With all the concern for safety which reaches a peak whenever an accident occurs, I can't believe there is no sticky thread for safety here on the premier site for Kiteboarding.

So here goes, I'll start it off; if you don't like the way I've done this, then feel free to start a democratically decided format, the important thing is that there is a central source of safety information.

Rules:

Only genuine comments/discussions/recommendations
Try to limit the banter
No crap stirring

OK, I'll start then ;)

The main points I wish to make about kiteboarding safety are:

1. Kiteboarding is an extreme sport; Responsibility for your own safety rests solely with the individual. You.

2. If you wish to participate in this awesome sport, before you start anything practical, you need to exercise due diligence and educate yourself as much as possible as to the safety aspects as much as possible.

That is, you need to know and understand the risks of what can go wrong at any time you are doing the sport.

There are many ways to do this, not limited to the following:

- Read the forums and ask questions, lots of questions if need be.
- Watch kiting videos of what can go wrong.
- Learn about your local kite spots or those you wish to travel to.
- Join your local kiting association and hammer them with questions.
- Go to the beach and ask the experienced locals questions, never be shy to ask these people, most of us are happy to help out and share the stoke.
- Get on the net and research wind behaviour and strength, kite types, safety systems, self-rescuing etc.
- Learn how to fly a trainer kite proficiently.
- Find out what makes for quality instruction and get lessons; ensure you make the instructor explain/demonstrate anything you don???t understand until you do understand it fully.

3. In addition to your own safety, you are responsible for the safety of those around you, those being:
- Bystanders and spectators
- Other kiteboarders or water users in your vicinity.

That is, you are responsible to not act in a risky manner that will endanger those around you.

4. You are not responsible for the risky behaviour of other kiters, but you should look out for each other and act to prevent anyone from engaging in risky behaviour.

If you launch or assist anyone who is putting themselves or other people at risk by doing something unsafely, then you make yourself responsible for any consequences that may occur.

So know the risks and speak up or help out if you see any unsafe practices from other kiters.

5. At the end of the day Kiteboarding is an extreme sport and random things can happen, but it is your responsibility to educate yourself and know the risks to minimise the risk of anything going wrong.

As a long time windsurfer (started last century) and a part time kiter, I think that the "experienced" kiters should start to foster responsibility amongst their numbers to help minimise the risk to others entering the sport. When you get lessons, there are 2 golden rules that are reinforced.

Wind: Side, Side-OnShore Winds
The key wind directions to look for when choosing a riding location are side shore and side-onshore winds. This means the wind is blowing either parallel to the beach or at a 45o angle onto the beach. These are the safest two wind directions for kiteboarding as they will blow you along or gently back towards the shore. Once you determine the wind direction for the day, look at a local map and find a launch site with these wind directions. As a general rule, do not ride in straight onshore or offshore winds. These can both be very dangerous wind directions and can blow you directly onto land and into hard objects, or out to sea.

Space: Clear, Open down Wind Space
Kiteboarding and its gear take up a lot of space. Downwind space is key when choosing a kiteboarding location, both on the beach and in the water. You don't want to launch just upwind of a bridge or rig and launch your kite upwind of hard objects on the beach. Never launch your kite directly upwind of people. Clear, open space both on the beach and in the water is the way to go. If your launch site is tight on the beach, you can "create" more open space by moving out onto the water before launching your kite.

Experienced riders are flaunting these rules on a regular basis. As kites can be spotted miles away, this brings riders of all levels like bees to a honey pot. They are not going to check a location website or carefully asses the situation as others are kiting at that location, so it must be OK.

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westozwind said..

Experienced riders are flaunting these rules on a regular basis. As kites can be spotted miles away, this brings riders of all levels like bees to a honey pot. They are not going to check a location website or carefully asses the situation as others are kiting at that location, so it must be OK.

That's definitely a fair call, but blindly following the herd without proper consideration is not really the best practice is it?





(Also, would appreciate some feedback/comment instead of red thumbs with no explanation)

Not saying it's the best practice, but if you arrive at a spot and the conditions are not quite right, but there are already guys on the water you are less likely to do a full assessment yourself. No crew out and you'll think twice.

I spose people may do that, but I can only go by my experience.

Whenever I get to the beach, I have a good look at what is being flown, and always find someone to have a chat to about the wind conditions.

