On Friday afternon at Rhossy a kitesurfer asked me to help him launch his kite as there wasn't any other kitesurfers about ( in fact hardly any one else about - strange as it was blowing f6 SW and sunny ).

As a windsurfer I havn't much of a clue about this kite stuff but I've helped launch and land kites enough times to know the drill. Any way as I was holding onto his kite as this chap was getting his lines sorted out and hooking himself up the kite was pulling me about quite a bit. Then he gave the thumb up so I let go and the next thing he's about 15 - 20 ft up in the air shouting " Oh sh*t ! " When he came down he was then dragged along the beach before the kite launched again and lifted him and flung him over to the rocks, then it was off again towards the steps at Glan-y-Mor road and a family with 3 small children. That was when someone got to him and sat on his back and a kitesurfer managed to pull his safety line and let the kite go.

By this stage he was a bit knocked about and he had hurt his knee and his left arm. After a while though he was up and walking and then with the help of the other kitesurfer went and retrieved his kite but he reckoned he had defo broken his arm. He put the accident down to his lines being twisted when he first launched.

At the time I was overpowered on a 4.7m and had only come in because I had just broken a harness line and the only other kitesurfer out was a young lady on a 7m kite who doing fine and I would guess she was probably a similar weight to this chap who I think said his kite was a 10m.

Now my questions are:

1. should I have noticed his lines were twisted and if so what to look for

2. if I was overpowered on a 4.7m what size would be sensible for a kite ( similar weight sailors )

3. if the kite was pulling me about a bit while I was waiting to launch it should I have realised it was too big



Any thing else I should know ?

Ken



Do you mind if I extend the question?



I'm conscious that whilst we share the water with our kiter chums, I know very little about them, about kite safety issues or about how best to assist if they are in difficulty. In practice, the only time to date I have not been sure what to do is when I've seen kiters separated from their boards (though not in difficulty). I have not known if it's helpful to get their board for them, or if it's better to stay well clear and avoid the risk of me or my kit interfering with their trying to control their kite. More generally though, if any kiters could compile / post / _link_ to a list of do's and don'ts for windsurfers, I would find that useful.

edited by: TwoFish, Apr 10, 2006 - 09:14 AM

Quote:

Now my questions are:

1. should I have noticed his lines were twisted and if so what to look for

2. if I was overpowered on a 4.7m what size would be sensible for a kite ( similar weight sailors )

3. if the kite was pulling me about a bit while I was waiting to launch it should I have realised it was too big



Any thing else I should know ?





Hi Ken,



1. I always (as an IKO kitesurf instructor) tell my pupils if you launch a kite you are equally responsible for the kiters safety, in that you should check the lines for twists and make sure things look right. Your no kiter, so I'd say this doesn't apply to you, and the guy should have done his pre flight a lot more carefully, especially in those winds. If the lines are twisted, it should be quite obvious from a launchers point of view in that the lines are wrapped round each other and visibly not seperated, but it sounds like this guys kite was launched too far downwind. Therefore, it was pulling you around, so the last thing on your mind was his lines.

2. If its 4.7 weather, why would you want to kitesurf! But probably somewhere between an 8 and a 10.

3. I think he probably launched too far downwind, so this meant the kite was fully powered before it even flew.



I wouldn't feel bad about it, personally if it was me on my kite I'd either self launch or get a kiter to launch it, never somebody who didn't know the score. My final point is that if he had launched unhooked, this wouldn't have happened, as his safety would have kicked in as he physically wouldn't be able to hold the bar. Chances are he won't make those mistakes again.



With regard to board fetching, I think that depends on the kiter. I'd be grateful if a windsurfer got mine for me, but 99 times out of a 100, I can get it back no problems. If a kiter is down in the water and stuck, approach them and ask what you can do. Theres a million different scenarios to be stuck in, and each has a different solution. As for a list of dos and don'ts, remember to give kiters plenty of room as the lines are over 25m long, and if a kiter is consistently buzzing around windsurfers to a point where you consider it dangerous, have a word with them!



Hope this helps!

Hi Ken,



Sounds like a bit of a mess ! I personally don't see how you can be in any way responsible for anything that happens in that kind of situation. I just can't imagine asking someone unfamiliar with my sport to help in anything but the most basic way. Imagine asking one of those butty chuckers that comes to the lake in the summer to hang on to your fully powered 4.7m sail.....

I'm not suggesting you're a butty chucker but if a kiter asks a non-kiter for help/assistance surely that's his own responsibility. Maybe it's because we tend to be more self sufficient but I think most windsurfers actually would prefer others NOT to help in case anything went amiss ?

It was his kite - he was launching it, you merely did as you were directed/asked by him -don't lose any sleep Ken



Did anyone get it on camera - I'm sure you've got a claim to a portion of the £250 from "You've been _frame_d"

Thanks for the replies,



from what I can remember the lines looked to me to be o.k. and the chap had been twisting his bar quite a bit before hand and seemed to be making sure his kit was properly ready for launch. Earlier on while I was rigging he had a dry practice with his kite before he got changed and had said he would normally be considering windsurfing with that wind but he hadn't broght any windsurfing gear with him.



As soon as I was sure he was not going to need an ambulance or any more assistance I was straight back to my kit to change my harness line and get back out sailing. The other kitesurfer who had been helping him came over for a quick chat and he had decieded he wasn't going out after that ( he had been changed for about half an hour but had been waiting down at the Glan-y Mor bay area for a few more people to go out to judge the conditions. ) I didn't have any worries about the situation and had a good session afterwards. I can have a good laugh when people get caught out and get a pounding in the waves or get flung around by a mean catapult ( and I am sure lots of people have been quite amused by some of my " missed opportunities" ) but its not nice if someone gets hurt.

Hi ken , sorry to hear about that incident.

As a Kitesurfer ,I would never ask anyone who didn't know what they where doing to launch me.I consider it "MY" responsibility to check that all my lines are ok and that the Kite is in the right position in the wind window before launching,because at the end of the day it's my life at risk.But sometimes the person launching the kite will see something amiss that I might have not seen at which point ,they would ,hopefuly let me know.

I WOULD SAY YOU ARE IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED!



As far as retreiving boards for people.you never can tell.I once lost my board after my leash snapped and was really thankful that carl dragged it back for me,as the tide at W.K was rapidly getting it further out of reach.

I retreived a board for someone at Rhossy and they just dismiissed me for doing so.

But if you are asked to retrieve a board for someone , just try and stay UPWIND of them and this will ensure that you are well clear of his /her lines.