The question is; how do you guys who don't use one get away with it?

I've worn one since day one, basically as habit from my lessons, I've gone without before, but when I crashed the kite, I sank and got dragged underwater, couldn't surface so I had to punch out on the safety.

I don't mind wearing the vest, but I see the majority of kiters don't wear them, so I really need to know how you guys can kite, crash etc and not wear one.

What's the secret?

Between the buoyancy from the seat harness and wetsuit I'm happy without one, though I will probaby go back to wearing mine when it warms up enough to lose the wetsuit.

Plus on days like today I might where it where the weather conditions take me a lot closer to the edge of my comfort zone. Shame I'm working, could have been interesting out there today.

OceanFire, I know what you mean... I started off wearing a more 'learner friendly' life vest, a mailstorm. I found that this was pretty horrible, because no matter how tight I wore it, when I lay back in the water (which you do all the time as a learner) it would ride up and really got in the way.

It's great for buoyancy and (I personally found) not very good for mobility. This may be restricted to me/shape of my body etc.

The vest in question was:


I decided that seeing as I couldn't actually waterstart and I was only going out in wind with an onshore component, I did away with the vest.

Once I started waterstarting, I realised I was very quickly (and not always due to my choosing) I was out deeper than I'd like without a vest. I decided I needed a KB friendly vest, so I invested in one of these:



Designed for Kitesurfing, and gives some floatation, not much but reduces the amount of treading one needs to stay afloat. I find this coupled with my 3mm wetsuit is a good compromise of buoyancy vs. mobility.

I anticipate in due course getting something more beefy as and when I'm brave enough to go much further off shore and/or in higher winds etc. something like the below:



But for now, my NPX impact vest works just fine.

I can think of only two options. Either you're a sinky kind of guy (big bones), or you're just not comfortable in the water.

You've been around seabreeze for a couple of years. That is a long time to be a "progressing noob". Maybe you're not cut out for doing stuff in the water.

I'm pretty lean and not all that buoyant. Staying afloat is not an issue. I have been in and around the ocean for decades so I am not at all fussed about floating low in the water, or body dragging with my face under water.

I never "tread" water like we did as kids at swimming lessons at school. I guess my legs are always moving a bit but it's an automatic movement. I am not actively doing anything to keep my head above water.

I have worn a vest in the past. Once it rode up and was choking me. That is the only time I have been in the water and thought I was going to die.

More recently I was out on my raceboard in dodgey conditions and wearing a vest. I crashed the kite and it was quite pleasant just sitting there in the water, bobbing along and waiting for a gust to relaunch my kite.

Good tip if your wearing a bouancy/impact vest wear a rashie over the top pulled down under your harness ,stops the vest from riding up and keeps your vest mint.

Where do you kite?
Couldn't have been me, I float well with the vest, and without, except when getting dragged underwater by the kite

Chris6791 said...
Plus on days like today I might where it where the weather conditions take me a lot closer to the edge of my comfort zone. Shame I'm working, could have been interesting out there today.

I retract this statement. 40+ knots up here today, if I was crazy enough to go out not even a vest would save my sorry arse.

I dropped in at the lagoon at Yanchep today for cheap Rosies Chicken , the place was closed and you couldn't see the reef/rock platform sheltering the lagoon at all.

Chris6791 said...
I dropped in at the lagoon at Yanchep today for cheap Rosies Chicken , the place was closed and you couldn't see the reef/rock platform sheltering the lagoon at all.

Maybe the waves had knocked some abalone off the reef you could have had instead

If the boards on your feet it can act as a rudder, keep it angled up toward your kite so it wont pull you down.

Also take a big breath in your lungs and you will lift up. Relax also!

Only time I've ever had a drama is fresh water and wakeboarding in shorts, Everyone floats in the ocean!

Cheers for the advice guys, hanging out for this ****ty weather to pass so I can see how I go without the security blanket.

I'm pretty use to it from my wakeboarding days but mostly keep wearing it when i'm kitting as an impact vest rather then a bouyancy vest.

With out it though I do feel pretty naked and free ;)