Good info...

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Kitepower Australia said...

THE ABILITY TO LOFT OR LIFT VERTICALLY HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNED OUT OF MODERN KITES

Modern kites have the ability to adjust their AOA something which older C kite did only minimally, but AOA adjustment range is limited even on modern kites and when you reach it (and you pull on the bar to gain control or stabilise yourself, OOOOF up you go).

There are people who have very little experience with windsports and kites, who think their modern kite has an infinite safe wind range and that "depowering" the kite more and more will make the kite useable in winds that are basically too much for that size kite.

The biggest error this industry is continuing to make is calling the trim system, the "Power and Depower" system. This is the main cause of the common error in beginners thinking that their kites have an almost infinite wind range (certainly way more than in reality).

Each kite design, and some have more and some have less, has a finite AOA adjustment range. You can experience this and prove it to yourself too, by shortening your front line to the max with your lines tied off to a tree or something. If you can shorten your front lines to the point where the rear lines are so loose that when the bar is angled to simulate a turn or steering input, that the rear lines remain loose, then thats what will happen when the kite is flown - YOU WILL HAVE NO ABILITY TO STEER THE KITE.

This inability to steer the kite when it is so "depowered" is the No 1 cause of rapid kite dragging, lifting and impacts with solid objects. When a kite has been "depowered" to the point where it cannot be steered, the fact remain that it is still the same size kite, and that its AOA has been adjusted so much that it now flies at its fastest possible speed, and this in turn cause the now unsteerable kite to develop that absolute maximum power that it can develop. So the reality is that "depower" adjustment makes the kite fly faster across the window and this in turn increases the power and lift delivered by the now out of control kite.

BUT, kiters are responsible to read the manufacturers recommended wind range and to not exceed it without understanding that are now putting themselves and others at the risk of serious injury or death.

The "power/depower" system does not change the size of a kite. The "power/depower" system on many kite can be adjusted so much that the kite cannot be steered when max "depower" is applied" this includes many top well known brands!
The "power/depower" is incorrectly and dangerously named, it is a trim or trimming system

Yachts and windsurfers adjust the angle of attack of their sails, and and so do planes and gliders for their wings, etc, none of them use the term "power/depower", they all use the term TRIM

THE NO 1 DANGEROUS AND DUMB PLACE TO PUT AN OVERPOWERED KITE IS DIRECTLY OVERHEARD AT 12 O'CLOCK

Great info!

Just a quick one for you to confirm for me,

The 'AOA' refered to in the article from Kitepower.... I assume it is 'Angle Of Attack"??

Appologies if this is a stupid question, just trying to learn.

Thanks

Yes it does mean Angle Of Attack.

There are no stupid questions mate

Great point about the Trim V Depower... so many people hanging on to kites way bigger than what is required...

This one is a simple, maybe too simple....Why do we have dozens of different 'safety systems'? can it not be simplified into one, surely after 10+ years now they could all agree on a universal system...then everyone would always know it, and get so much better at using it as its the only system we have ever known, so its a lot more 'instinctive'...

We all have just one style of seatbelt in our cars...in an accident no matter what brand of car we all know where to press to release...

Just wondering if there is dozens of ways you can pull the chute on a parachute....??
Imagine that...Jump...."Oh crap what brand chute did I pack..Oh brand X cool, the strap is up high....oh no its brand Z its down low...oh hang maybe it's....SPLAT

For that very reason I try to stay with the same brand year on year...that way I just know it all so well, don't have to 'think' thinking hurts!..

Practice with a trainer kite for weeks or months, for me personally it was nearly a year of land based kiting with a 2-5m kites, handles and no harness to worry about.

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ausiet said..

Great info!

Just a quick one for you to confirm for me,

The 'AOA' refered to in the article from Kitepower.... I assume it is 'Angle Of Attack"??

Appologies if this is a stupid question, just trying to learn.

Thanks

Yes Angle of attack = AOA

Now dont get me started on world kitesurfing certification organisations that are set up as a mutli level marketing business that funnels money from every level back to "the owners" who live in a tax haven, and who preach teach as many people at once as possible, make heaps of money, but ignoring the sports need to turn out well educated beginner kitesurfers!!!

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JonesySail said..

