So if you're holding my kite, wait until I give it up please!!!
And if I AM HOLDING your kite, give it up for me to give up YOUR kite - pleeeasssee!!!
Basic kiting 101 guys
Yeah happens a lot, you're just standing there holding their kite and they're just looking at you blankly lol.
I can't mind read, dude.
(Holy s*** i've never used there, their and they're in the same sentence before)
except some people wait to actually lift your kite off the sand, waiting for your thumb. but thats not the right moment. and you dont give the thumb, afraid they will just woooompa hot launch you.
conundrum.
i hot launched a kid on the trainer kite the other day, from bang dead in power zone. he thought it was mintox cool. it was a 3m kite. it was 9 knots. no thumb.
I had a guy give me a thumb like he was afraid the CIA was watching and the feds were going to jump out of the bushes to gag n' bag him.... then he got pissy when I was like "Was that a thumb he showed for a nano-second from behind his left butt cheek or...?"
He was an instructor. Grumpiest kiter I ever met.
Emphasised to the max in our lesson program.
The only 3 injuries Ive experienced from kiting is from 3 times the launcher let go of my kite before getting the 'Thumbs up"
Once just an ignorant arrogant prix who was too self centred to do the job properly.
The other 2 times I put my hand up to indicate 'hold on a minute' & they took it as a 'thumbs up".
One of those with one line wrapped round the bar - instant death spiral down the beach & into a tree. 2 x broken ribs that time.
Make it a definite eye contact 'thumbs up' above your head. (and dont indicate anything if you are not sorted)
You will find that the ones that launch inappropriately are also the ones who do not give clear signals themselves.
If you want to get the message to spread just keep holding the kite through all the waves & head nods till they are yelling at you. Then stick your thumb up and yell back "Oh do you mean 'thumbs up' Im ready now"
Pysses people off no end - but I reckon ur doing them a favour.
I've been giving the finger!! No wonder all the hot launches! I thought it was because I rode strapless and unhooked with boardies over my wetty.....
In teaching I always tell them to move their arm straight out away from their body parallel so I can actually see their hand. When they try and give you the thumbs up in front of their body it's hard to see. You really can't emphasize this stuff enough. Yes, 101 kiting, but people still pull a Kramer all the time :(
Just self launch, way easier and if you do it enough you can do it safely in a very tight area, without the kite drifting downwind. Problem solved.
Being guilty of the above offence, due to lack of attention, and luckly to no adverse consequences, when are you peeps going to learn self launch and land!
Nothing more annoying when on limited time while setting yourself up than
"give us a launch mate " or some fool bringing there kite above your head, over your lines
then tapping there head like their from the sheltered workshop . (Not that there is anything wrong with that )
Not many kiters at my local and we are usually pushing each other out of the way
to get on the water first, and not there at same time so this is a must know
skill . If someone launches you here they want a guinea pig to test light wind kiteability!
Assisted launch transgressions:
- kiter just standing there looking at you expecting you to know by mental telepathy that they are ready to go.
- kiter continually stepping towards the assistant (especially when the assistant is up against a fence/path/bushes etc)
- kiter walking way too far downwind then signalling for you to let go (it's tempting to drop the kite and watch it roll away but it's also fun to guide them back to the right position)
- kiter standing way upwind pulling on the power and slamming the assistant (sometimes fun to do it on purpose)
Big believer in self launching/landing.....you guys are lucky to be getting a hand
But those that are getting a launch/land by another person and are whinging here about the how and how not's of it all, YOU ARE AT FAULT!!!!
Some 101 rules verbally dribbled here...here is another one. DON'T LET ANYONE LAND OR LAUNCH YOUR KITE FOR YOU UNLESS YOU ARE 100% CONFIDENT THEY ARE COMPETENT TO DO SO.
How is this done, communication you talk to them and confirm action prior to launch, if there is some one you have not confirmed competency with when you come to land be safe and land it your self , even if that means having to go somewhere else and land.
Its your responsibility peeps, man up
I've had some bad experiences with people trying to launch my kites which is why I usually do it my self.
A few weeks ago I had a lovely fellow kiter offer to launch my kite, they explained to me that they knew what they where doing then she asked which way to hold the kite.....was quite obvious which way I was going to launch as the lines where far to the one side of the kite......
(Just self launch, way easier and if you do it enough you can do it safely in a very tight area, without the kite drifting downwind. Problem solved.)
Way easier to self launch in most situations. Very crowded beach, tight launch zone etc, sometimes forces you to rely on others. I will ALWAYS self launch first if possible.
I always self launch and land .........cant remember the last time I had someone else involved
With practice you can launch and land with very little room.
When I land your kite, which I'm very happy to do, please come over and secure it. It is not my job to throw sand, rocks, seaweed or small children on your kite so that it doesn't lift off. I will quite happily wait for you, holding down your kite, until you have unclipped you chicken loop and walked over.
If you don't do this, I'll put sand on it anyway so that another person doesn't get hurt by your run away kite but it is your responcibility to secure your equipment.
If your landing someone's kite catch it turn it up side down so it's floating in the air , once the person has unhooked walk the kite to them hand it over job done walk away .