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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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Wed Apr 16, 14 2:07 pm Lessons learned from Lost Kite at Rufus |
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Okay, I'm opening myself up for plenty of criticism on this one... But if we don't learn from our (or other's) mistakes... we won't learn.
On 4/15/14 My 8m RPM blew off the beach at rufus. I had placed my board on it, however apparently hadn't secured it well enough - Lesson 1 - Secure your kite on the beach.
I saw the kite sliding toward the water. I was only about 10 feet from it. I chased after it into the water and actually was able to get a slight hold of one of the lines, but it slipped out of my hand. I got to where I couldn't stand in the water and stopped chasing. Given the direction it was going, I figured it would continue blowing to the shallow beach line directly East of the main launch. I figured all I had to do was walk around and pick it up. My mistake, currents changed and the kite completely changed directions now heading towards the center of the river and in a westerly direction. - Lesson 2 - If you have a chance to pick up a loose kite, even if it means swimming - DO SO!
As I watched the kite going down the river I figured the wind would blow it to shore, I still wasn't too worried about my kite. I probably could have run along the shoreline westerly ahead of my kite and swam out to get it. It might have meant I would have crossed the threshold of the mighty current river of the island(s) west of rufus, but I still probably could have reached my kite. -Lesson 3 - I'm not sure there's a lesson here. The water is still darn cold, this might have been dangerous.
I drove around to the Wall and located my kite in the river by the rock where windsurfers launch (by marker 41). I probably could have swam out to my kite at this location, but I was worried about how long I would be in the water before I was able to pull my kite in. My kite was switching directions East and West in the river at this point and I decided it was best to wait a little longer to see if the current magically pushed my kite to the beach. - Lesson 4 - get it while you can.
At this point my kite decided to settle in along the cliff just 100 yards east of the main windsurfing launch. At last I thought all my waiting had paid off and I finally had a safe / easy solution for extracting my kite. I swam out of the windsurfing launch and started heading up towards my kite. 1/3 of the way towards my kite my hands were already starting to tingle. Extracting my kite would require me to first swim to my kite, then unhook and wind up my lines (who knows what they were caught in), and lastly swim my kite back to the launch spot (I could not climb up the cliffs). I made the decision to turn back and regroup as I was concerned for my safety in the cold water. I considered the fact that I could have jumped off the cliff just up river of my kite which would have reduced my time in the water considerably, but figured I had a safer option available, so decided not to. Lesson 5 - If you know where your kite is... Don't leave it.
I decided the safest solution was to return in the morning with a couple of Kayaks and my good friend (who agreed to get up at 5:30am to help me get my kite). The plan was to hook the two kayaks together front to back so one person would be able to row against the current while the other person dealt with the kites / lines etc. At 7:00am there was no wind or swell thus the only element to deal with was the current. I think it would have been a good plan except when we arrived there at 7:00am in the morning the kite was not there anymore.
Final Lesson - I had plenty of options to retrieve my kite. Some options were safer than others, but still had plenty of options. On the flip side, You are all able to read about my adventures here rather than in the obituary section of the paper. _________________ Kiting starts at 40MPH |
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registered
Since 12 Jul 2005
1319 Posts
tsunami
Sandbagger
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Wed Apr 16, 14 2:37 pm |
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ouch ... hope you get it back.
Your life is worth more than the kite though...ask your mom. |
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WindSki
Since 14 Dec 2012
411 Posts
Portland
Obsessed
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Wed Apr 16, 14 2:56 pm |
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Expensive story !
I feel for ya |
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Blazeheliski
Since 30 Mar 2011
659 Posts
Mosier
Addicted
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Wed Apr 16, 14 2:56 pm |
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wow - I hope you get it back. Thanks for sharing the story. My only input here is from watching how shifty the wind is at the Rufus launch - I put my board on my kite upside down and I ALWAYS place at least 3 large rocks on the bottom of my board. The wilder the wind - the more rocks I place. Kites like to slide on those smooth rocks so the kite needs some extra weight on it. It is different than a sandy beach. I hope you find your kite! |
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quenyaistar
Since 21 Oct 2011
416 Posts
Cougar, WA
Obsessed
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Wed Apr 16, 14 3:16 pm |
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I have been told if you leave a kite or board on the river overnight it will be ruined by the next day because the wave action rubs it up against the shoreline debris rocks and what not leaving holes, abrasions etc......so get it right away or forget it _________________ 1 OF 1 |
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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Wed Apr 16, 14 3:16 pm |
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Blazeski,
I agree... Great insight. The root of my problem was my failure to adequately secure my kite. I've probably used the board technique 100's of times successfully, however from now on, I will surely consider additional rocks or sand in higher wind conditions.
