Just something that I have noticed lately, is people struggling with assisted launching, I’m not talking about which direction (waterside, landside) or what direction they lay there line (upwind, downwind) etc.

- It’s things like the person holding the bar doesn’t move, waiting for the other guy with kite to, but the kite is folded around that person and they clearly are struggling with the kite.

- Or the guy that flips the kite, does it the wrong way then changes his mind then flips it again, the guy with the bar is running from one side to the other and eventually crosses the lines or they wrap around the kite . Then still try and launch anyway.

- Hot launches.

- Someone will ask for a launch and there just not ready, they seem to wait until the lines have tension on them to see if they are crossed, which they are sometimes, and they then try and uncross then while the guy holds the kite. Or there leading edge bladders are flat.

Most of the time (if not every time) there is at least one experienced person there, if not two.
When I ask someone to launch my kite for me, I like to inconvenience that person as little as possible and make sure i’m right to go, and I know which way I want to launch, which way I want my kite flipped (which I let the person know), I move myself into position and normally the whole process take seconds.

I don’t know if there are any guidelines for the launching process in reference to some of the thing mentioned above or other common problems that people see, maybe someone could post them here, or an instructor could share their opinions and thought on this.

i feel safer, and prefer to self launch.. after driving 20 k's over the limit to get to the beach ,run up and back to sort out lines, grumbling and swearing to myself i am gonna trade my inflatables in for foils so i can get out faster, i just don't have patience to wait around for anyone else to give me a launch!!!

sounds like some of the guys on your beach are in a hurry too to get out

it has on occasions ended in tears for the kiter thats been too keen!

only suggestion that comes to mind to slow down your assisted launching issue is , when your the assistant, do the thumbs sign and wait until its replied in same... so keep thumbing until the guys on your beach realize you wont let go of their kite until they reply...

Yeh have noticed it a number of times recently as well, a number of people do not seem to have a sound understanding of the wind.

Eg. the kite is flapping and the kite is too far upwind of them, yet they still give you the thumbs up end up having to move the kite downwind for them and wave them into the right spot,

Thanks
Matt