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Recently I've rescued a runaway kiteboard and a blow-up floaty ring.
The kiteboard was hard. After some failed "place-on-board-and waterstart" attempts I just ran over it and pushed it down-wind towards the kiter.
The floaty ring I stopped, put over shoulder, and returned to the exotic, very attractive female that lost it. Some may call me a hero, but I was just doing what any man would have done in the situation.
But how do you rescue, say, a person? What is the technique?
If they are semi/un-conscious can you lay them over the front of a board? Won't their head be underwater?
I guess hanging onto the back foot strap if they can is easiest?
I thought for the kiteboard it would be best to sail past it, slow down just enough to grab it and keep planing?
For a person I think the priority is them not your gear so I would ditch your rig and lay them on your board and tow / paddle in. If it was the floaty ring girl you could probably lay her on the board, then you lie on top of her and paddle 
Your rig can be brought in by another sailor.
method: they slide your rig upside down through their boom on the leeward side (top side if they are about to waterstart) and tie mast head to your mast bast with the downhaul excess rope.
Easier if you have your already detached board under the tip of their mast, or you sit on your board and hold their mats tip in your lap, to help float it whilst all this is going on.
They can then waterstart and you're all away.
As soon as they have ditched your rig on shore, they can sail back out and tow you off their back footstrap.
Rescuing a person is bloody hard. especially if there are breaking waves and shallow reef involved. It all depends on the situation. I opted to ditch my whole rig and swim over to the guy in trouble as he seemed to be just flailing about and im quite a strong swimmer. no worries. a couple of waves on the head later and the whole situation changed. he'd taken on a lot of water, was unconcious and goin blue. Call for help if its available i cant stress this enough. while i was swimming the guy in i got the attention of a kitesurfer and another windsurfer. he tried to assist by pushing us his board, didnt work as the next wave picked it up and threw it at us like a missile. So im haning onto the guys wetsuit with one arm and the back of the kiters harness with the other trying to get dragged in and keep his head out of the drink. its a hell of a task. another windsurfer swam over to help hang onto him and we eventually got him in. unfortunately sometimes your number is up, our best efforts to revive him weren't enough, the man aslo had a broken neck...
I guess you just have to do your best.
Wouldn't bother with the kiteboard. I've retrieved 3 and not received even one beer. Poor form when you save someone quite a few bucks.
I'm too nice to sell them on though and don't like leaving them floating where I might hit them later.
I was able to get 2 x non-swimmers in by laying the 4.5m sail in the water, then having the heaviest guy lie in the sail up near the mast, but close to the board (thus using the board's flotation). The child was much lighter and I placed him further up in the sail, but close to the father. Was able to drift in where beach-goers dragged us all onshore.
The thing I remember most was how difficult it was to drag the guy from the water: due to exhaustion, he was totally unable to help even though we were in the shallows and he weighed a ton when I tried to drag him in by myself.
The best rescues are fellow windsurfers: they know the situation and are always appreciative of help. After rolling up the sail, have used rope to tow them in or had them hold onto a leeward footstrap during the towing process,
Each rescue has been different and you are never prepared for it.
It's always good to have a spare length of rope with you, in the past all my harnesses had pockets in the back, but my latest one doesn't, that makes it awkward.
Kite: I don't know. I did one rescue once and barely got a vague, detached thanks from the guy. And was told to mind my own business on one other occasion. So...
Actual people: lie them on the floating rig. People (in dire situations) are more important than damaged sails. I've practiced this once in waves and it was an incredible effort, I can't imagine doing it with an unconscious person...
If your an experienced windsurfer with the right gear you should be able to TOW a person back to shore if they hold on to your back strap
If it's one of the shorter kiteboards you can tie it onto the clew using your outhaul. Then dump it on the beach - no thanks to be expected
I've picked up a couple kiteboards..stopped and tied them to the 0uthaul..they swung around a bit but was okay...always got some thanks
Also got rescued by a kiter who happened to have a tinny on the beach..
The wind had gone from about 20knots to zero in about 10 mins
He came out and picked me up otherwise it would have been an hour
drifting back into the beach as well as ending a couple of kms down the beach.
Years ago back in Auckland snapped a mast off Pt Chev ......another windsurfer came over to help...and offered to go in and get some cord so he could tow my rig in....all this was taking time....by the time he got back ..the wind had dropped to about 10 knots (from almost 30 knots)..it was starting to get dark....I had been in the water for bl%@dy ages....it was getting cold....
The other guy sailed back out (small sail, small board)a real struggle but managed to get going again towing my rig and disappeared into the dark......
I started paddling for shore..by this time I was starting to shiver..
There was very little lighting but managed to come ashore not to far from the carpark.
By this time I was shivering uncontrollably....maybe start of hyothermia...certainly don't think I was thinking straight...
In reflection I had perhaps not only put my own life at risk but perhaps that of my "helper" as well in wanting to save my gear at any cost.
Might not have been a problem if the wind had not dropped as much as it did,
or been able to change the game plane as conditions changed (mental state permitting)
To rescue a kiteboard:
- sail up to it and stop with it just behind you.
- hook your thumb through the handle in the middle then grab the boom with your fingers.
- water start in the normal way. Once going you should be able to take your hand off the boom and just carry the board in one hand.
- drop the board off either on the beach or just downwind of the kiter.
- graciously accept thanks as you zoom off to save others and fight crime.
I would not try to rescue a kite. It's too dangerous unless you know what you are doing. You could grab a tip and drag it towards the shore provided you can avoid the lines and avoid having it flop over you.
I have towed in a sailboarder with a broken mast and kept on eye on downed sailors until they could get going again.
You are obliged to help other sailors in distress if you can do it without putting yourself at risk. It's the right thing to do and probably required by law. You would expect others to help if you were in the ****.
two of us spent half an hour following a kiter being blown to sea in 35kt cross off, refusing help. when he finally agreed he needed help the wind had picked up again, he wouldnt bail on his gear. real struggle towing someone when overpowered and their kite is still trying to fly and is a sea anchor the rest of the time. eventually got him in to minimal thanks. sailed halfway back upwind and had to swin in cos it fied. only to have cops tell us off for not helping the kiter they couldn't find.
just rember that when rescuing or retreving ANYTHING your saftey is and must remain #1 priority always
