Hi fellow ocean-users,
After a fairly painful experience where someone landing my kite grabbed the trailing edge instead of the leading edge (resulting in the kite flipping over straight into the power zone and dragging me across the sand like a cheesegrater), I thought I'd post these comments in the hope of safety.
Days like yesterday where the wind picked up a good 10 knots after I got out there, or if the beach is quite narrow(like Coro's or Gnaraloo) some kiters could do with a hand landing there kites. Anyone who is getting lifted or can't walk backwards is a good candidate for this kind of help. And it's so simple - all the assistant needs to do is stand roughly 30m across wind from the kiter, and wait for him to drop the kite. Now just grab the leading edge and hold it firmly. The kiter should then run over and relieve you of your duties, with a grateful thankyou. To clarify, the leading edge is the main long inflatable tube shaped like a big "U" on the windward side of the kite.
Hope this helps, and any feedback is welcome.

Clive

p.s. some depower systems in strong winds are difficult to use as the kite can spiral downwind on the beach and just be a nightmare.

I'll be too busy chasing thieves away from Woodman Point to go kiting. All windsurfers should read the kite forum thread on theives down there.

How's the carbon fibre dij shaping up Jimbo?

From a fellow kiter.
BeerBong, sounds if you need a few lessons yourself. Can't you see that if you drop your kite into the arms of an unknown person, IT IS YOU THAT IS MAKING THE BIG MISTAKE. You could seriously hurt them with your selfish attitude. If you can't drop your kite by yourself, don't kite there , or make sure a buddy gets it. Or maybe, walk up to the person, who wants to help, and check first to make sure they understand how to grab the kite. If I was the dude that tried to help you, and then you then got dragged up the beach, I would have LAUGHED my head OFF.
Get off the Beer Bongs mate.

help is a nice concept, but I never let anyone launch or catch my kite I pack the wing and launch it and drop it either at the edge of teh window if it is safe or in the water downwind (while testing my safety release) a great practice to get into then you have only one mug to blame for any incidents.

Airhead,
I laughed when i read your story, the same thing happened to me at cable station, the guy just walked up and picked up my kite all by himself,I had just set up my lines and was about to walk to the water to self launch. With me yelling , No don't, no, and he just picked my kite up and threw it into the air, directly down wind from me..................ah I screamed, in a high pitched voice, like a small girl..........In my mind, I pictured me , for a micro second, being launched into the air by my kite and being implled on the 20 fence posts near by, another micro second later the kite spun on its end powered up with a fabric tightening snap, and drove through the power zone at 5 feet above the beach and rocks,I thought,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII can handle this......... kite powering up directly down wind at at 5 feet in 20 knots......ah yes I got dragged 10 feet but ..............got control and the kite over head 1 second later,whoooooooooo, I'm alive.....any one see that.....smiling at the bathers who look concerned, Ah, no I'm cool, try not to look shaken , thats it cool. The mystery launch guy turns to me, looking for some reward from me for his efforts, I wave... I'm OK, he smiles and waves and walks off..........as he did so, I yelled out thanks in a slightly squeeky voice.....he turned around proud as punch and gave me a big"no worries mate "