Hi All,
I was out the other week in 15-18kn, got a couple of water starts going, then the wind decided he needed a beer and headed home, much to my dismay. After struggling for a little while and then deciding there was no way I could get a relaunch going, I decided to swim to shore.
I dropped my quick releases and kept the single power line attached to my harness (I have a Cabrinha setup)...is there an easy method of stopping the lines from getting too tangled or is it just one of those things you have to grin and bear in this situation!?
Unless it's only 10 or 20 metres or so to shore i think it's really is worth flagging your kite and winding your lines up as in a self rescue as it saves some of the potential mess and potential stuff ups - like lines caught around rocks and wind reapearing powering up slack lined kite.
Most people learn self rescue but if not practiced seems to be forgotten - it's really useful when you suddenly find you need it
Attach a stopper ball one kite length from the ring of your one line flagger........then when you release to one line your bar doesn't slide too far away creating the great tangle....danger etc.....I still can not believe that the stopper ball is not a part of the kite kit from manufacturer.
On a couple of occasions I have had to release to one line after invert or other screw up; both times, releasing to one line sorted the problem. Easy to get the bar if it is only a few meters from you and not drifting to the kite and making a whole mess of the lines...not to mention the danger you put yourself in from the lines, trying to recover the bar.
Stopper balls rule for those outer body experiences.
If there's any breeze at all you can tension the lines on the shore side to steer the kite towards the beach. It will help sail you in.
If there's no wind at all just leave the kite hooked into your chicken loop and swim in.
If the wind has dropped out to very light but there is still a little wind the best thing you can do is pull in your trimmer. This means you can pull the bar right in without stalling the kite. You can then fly the kite in a figure-8 pattern with the bar pulled in and ride out even nil wind lulls. Keep your board on your feet and lie on your back to provide some tension on the kite lines.
I did this yesterday and was able to use the kite as a giant "air paddle" to work my way to shore while others had to swim in. It was kind of fun.
Hey paradox.......I must apolagise also.
I was thinking about my post last night when I realised that there is a stopper ball a little way up on the 5th line on both my vapors......I now feel like a nob...sorry. I had halo's before these and as you have said, the 4 line kites dont have them.
am I forgiven.....?
