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How many died last year in the US while kiting ?
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mat-ty



Joined: 07 Jul 2007
Posts: 7850

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kites have come a long way since 2002. Most modern kites will depower and fall from the sky by simply letting go of the bar, and completely depower by pushing the safety. kiting is a young sport and is evolving quickly. Many lessons have been learned the hard way unfortunately. All this negativity makes me second guess myself at times. But then I go to the beach and see 100lbs woman (rare windsurfing sight) and lots of young and older folks doing one of the most graceful, exciting,dynamic, activities I have ever seen in my life, with hundreds of people watching in awe of this amazing sport. Yes kiting has the potential to be dangerous, but unlike other activities like riding a motorcycle where some dip shit texting can take you out, kiting its you and your decisions that will determine how safe you will be. And best of all for me if its too windy for my comfort level I have windsurfing.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

coboardhead wrote:
Plenty of activities are dangerous. Whitewater kayaking, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and mountain biking can be extremely dangerous

Those pose very little threat to bystanders. Would you ignore kite lines being draped onto your kids' heads during an extremely gusty launch?

The only backcountry skiing threat to bystanders I have heard of is the guy who sailed off a cliff to land one foot from a guy taking a leak below him. Both were very surprised.
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KevinDo



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Posts: 426
Location: Cabrillo Inside

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
coboardhead wrote:
Plenty of activities are dangerous. Whitewater kayaking, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and mountain biking can be extremely dangerous

Those pose very little threat to bystanders. Would you ignore kite lines being draped onto your kids' heads during an extremely gusty launch?

The only backcountry skiing threat to bystanders I have heard of is the guy who sailed off a cliff to land one foot from a guy taking a leak below him. Both were very surprised.


I would say an inexperienced sailor can be just as dangerous as a kiter to bystanders. Not hard for an intermediate to fin a kid in the water Very Happy
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Only if bystanders let the two mix it up, and their threat radii are very different.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Several points;
Compared to windsurfing a lot of people have died kiting even if it wasn't 17 in one year.
A lot of people are getting seriously hurt kiting.
There are a lot of ways to die kiting, I read about the guy who died at Ocean Beach in SF, out in the ocean his lines got tangled around his ankle and drowned him.
Kiters may rip it up in high winds but that seems to be where all the trouble is.
Kiting doesn't mix with windsurfing or people on the beach.
Certain places and conditions seem best for the safety of kiters and those around them.
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mat-ty



Joined: 07 Jul 2007
Posts: 7850

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having the right place to kite was the deal maker for me. I live on the North Shore of Boston 15 minutes from a fantastic beach to kitesurf, Revere beach. Easy to get to , steady ocean winds when from the NE,E,SE,S,SSW, big uncrowded beach, awesome around low tide , and still safe at high tide, up to 60 people out on a good day. Another local beach Nahant is excellent also. And if I have the time the Cape has some of the nicest spots you will find anywhere.
If i lived somewhere like the gorge ,san fran , or maui where the windsurfing conditions are rocking more often then i would probably stick with windsurfing.

Beaglebuddy if you have a similar set up where you are and keep it to light wind ( under 25 mph ) you will be fine.
Once you learn to kite you will be shocked how stable and predictable the kites behave. I find the kite to be much less of a wrestling match than a windsurfing sail in gusty winds. If you know how to sail a boat and play with the wind by depowering your sail, thats the same ability that a kite offers. Sheet out sheet in , it becomes second nature quickly.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another advantage of kites is in shallow water. There is a very scenic stretch of (Blalock) islands way out east in the Gorge which would eat up WS fins in no time, but kites work just fine. The river there is beautiful, and the terrain on the water ranges from glassy behind the low islands to some swell in the shipping channel. Pretty darned unique sailing for the Columbia.

There's a paved parking lot nearby, but ... BUT ... it requires stepping across the RR tracks, a federal felony. That didn't stop the last two kiters I saw launching there to add to to the beauty of the spot.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kiters can handle high winds, up to 40mph in my eyes, no problem.
They just downsize their kitesizing.
But, they don't do so well in gusty, shifty winds, where most accidents happen and collisions with solid ground objects a real hazard.
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coboardhead



Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Posts: 4303

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Matty...Great to see your excitement over both sports! I have found kiting and windsurfing very compatible and often switch from one to the other during a single day. Different muscle groups mean more TOW! I went to a small surfboard and now I can get lots of carving turns in very light winds. Also, rocks at high winds. One day last week I started the morning on a 4.1 sail, switched to a 6 m kite and finished the day on a 14 m kite!
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mat-ty



Joined: 07 Jul 2007
Posts: 7850

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2013 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am definitely digging it Coboardhead, glad to see you are still ripping it up. Doing both is truly the best of both worlds. Throw in Sup surfing and my water time options are wide open. Its like having three girlfriends without all the drama. Ha ha.

I am still convinced with proper training, good gear , and a safe location, kiting is perfectly safe.

I believe most of the people that get hurt fall into a few categories, untrained beginners on bad equipment in a bad location, or experts pushing the envelope with mega jumps and dangerous winds.
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