Each scenario is different. Consider the conditions. If you're being blown out to sea and you're not sure if re-launching is even possible, make the decision early. If, by continueing to try to re-launch, you are a hazard to others in a crowded area, do what you need to do quickly. If you're in shallow water a full self rescue may not be necessary, maybe the kite can be dragged via the centre/front lines to the shore?

Inverted kites happen. If you can't relaunch straight away, hand over hand up the 5th/front lines to try and get it to roll back through the lines. You can still fly an inverted kite,but only really to get back to shore.

rawd0g said...

I'm fairly new to the sport and have been progressing decently but always fearing the self rescue in the back of my mind.

Hi rawd0g,

The reason you and many other newbies "fear" the self rescue, is because you most likely have never had to do it in "real" conditions and weren't ever taught it properly. There is nothing to fear in a self rescue. It should be a natural part of kiting to just say, "Oh bugger this, I'm just gonna self rescue now", without fear or trepidation.

TIP: If failing to relaunch in light winds or tangled semi controllable kite, flick it across the other side of the wind window so that it pulls you towards the shore even if it doesn't relaunch. I've seen people get dragged kilometres out to see whilst continually trying to relaunch on the opposite side of the wind window to the beach.

TIP: Always be positionally aware. ie keep an eye on your position and distance from land or shore, you should never "suddenly" look up and find yourself well outside your comfort zone or past a point of no return and have to ditch your gear.

TIP: If you are a very long way off shore stay with your kite and keep it inflated UNLESS you are being blown offshore. The kite, whilst inflated, is easier to see and people on the beach can tell if you are successfully self rescuing from as far away as 3km without bino's. Once you pull the deflate valve, you become invisible to rescuers further away than a few hundred metres.

TIP: If you do find yourself late in the afternoon (sun setting) and much further out than you can swim in and the wind is offshore, stay with your kite and use it as a life preserver. A search party will much more easily find a kite in the open ocean than a person on their own.

TIP: Only kite out as far as you are prepared to swim in, and preferably, kite with someone you know who can keep and eye on you.

TIP: If the kite is powered and tangled and you cannot stop it looping out of control, ditch it and start swimming in. You can always buy another kite and even the most expensive kite will be much cheaper than the most basic coffin.

Kite safely,

DM

AKSonline said...



TIP: Only kite out as far as you are prepared to swim in, and preferably, kite with someone you know who can keep and eye on you.

Very valid points from DM, but Only kite out as far as you are prepared to swim in is what I live by............

If you fly a 5 line kite, be careful when it inverts and the middle line is wrapped around the canopy. I've seen kites with this type of inversion power-up, turn into a bow-tie due to the pressure of the 5th line, and tear in half.. I always do a self rescue when this happens..

I remember this one session I had at the beginning of the year in this huge lagoon in Sri Lanka where i had 3 inversions in one day.. which meant 3 self rescues.. It was a pain in the ass, and my own fault for kiting on a gusty day.. but ultimately, 3 packdowns are better than a ripped kite..

3 tips (which I'm sure you know already, but that I've seen people forget time and time again)..
1 - please make sure your oh-**** release is attached to the correct line, I've seen beginners attach it, absentmindedly to their suicide (sometimes a metal hole on the chicken loop) without realising, that's not fun because it pretty much negates the chicken loop when you pull your safety to do your packdown..
2 - when you pump up your kite at the beginning of a session, if you have struts that fill straight from the leading edge ALWAYS remember to do them up, again, i've seen learners have to do a self rescue, but let ALL the air out of their kite.. it's a very long hard and heavy swim back to the beach if you have a completely deflated kite..
3 - once you let the air out of your leading edge, do the stopper back up again before completing the pack down.. water in your leading edge is not fun..

In terms of other times I might recommend to self-rescue.. when the wind is high and you don't have someone on hand to land your kite for you, I think doing a safety pack down in the shallower water is safer than trying to self-land on the shore if you're unexperienced..

Anyway - I would suggest practicing in light wind in shallow water.. or ever water slightly out of your depth, it's such a worth while skill to have!! Hope you aren't so daunted by the prospect any more.. happy kiting!
TKC