VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Hi all, the other day I came back in because the last person on shore was leaving to catch the kite. But I was wondering if there is nobody on shore to land your kite (inflatable that is), what would be the proper way to self land it in high wind?

With foil its pretty easy I just pull the safety release on my way in. But what will happen on the inflatable when I pull safety release? Is it going to stay in the air (just floating around hanging by one line) or it goes on the ground and adapte a somewhat "neutral" position where you can just walk towards it afterwards (while holding the safety line obviously). ???

Would just like to finish my session when I want to, not depending on someone ashore to catch the kite.

Thanks for any info, especialy kite behavior after safety release pull. (is it going all over the place or steady up in the air, or on the ground?)

Absolute safest way to do it is to come in, then put the kite over the water and then eject the bar. Then grab one front line securely, unhook your leash (meaning all you have left is the line you are holding). Hand-over-hand your way up the one front line towards the kite and then grab it out of the water.

Just land it on the cliff, the prickle bushes will catch it for you...;)

rope with a carabiner, no? or is the kite too far out in the water to grab?

Dane, I have tried this afternoon to land it on the cliff so that the prickle bushes catch it for me, but Marty said to bring the kite near the water instead, and people on the beach were looking at the kite like if it wasn't ok to do so, are you sure this is the proper way to do it?

I think I like Ned's way better... But if you go for the cliff, lemme know so I can get it on video! ;)

Well now that I think about it letting the Kite Tree catch your kite may be the better option. I've seen lots of people do it successfully. The prickle bushes might puncture your bladder. (Maybe foil kites don't have this problem it's just one problem with inflatables)...that and you need a pump...:/

dangerdane wrote:Just land it on the cliff, the prickle bushes will catch it for you...;)

This also happens to be the safest way to transfer kites from one person to another without having to land it and relaunch it

I've been able to successfully self land several times by using Ned's description... position kite, let go of bar, remove chicken loop/leash from harness, hold centrelines, hand over hand on top centreline to kite. (even roll the kite down on its LE)
The clip on the beach is great and I always use this method to self launch and sometimes in the right conditions to self land! However this weekend on Willows the winds were so variable on the beach I choose to quickly land the kite and had it bounce down the beach into a nice little nook... luckily no damage but it easily could have ripped or popped... all while I was holding that top line...
the trick is to have the room...on Willows there is next to nothing during a high tide and storm surge. I easily controlled the kite but need a little more down wind room.. the trick being that once you release everything you have to run down that top line hopefully with the kite on its LE and not jumping into the air... but with that top centreline being held the kite won't go crazy.. it should just park itself at 45 to the wind LE down...
anyone want to advise a better way for willows...
I'm thinking next time come in close to shore, position the kite, punch out, self rescue back to the beach... its onshore so you'll get there quick and might not even get the kite full of sand!
please give a tip or two thanks!

On Gusty Willows I ll definitively do like you just said:

You in the water, far from shore, pull safety release, kite flapping on one line downwind. Wrap lines while kite/wind are slowly bringing you downind (ashore). Stand up when not deep water, hold lines and start walking towards shore.

I dont think there is a better way (regarding safety anyway)

Obviosuly foil are just so incredibly superior to do this (I read it on FoilZone by many, many users, the same ones that said: The Speed4 has low bar pressure!, they are so neutral in their review, it is unbelievable) , but I am pretty sure that you can manage to do it on an inferior inflatable kite with practice.

In gusty, high wind conditions, at Willows, if there's no one else to help you....don't launch, keep driving to Island View.

If multiple kiters were on the water and you are last on, ask one of them to land you before they head home.

Failing that do what you describe.

Lol, just re re reading the review and notice the word ashore, it brought me back some memories and laugh from 2005 and earlier when my english was worse than now (I know its almost impossible)

When I was on duty on the ship at the brow (24 hours shift divided by 2 personel, we check ID, control who enter the ship / answer emergency / blah blah blah).

We also log in the "log book"any emergency / important event. Needed to log when three very important person enter and leave the ship, CO (Commanding Officer) XO (Executive Officer, second in command) and the COXN (Highest non commision member, you dont want to mess with this guy).

Anyway, I thought that the word ashore was spelt asshore.

When reading the way I wrotte it all these years in the log book it makes me laugh.
To any first language English speakers, when reading the word Asshore, does it sound like Ass Whore when you are reading it?

Hopefully not.

If it does well I guess I am lucky not to get into trouble. I find it funny that all these years I was writting AssHore in the log book:

0723: Coxn AssHore
1745: CO AssHore

etc...etc...etc... X 1000 times

(didnt put a Cap on the H though, I probably didnt know the meaning of whore back then)

I am just hoping that they keep these logs in archive somehwere, but I dont think they do

That would be funny though, in 10 years from now someone reviewing these logs:

"Oh, I think this french guy must have been pretty mad at the Coxn and XO all these years, he kept calling them ass whores"

Ok im bored, back to South Park Season 13.

Landing By Safety Release= Xtra Safe

Might be a little bit time consuming, but nothing compare to foil and their 1000 knots following a safety release. At Willows dont be shy to use it for landing if nobody is around to catch kite.

Thanks Ian / Todd... you're right about kiting with buddies.. always a better bet... I actually had Aaron(?) follow me into the beach to have me catch his kite...
CO Asshore is hilarous.... english is retarded sometimes!
This saftey issue is managable with the right approach.. I figure its best to eject the QR and tidy kite n lines with board while getting washed asshore!
The self launch / land with a carbiner is one of the safest, securing the kite while you remove yourself from the system. However it does have its limitations... gusty inconsistent Willows onshore with waves crashing onto a tiny strip of beach means you gotta have a lot of control... almost luck.
I'm gona practice this next time I'm out even if there is someone to catch my kite. As Ian said before I want to finish my session when I want to not when everyone else has packed it in!!!

Good point abetanzo.....practicing self launch and self landing when people are around to help is a good idea. Normally if there's people to help, you wouldn't bother with either, as it's safer and better on your equipment to have a helper. But then you're stuck with having to try it in possibly unsafe and uncontrolled conditions ... and that may be learning with a heavy price tag.

Next good wind day, with some extra time to kill (like that's ever going to happen!), I'm going to practice this too.

And also time to try out a practice self-rescue in moderate winds with new kites....the only time I ever self-rescue it seems is when wind is too low to keep kite in the air. It would be good to know what happens when it's windy....when it isn't actually a sketchy situation.