NSW
74 posts
Hi Guys,
Basically two questions here, I've been kiting for a few years now, but I've never tried to assist another rider who either couldn't relaunch or lost their kite. How do you go about helping someone relaunch in deeper water, say when it's lighter wind, or their kite is under inflated etc...
How would you approach the rider and their kite? Tips for either grabbing the kite and helping them relaunch or taking it into the shore.
Tips for positioning your kite so you don't get caught up in theirs etc...
How would you grab a run away kite?
Feel free to add anything else relevant in...
I tried to search the forum, but I didn't come up with much.
Thanks.
WA
237 posts
i recently helped a kiter at melville when he tried to help another kiter whos LE popped..then by some freak chance his LE popped. told him to roll his kite up, grab his board an hold on to my harness as we both body dragged into shore. had to do the same for the first kiter.
Key point in this is there were at least 20 kiters out going around, even one of the instructors of the silly school with the green van being a show pony boosting around the poor guy trying to pull his lines in not in the slightest giving a s*** about it..
back to the point, if theres enough wind and you dont have any impending break/reef near you and your competent enough to body drag yourself and another kiter with all his gear try to. dont try if it looks like you yourself will end up in the **** then there's just 2 kiters needing assistance, best bet is to try an see if another kiter can help.
VIC
960 posts
Yeah, agree with Arloj, I'd have to be a hell of a lot better than I am to try and assist (in terms of hands on) another kiter.
I tried to rescue another kiter's board at Brighton on Sunday, but it was so busy and I was making such poor progress getting up wind... and it was only 20m out, I decided it was more harmful than useful as I was preventing him from body dragging out (at this stage, he body dragged to shore, walked up wind and was heading out again).
If you're seeing someone on the cusp of drowning, then that's different, but if they're just having a kitemare, I'd limit my input to a.) checking they're not about to drown and b.) yelling advice from afar. The only thing worse than one stricken kiter is two.
