Some of the 'accredited' teaching programs round the world teach deep water boat launch with student in the water > kite in the boat.
This is absolute garbage.Its extremely kite unfriendly considering the knobs & whistles that make up boat hardware and fittings.
Its extremely line unfriendly getting the boat safely to a crosswind launch position.
But most concerning is the no. & extent of dangers it can present to the kiter.
The most probable problem being the necessary certainty that the only object of danger - the boat - will be in a position which is exactly where the kiter may end up - at high speed - if the launch goes wrong. This is esp true in the very likely event that the launch ends up being a hot launch from a boat which is directly downwind. The boat will always drift downwind much faster than the kiter in the water.
The ONLY reasonable method is as per a standard drift launch:
- Rig the kite to bar & lines on shore with all the normal checks.
- Wrap up the deflated, pre-rigged kite with lines still attached.
- Using a high tech 'turbo launcher'
or the less sophisticated; but equally effective; lines in a bucket, condense your lines
from the bar end towards the kite.
- Now the whole kit is all nicely compact for travelling.
- In neutral or motor-off allow the boat to drift while launching.
- Pump the kite on the downwind side of the boat.
- Position the kiter with bar etc. to allow for safe departure from the boat regardless of what goes down (or more particularly up) once the kite is free.
- Release the kite, LE down, and feed out lines as it drifts downwind.
- Kiter checks lines and harness connection etc once the kite lines are fully extended.
- Kiter enters the water and drifts off a safe distance.
- When safe the boat motors though an upwind half circle to oversee the launch from a position outside the 'kill zone'.
IMO this method is not just 'best practice' but 'only practice'.
I would be interested in hearing of other safe methods if they exist.
