Went to change over an old flag out line on my bar today in the living room and thought i'd just activate the quick release to check it. Couldn't get the release to activate as it was packed full of sand. Took me about 45 seconds to get the thing to release. So glad i found this out in my living room and not out in real world conditions. I wash my gear in fresh water after every session but it just goes to show you can never be too complacent.

CHECK YO SAFETY"S FOOO'S!!!!!

PEACE

Thats why I release mine while cleaning after each sesh. Give a quick squirt with the hose and know I'm good to go next time.

Great ideas, thanks for the reminder.

Complacency can certainly be dangerous.

Check and replace your hook knife too.

I recently self landed to the safety leash as a 60-70 knot blast came through (read from a nearby BOM weather station).

Everything was fine until my board got blown into the lines. Fearing something bad happening I kicked the board away but in the process my foot got tangled in a couple of lines. Still no great dramas but the kite was a bucking a little.

Rather than risk trying to disentangle my foot or wait for things to calm down I simply cut the lines. The kite flopped under some waves and I was able to grab it and make it safe. End of drama and a good excuse to get a couple of replacement lines.

I probably should have released the whole kite to start with. The beach was huge and unpopulated with plenty of shrubs in the dunes to catch the kite if it blew away.

It's easy to be wise after the fact. In my experience accidents and incidents rarely happen all at once. It's usually a sequence of things that build up into a bigger oops.

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Gorgo said...

Check and replace your hook knife too.

Completely agree, I found out that the knife I've been carrying around with me is so blunt it won't even cut through lines after I hacked away at them for a few minutes, nothing as exciting as Gorgo's story - I just wanted to cut an old piece of line for my gopro mount - but it was good I found out that way and not when it was wrapped around my neck..

On a side note, I've got a 2012 OR freeride bar and the chickenloop safety is actually a material strip so it is much harder to end up jammed with sand - really good design feature!

TKC

Doesnt just have to work when you want/need it.
It also should be an auto response needing zero time to think about it.
Strongest Suggestion Possible to all kiters.
Every time you get an assisted landing - as soon as your catcher has the kite under control hit your QR rather than unhooking etc.
We teach this as an absolute essential to all our students.
Keeps your QR active and gets your reaction ingrained into your psyche.

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puppetonastring said...

Doesnt just have to work when you want/need it.
It also should be an auto response needing zero time to think about it.
Strongest Suggestion Possible to all kiters.
Every time you get an assisted landing - as soon as your catcher has the kite under control hit your QR rather than unhooking etc.
We teach this as an absolute essential to all our students.
Keeps your QR active and gets your reaction ingrained into your psyche.

...+ 1

Thats a great idea! Nice one!!

i spray a bit of silicone spray on my bars working parts which keeps it smooth as on the qr , on another safety issue i reckon all harnesses should be made with the safety knife, im amazed this isnt so

It should be activated prior to launching every time. That way you know it will work when you need it and you will create a reflexive response and know automatically where it is and how it works.

I have found that my slingshot CSS tends to get stuck for the first 50cm when its released and sometimes have to hold the chicken loop and pull the line through untill the line gets momentum.

Had to pull the quick release last weekend when the canopy somehow folded up over the leading edge and put the kite into a death loop, 500m off shore and pulling the quick release was just an instant reaction, lines became inverted but was able to fly back to beach safely.
Things could of been a whole lot worse

I reckon the best way to learn a quick safety release is to drop your kite in the surf. Its amazing how quick you can bang that release out when theres a decent sized wave headed for it.

Also connect your safety leash on the front of your harness (unless you handle pass)

I do a double release in big surf using both hands at the same time

So many people i see have it on the back for no reason

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surfingboye said...

I reckon the best way to learn a quick safety release is to drop your kite in the surf. Its amazing how quick you can bang that release out when theres a decent sized wave headed for it.

Lol i have seen many people rip their kites because they thought they could relaunch it after it dropped in the waves. Once in waves always release.