Hi all,

In line with the opening of the school and with the good winds this weekend, I was thinking of setting up a FREE practical self-rescue clinic at Pinnaroo Point, this Sunday October 11th at 2PM. I know it's short notice but if enough of you are coming we'll make it happen, if not it might be done the weekend after.

The goal of this clinic is simple: get everyone to actually practice a deep water self-rescue with their own equipment after a brief presentation and demonstration from us. We will provide assistance during the entire clinic.

Anyone is welcome to attend, but please note the practical part of the clinic is only for kiters who have already done lessons and simply want to practice / refresh their self-rescue skills in real conditions.




Christian

Good on you Christian, great effort.

I hope no ones too proud to admit they aren't sure how to self rescue, take advantage of this offer guys as when the **** hits the fan you'll want to be confident that you know the process.

Really keen for the refresher, you're a champ, Christian. Do we need to register, or just rock up?

Christian, i'll tag along with Ericson!

I'm easy for either day, do we need to register

Had to do 2 last weekend in the space of an hour . Both went OK but last one was a little scarier because even with my safety released it didn't fully flag out because of a tangle around the bar.

I'm glad I was taught how to do it (including a practical go or two) during my lessons.

tentative yes

I would be keen, thanks christian

Hi everyone,

There is enough interest already to get this event going ahead. I've created an Event on SeaBreeze which should show up soon (once it's approved).

To answer your question, there are NO bookings necessary. Just turn up with your equipment already setup by 2PM so we can start on time.

So we can get an idea of how many people will turn up, I've created a Facebook Event. Please confirm your attendance on there if possible:

www.facebook.com/events/1711352919092474/

Any updates or changes will be posted right here on this thread.

Thanks!

Christian

Select to expand quote

cbulota said...
Hi all,

In line with the opening of the school and with the good winds this weekend, I was thinking of setting up a FREE practical self-rescue clinic at Pinnaroo Point, this Sunday October 11th at 2PM. I know it's short notice but if enough of you are coming we'll make it happen, if not it might be done the weekend after.

The goal of this clinic is simple: get everyone to actually practice a deep water self-rescue with their own equipment after a brief presentation and demonstration from us. We will provide assistance during the entire clinic.

Anyone is welcome to attend, but please note the practical part of the clinic is only for kiters who have already done lessons and simply want to practice / refresh their self-rescue skills in real conditions.




Christian

Good work, on that note it's quite disappointing to see a decline of brands manufacturing kites without self rescue straps , relying on lines to be held over long distances in possible strong winds makes a task more difficult when you least need it

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cauncy said..

Good work, on that note it's quite disappointing to see a decline of brands manufacturing kites without self rescue straps , relying on lines to be held over long distances in possible strong winds makes a task more difficult when you least need it

Good point, I was going to talk about those self-rescue handles in the clinic. I find the handles to offer poorer results as opposed to the bridles, but yes in a long self-rescue in strong/very strong winds they can come in very handy. But then, shouldn't we all kite within 400 meters from the shore

Sounds great I will try to get there (as long as work doesn't get in the way) I should also have a friend or 2 along

Hi all,

A quick message to confirm the Self-Rescue clinic is going ahead tomorrow at 2pm. We will get light/moderate winds which means the beach won't be busy with other kiters and we will have plenty of space to practice rescues. The lower winds will be perfect to try different rescue techniques and build confidence for those who are least experienced without having to deal with the stress of high winds.

Most topics we will cover are discussed in this thread: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Self-rescue-experiment-methods-comparison/

You will also find self-rescue videos in this thread.

See you on the beach,

Christian

Thanks to everyone who came out to the clinic today. It was great to see kiters of all skill levels interested in improving their safety skills.

A few quick facts worth mentioning:

- Except students from our school, none of the kiters who attended the clinic were asked to perform a deep water self-rescue by themselves during their lessons. This is a big concern and has to change: a self-rescue demonstration is simply not enough

- The 10-12 knots winds we had were perfect for practicing self-rescues as there wasn't enough wind to kite and self-rescues were easier. A good time for everyone to practice, especially if it's your first time.

- Most kiters who attended the clinic performed a self-rescue with their own equipment and all were successful even if it was the first time for a few of them.

- Trying to wrap lines in strong winds (20-25 knots or more) is something none of those attending the clinic have been able to succeed at doing.

- The most experienced kiter among us went out to perform a self-rescue wrapping his lines (as per IKO standards). It took him 4 minutes to get to his kite by doing so and he said he was having difficulty and was getting very tired towards the end. Wind was only 10-12 knots.

- The most common self-rescue mistakes/problems are : difficulty getting to the kite, difficulty flipping the kite over, not being able to create and efficient sail.










Get out there and practice!

Christian

Really spewin I missed it as usual work gets in the way,it is great that you put this on and getting people thinkng about it and doing it. Good work

Keep up the good work Christian. Would have been gone had I not lived in Melbourne!

Great work and glad to see someone taking the care to show or refresh skills before something happens. The more you practice these skills the more your muscle memory will help calm you in trying situations. I would never give my students a board until they demonstrate that they can perform a self rescue.
As far as wrapping the lines go, in strong winds it can be extremely difficult, even using the bar as a fishing pole. I have found that getting to the kite quickly is more effective while focusing on keeping the lines down wind to prevent any wraps around body parts while getting to the kite. If you are a long way off shore once you secure the kite you can wrap the lines at the kite to prevent less drag. It will be a mess, but as long as you do not disconnect the lines at the kite on the beach the tangles will come undone easily enough.
I know there is always a debate on whether to wrap the lines or just get to the kite, I think someone a couple years ago did two self rescues as a test using both methods and getting to the kite was a quicker method. I think the main goal is to get to the kite as quickly as possible to prevent it from flying, and also to have some flotation.

Thanks for this afternoon Christian. It was very informative, practical and I picked up quite a few tips. Having done 2 self-rescues on my own (and only learning how to do it on youtube...) using the line wrapping technique, I can definately say that not wrapping the lines was a lot easier - and as long as you dont kick - no tangles around my legs. Great initiative, thank you for spending the time with us and making it safer for everyone.

Too bad it's not in November as I'm not in WA yet.

god i had to do this for the first time on the weekend. crashed right beside the shark drums. ****ting myself!

Christian,

thank you very much for the afternoon, learnt loads, practised it twice with all the good tips you gave. Will continue to practise.

Good on you for giving up your time and knowledge free of charge to keep people safe.

Dave

(12m green catalyst)