Great point about the Trim V Depower... so many people hanging on to kites way bigger than what is required...

This one is a simple, maybe too simple....Why do we have dozens of different 'safety systems'? can it not be simplified into one, surely after 10+ years now they could all agree on a universal system...then everyone would always know it, and get so much better at using it as its the only system we have ever known, so its a lot more 'instinctive'...

We all have just one style of seatbelt in our cars...in an accident no matter what brand of car we all know where to press to release...

Just wondering if there is dozens of ways you can pull the chute on a parachute....??
Imagine that...Jump...."Oh crap what brand chute did I pack..Oh brand X cool, the strap is up high....oh no its brand Z its down low...oh hang maybe it's....SPLAT

For that very reason I try to stay with the same brand year on year...that way I just know it all so well, don't have to 'think' thinking hurts!..

I'm only new, 2 yrs kiting. What brands are not push away, connected to the chicken loop, connected to harness hook?

^^^
Core is twist system
Ozone has just gone to a push away a month or so ago before that they where a pull system

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IanR said..

^^^
Core is twist system
Ozone has just gone to a push away a month or so ago before that they where a pull system

Then where do you start to get Core to become part of a universal system ?
Are there any Core retailers that are site sponsors that care to buy into this safety aspect of the sport?

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salt said..

Practice with a trainer kite for weeks or months, for me personally it was nearly a year of land based kiting with a 2-5m kites, handles and no harness to worry about.

Got my first foil 2006, LEI 2011, the 'trainer kite will def teach you about flying, safety and the importance of letting go"

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pirrad said..

IanR said..

^^^
Core is twist system
Ozone has just gone to a push away a month or so ago before that they where a pull system

Then where do you start to get Core to become part of a universal system ?
Are there any Core retailers that are site sponsors that care to buy into this safety aspect of the sport?

Kitepower
Action Sports WA
Both are very committed to the safety aspect of the sport
I think you need to approach the manufacturer in Germany
http://corekites.com/us/sensor

CORE Australia

Importer

CORE Kites Australia
Scott Kennedy
1/29 Kitchener St
4224 Tugun
Queensland
AUSTRALIEN

e: scott@corekites.com.au
w: www.corekites.com.au

I am of the opinion that the most dangerous/most likely to have major injuries are kiters that have around 100 hours under a kite. They are beyond the learner phase and are beginning to push there limits and have got lackadaisical in there approach to safety.

My father who has had many light aircraft and owned a flight school and transport business would never hire pilots between 200 and 500 hours for this reason

Some good advice;

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selwyn said...

...this is just a possible scenario- and I write this so others may learn an avoid -

- if kite is fully trimmed, consequently difficult to steer and control
- most likely the kite was direct overhead
- it falls, lines slacken, a line can then go around bar (time to release is now)
- at some stage the kite will re-catch wind and power up
- kite is now uncontrollable, only hope is to release
- if not kite then loops powerfully and uncontrollably

For a learner:
1. Use the correct kite size for the conditions, know it's wind range
2. Be aware of the affect of trimming a kite
3. Don't have your kite parked at 12 o'clock
4. Practice releasing your kite- do it several times on serval different days, learn to find the release with 'eyes closed'
5. If your kite lofts/ stalls/ tumbles- and lines go slack- release it immediately, it's very easy to sort it out and start again.
- as you gain experience you may not have to release the kite.

Hope this helps

Here's some links to articles here on Seabreeze;


Safe kiting Guidelines:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Safe-Kiting-Guidelines_903068.aspx


Right of Way Rules:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Right-of-Way-Rules_903070.aspx


Things to consider when starting out:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/How-to-start-Kiteboarding_2274949.aspx

Good idea kiteboy.

There has always been plenty of info. about safety and how to do almost anything on the net. However, it is often illiterate people with bravado who get into this sport because of it's cool...........we are now full ramp-up with the masses of wannabes entering the sport.

Positive help and info. is the way to go............if only people would listen, read and learn...............but that is way too kn hard for many.

The bell curve of people will deliver all sorts to this sport...........expect more stuff -ups in the future.

I am still waiting for the first decent seabreeze to get out.............if I get desperate enough I'll have to kite an Easterly.

And I will try and be a friendly and helpful old man, may the powers out there help us.