Chris6791 said..

waveslave said..

Puetz said..



we just got to think outside the box.

What's say ....



You could instantly deflate the leading edge at the flick of a switch ?



Transform a rigid powered beast into a flaccid rag ...



at the push of a button,



at the shift of a lever.





Just thinking ....

Never in my life did I think I would agree with Waveslave on anything but this idea has some merit. Could a small device be designed to fit over an inflate/deflate valve that on receipt of a signal releases the valve? The remote need only be the size of a garage remote and can clip onto a harness or strapped to a kiters wrist like a watch. And at the kite end it surely can be designed to weigh only one or two hundred grams and be designed to be retrofitted to the few valve types out there? It might need a little bit of mods to the kite like a sewn in sleeve or Velcro pad to support it?

Can be self activated or activated by others? If you have pinched off a couple of struts on set-up the kite will still afford some buoyancy after.

Or a sawn-off .410 strapped to your leg might also work...

... what about same device but line cutter instead... cuts all but one right at the kite?????

knotwindy said..

OK, since most of the problems seem to happen on or near land how about this for a safety system

when you are on or near shore, let go of your board and
put one hand on the release

so if you even think you might need it, just use it

i know this is really complicated but i'll bet even kiters could manage this

end of rant

too complicated

And with a suitably big label "PULL TO RELEASE" for bystanders or rescuers to quickly comprehend.

Chris6791 said..

if you can't pull it yourself you are already seriously injured or worse.

I think the system needs to release automatically by itself when all the parameters are lined up because as we have seen many times when the chain of events lines up the operator is unable to "pull it himself"
Being bounced along a beach or a parking lot at lightning speed possibly with a head injury already it's just asking too much to have the strength, dexterity or quick thinking to manually release, it's possible the G forces make it humanly impossible. It happens too quick and can be over in an instant.

The development of bow kites and related safety systems while for sure saving lives on one hand are also responsible for taking them, and a lot of that has to do with commercial bull5hit marketing claims involving kite safety /depower etc of companies kites. Attitudes of riders today at the beach are sooo different to 5- 10 years ago. There is a generation of riders emerging right now that I talk to that have absolutely no clue of so many potential hazards.

They also read complete bull5hit like the public IKA written reports (written by Markus) from the olympic report to isaf/ ioc that tried and failed to con their way into the olympics at the expense of windsurfing parents emailing me at the time asking if it is true that kiting is suitable for their 10 year olds and checking that it is as safe for them as their windsurfing. Now I am not not against youth kiting whatsoever, and I am certainly not a safety guy if you know what i am into, but when the report says ???Safety issues are slightly different for kiteboarding??? (from sailing /windsurfing) you gotta wonder what is going through their sellout clueless heads.

some more representation of kiteboarding by IKA

???There have been safety issues in the past which have been overcome since approx eight years.???
???There is no difference to standard sailing regattas in respect of numbers of boats, marks etc, no additional resources or facilities are needed.???
"Kites flag out when releasing safety system (???kite will have no more power whatsoever???)
???Although kiteboarding accidents still happen, they are rare.???
???It is no more dangerous than any other sport.???


Ultimately I like the concept of personal responsibility, - unfortunatley $$$$ profit driven losers have seen corruption/lobbying of this crap and as a kiteboarder with no commercial affiliation to any kiteboarding related business right now I don't look at the kiteboard industry like I used to back when nearly everyone kept it real.

I'll start on some of the kite companies next with their some of their bull**** marketing from last few years regarding depower/ safety systems, but gotta get to beach right now tho.

I took some time to independently lobby the IOC and ISAF last year with regards to the IKA , I had no conflicts of interest , and when I look back at it I am sooooo stoked i went to the trouble- sticking up for kiteboarders and keeping it real. One day I will publish some emails/messages I received/kept at the time and I won't be the one embarrassed!

