and lines, grab the 2 kite wing tips, and point the kite towards shore. Hopefully the kite will pull you across the wind (and obviously downwind) back towards land. I've never done this before, but I'm sure it would work well- but no good if directly downwind of land...

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I've tried both methods and In my opinion the first is the worst... I'm a poet and didnt even now it...

any way in the second method i body draged way down wind using the tips of the kite but i got in to shore...

bugga of a walk though...

method i use now, common sence and dont drop my kite... na seriously use your head, if you're desperate for a session and have to go out in off shore conditions with no other land mass downwind of you then you have to accept the possibility of this happening... you cant use Pt Walter as an example as I've done this and just walked around the river toward the city and then launched again and crossed the river...

If you've never dropped your kite, your not trying hard enough !
To hear your knee go POP ruins a kite trip !
Sucide leash's and onshore conditions are a interesting combination !
Broken ribs SUCK !

Dropped the green beast a little way out in a sideshore wind at Safety Bay a couple of weeks back. Had never done a self rescue before, so it was a tour of discovery. I found that I had to hold onto the trailing edge of the side that was in the water and the leading edge of the side that was in the air so that the kite headed across the wind in the right direction. For a bit there I had it the wrong way around and was heading out to sea. Just had to think for a minute 'how does the kite steer when it's flying?' and attach myself to the appropriate points.

I also let some pressure out of the leading edge to make it easier to get the tips together.

Clipped my board to my safety leash, letting the bar and lines trail behind me (they were already tangled from the drop), rested up on the strut and had a very relaxing ride in. Beat swimming. Might have tried something better with the bar and lines though, awful mess when I got in.

how bout getting a 5ht line setup and never have to worry about not being able to relaunch?