Alameda death?

andydavis · Joined: 11 Apr 1999 Posts: 319 Location: Point Isabel

definitely a cautionary tale.

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Andy, you used to be a PtIsabelle sailior.....
Remember Charlie, the blond ex windsurfer who constantly tried launching his kite at Pt. Isabelle? Like back in the early 2000's.

andydavis · Joined: 11 Apr 1999 Posts: 319 Location: Point Isabel

ShreddinEd · Joined: 27 Mar 1994 Posts: 172

Condolences to the kiter, and his friends and family. I've heard too many kitemares to count, Tran at Third is still with us despite spending 3 months in the ICU, and wasn't there a woman at Alameda a few years back who is now permanently brain damaged? Last I heard, she was trying to learn to talk again.

I've got enough excitement in my life, I'm sticking to wavesailing.

beaglebuddy · Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 1120

What's particularly intimidating is how quickly it seems to go pear shaped and always it seems at the launch. Is it possible to launch these things not hooked in? So one could just let go of the bar?

Gwarn · Joined: 22 May 2013 Posts: 124 Location: SF

Here is a video demonstrating by far the safest way to launch a kite, whether assisted or self-launched.
The reason is that the kiter can't get yarded while bringing the kite up to 11 o'clock after initial launch, as that is when the kite hits stronger wind higher up, and if overpowered, that's when it's the greatest. In addition, beginners sometimes bring the kite up too fast, and that adds much more pull from the kite than bringing it up very gradually. After bringing the kite up and hooking in, the kiter can test how it feels while the kite is still being backed up from lifting them up.
Every sketchy launch (which includes almost all of them here in Northern California) should have at least one of these installed:
https://youtu.be/lwyfZxu1Qgk