I still think lethal injection regulators are sounding like the most plausible idea so far.

lol

iandvnt said...
The development of bow kites and related safety systems while for sure saving lives on one hand are also responsible for taking them, and a lot of that has to do with commercial bull5hit marketing claims involving kite safety /depower etc of companies kites. Attitudes of riders today at the beach are sooo different to 5- 10 years ago. There is a generation of riders emerging right now that I talk to that have absolutely no clue of so many potential hazards.

I have to agree with last statement and add I think we have all got a bit complacent especially some of the crew like myself who started on two line foils then the C kites then got the bows and went wow we can handle anything now!! I have seen a growing number of kiters during winter months and I have on occasions thought there may be problems on the horizon.

Just remember you heard it here first

dogfish said..
Hey.What about a DUI-style ignition lock -

CPU on the inflate valve that factors in weather, hazards & pilot IQ.

With a sudoku & cryptic crossword.

If you're too stupid to figure it out, you can't blow the thing up.

... then I'd never get go kiting!

Puetz said..

... then I'd never get go kiting!

Nah. Yours is a twist top

Every pilot goes through an extensive checklist before he even powers up his craft. There are double checks, and communication with others, whether in the tower, or co pilot. Only when all systems are checked off, the craft is powered up. Then there is another set of checklists. This is why flying is one of the safest forms of travel by far. Every kiter should adopt this attitude, especially when conditions are not ideal, and they are kiting new places. Checking your release before lift off should be standard practice....see above^.
As an instructor I drill the three steps into my students from the minute I start working with them and make them practice it so the muscle memory begins to develop.
1. let go of the bar
2. pull safety to flag kite
3. ditch the kite

I say it over and over and over and over.

When I started kiting I had, and still have, enormous respect for the wind and how things can change rapidly. I am a long time waterman, 45 years plus, and I don't take anything for granted. I watched every kitemare video and learned what not to do, and what I might have done to avoid the accident. Through practice, both physical and mental, the action of releasing the kite is automatic. I didn't start with two line kites, or old c kites, but I started with a healthy fear and respect. With greater skills and understanding, I hold on tightly to the respect.
Look, I am no hero, but I do go pretty hard. However, I always assess my out strategy. And though I care about my kites, I care about myself and my family more.

I like your idea knotwindy good even have like a landing pin clip that you remove on your way in let say near the beach not jumping or poping going to land your kite time you pull this pin(has a big yellow high visablity handel on it) and the auto release is engaged but isn't activated till there is pressure on it and this pressure will be really light . lets say just enough to allow the kite to fly with slow movement any more load than this it releases automatically to a flaging line . your idea is great but when say out the back and have a big wipe out wont engage the release accendently but now I think more about it if you that big of wipe out maybe it should release out there to . I take all this back your idea ROCKS . Now which company guna build it .

Been following this thread for a while...if I had to summarize the most useful and relevant information I gathered so far:

-Get familiar with the way your safety system works by activating the Quick-Release in flight for training purposes. Repeat this process until it becomes fully automatic. Learn how to retrieve your kite afterwards i.e. Emergency self-landing



-Regularly rinse, inspect and TEST the quick release mechanism to ensure smooth operation

-Never hesitate to use your safety system(s), it should always be a first response in case of problems.

-Kite brands should work towards a standardization of safety systems and only market products that pass rigorous safety standards (E.g. French Norm saucisseman.free.fr/norme_en.htm).

I hope the recent tragedy helps kiters of any skill level to realize the importance of becoming safety experts to help reduce accidents.

I also hope this helps kite instructors to become more thorough with safety during lessons. From my observations over the last few years, too many students are leaving their lessons with insufficient training in regards to safety. Seeing students activate the safety system only ONCE in the course of 6-8 hours of lessons and doing a single self-rescue simulation (or often just a demo from the instructor himself) in shallow waters are unfortunately common practices in the industry...

Yeah, good looking system that Switch bar - like the North unit but 1/2 the price or so!
Interesting to hear of the failure and its method... have you told Switch?