Just because it's howling doesn't mean you can go out with your normal kit. or if you do make sure that your capable and your F'ING safety works,

Had three kites take off on sat/sun nearly taking out an oblivious dog walker and another wrapping round a buggy and crashing onto the pebbles, no safety attached in two instances and one guy putting his lines on wrong!!!! heard numerous other stories about people being lofted, loosing kites etc, and boards come to think of it.

sometimes it's time to say No i'll wait,, two guys from brum turned up both days pumped kit up but decided No it's not for them, to big a kit etc well done them..


When will people learn that if the tides in or your close to the groin/pebble bank the wind turbulence is mad round there, launch and Feck off into the water don't stand there trying to look good!


I'm not saying i'm perfect but i double check my kit in those conditions we witnessed on sat/ sun, making sure safety's paramount.

Take Andy 'B' for instance he spent about 20mins making sure his settings were right before he went out, landing and launching a few times to correct his kit (good on him, andy i'm not actually taking the pee here).

if more people carry on like this with kites going off etc we will start having bans etc and big old 'AL; will be well pissed off.

..............................And relax

[Edited on 26-10-2009 by col123]

Quite agree, had a few intances in the Dovey side of people out on kites that they could barely hold onto. Again great when your in control but the minute your not, ie sqaull on Saturday. lots of people getting spanked and either out on too big a kite for wind or for experience in that sort of wind. Just for the sake of going out because they've driven up. Very busy over here all just next too the beach entrance too.

heres a link http://forum.kitecrowd.com/showthread.php?t=172563


to a flexi thread I started, more kit error than individual, although I fully agree, a lot of over powered inexperienced guys on the water. Im shocked the boat didnt take a trip out!

Yep, very testing conditions at the weekend.

Afer looking at the forecast Friday I opted to use a new bar, I put new lines on them Friday. The part I didn't check was the depower line as it was brand new.

After a few runs out nicely powered on my 6m, I opted to hack upwind to pick up a wave to ride back in, I was at the end of my reach when the depower snapped sending my kite high in the sky and blowing down wind for a few line lenghts. My leash was attached ,but also to the depower, so the kite was gone. Leaving my a longway off shore in a big swell.

Thanks to Ben for spotting me and towing my back in!!and Col for catching my kite.

Like I said, I do check my kit, but I put my trust in someone elses spliceing, never again though! It could of been a very different story if I'd been sailing alone.

I don't really get the people who say, I don't need anything smaller than a 9 (unless your the size of Col lol) I see loads of people riding along totally sheeted out, too scared to move the kite. In my opinion, thats no way to ride. I think you need to be able to throw the kite around, you'll jump higher and ride waves a better.

A good weekend though, with some exellent wave riding!

Dunks

i would have benefitted from a 7 at the weekend, but i am comfortable with my ability (or lack of it) in those winds, and i know dam sure my safety works, i had a 9M to use but because i wasn't familiar with the safety and the kites an animal, i chose the 10m.

Just dissapointing to see the lack of knowledge or skill's which after all is basic stuff

Well a similar story but in less agressive winds was suffered by myself in Exmouth this weekend.

Though mine was equipment failure of a different nature.
I was riding the 15m, it was set up about right the occassional gust pulling the bar out and some lulls forcing me to work it. However, I was trundling along toward shore quite happily when the whole spreader bar part of my harness ripped away. I was clipped into the kite with the leash but because the spreader bar, pad and straps were now way out of reach I couldnt pull the kill pin.

It was / is quite flat water at Exmouth although the tide was on the ebb. As it was I was dragged through the water and the lines got wrapped around a warning buoy. Fortunately it was a busy day on the water and there was a rescue boat out by the local kite school which came to help, although the RNLI did assist with their D class.

The rip there is 7 to 8 knots and not one for swimming in and it was only the fact i was wrapped around the buoy that stopped me dragging out to sea.

Even when the RNLI boys got me into their boat someone elses kite had dumped due to a drop in the wind and they too were caught in the same current and got wrapped around another buoy.

So it doesn't need to be high winds to be dangerous !

Ive heard of people getting dragged down by being wrapped round buoys, scary stuff. nasty incident Dunk.
I think a big problem is the newer style kites. As much as they are safer they put over a false sense of security. I saw 2 guys trying to get them selves to the water and they just couldnt walk back wards, even with full de power kites. A few years ago, they would have ditched there kites after they launched it, but now they think they are safe. Bad move!!