All my other choices were simply evaluations of whether to do something now or wait for a better opportunity later.
By the way, aside from my kite loss, Yesterday was the best session I've had this year (back in the Gorge). Decent swell, great wind... Rufus rocked!!! _________________ Kiting starts at 40MPH |
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KCM
Since 30 Jun 2013
53 Posts
Woodland WA.
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Wed Apr 16, 14 3:45 pm |
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It may be an expensive story, but for those of us reading here it is a valuable lesson.....especially for the newbies like me.
I think some of the expense can be offset by the good judgement you showed in not risking your life, and also helping the rest of us not make a similar mistake.
Sorry for your loss, happy for the knowledge.
Thanks for sharing. |
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
606 Posts
Addicted
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Wed Apr 16, 14 5:34 pm |
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hope it turns up soon.
one of the better ways at Rufus is to put 3 or 4 rocks inside your kite bag and put that on the kite. I have had a few times where i was chasing my or someone else's kite down because of just putting a board on the kite with those smooth rocks there. Each site is different and gota learn the spot to make it easy and safe.
Glad your OK, good choices…(except maybe the first) |
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SpaceRacer
Since 04 Nov 2007
434 Posts
Obsessed
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Wed Apr 16, 14 5:57 pm |
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Thanks for sharing this. No criticism for sharing information to help others. I agree with always securing your kite on the beach and I myself have gotten lazy or forgetful at times. I was not there but the sounds of swimming after your kite with lines attached? at Rufus sounds scary and dangerous. It may be a long shot but I take blue painters tape and put it with my name and number on a couple of areas on my kite just in case. We do it for our boards but why not our kites? Blue painters tape sticks for an amazingly long time on boards and kites and can be peeled off easily. Just be wary of sun blemishes if you leave it in the same area for too long. Hope your kite turns up! |
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cosmodog
Since 06 Oct 2005
203 Posts
Stoked
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Wed Apr 16, 14 8:20 pm |
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Hope you manage to find your kite.
I have a similar story. Back in the C kite days I bought my wife a brand new 9m Cab. On her second day, she accidently loops the kite, drop out of the chicken loop and the kite leash breaks. She's a 1/2 mile off-shore but plenty warm and a strong swimmer. So I go after the kite. I run down the bike path to get in front of it and it turns back out to sea and goes under the San Mateo bridge. So I run some more, get down wind of it and start swimming. I get pretty close and then it flips sides and it stays just out of reach. After a 1/2 mile swim I give up.
But when I get back to the launch, my friend offers me his jet ski and another buddy gets his Cessna and I figure we can't miss. Bright orange kite with a spotter in a plane. No dice. Two days later some windsurfers mention an orange kite blowing by in Palo Alto - so the damn kite managed to get under the Dunbarton bridge, an area my friend did not check because of NASA airspace. Never did see that kite again... |
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ShiverMeTimbers
Since 26 Feb 2013
381 Posts
Gig Harbor
Obsessed
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Wed Apr 16, 14 9:39 pm |
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thanks for posting your story. I think you made the right decision, live to fight another day.
You can always replace equipment. You can't replace your life.
When things like this happen to me, I consider it a "life tax". Better to pay it and keep on truck'n. |
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SalmonSlayer
Since 27 Nov 2005
648 Posts
Addicted
CGKA Member
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Thu Apr 17, 14 5:11 am |
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ShiverMeTimbers wrote: | thanks for posting your story. I think you made the right decision, live to fight another day.
You can always replace equipment. You can't replace your life.
When things like this happen to me, I consider it a "life tax". Better to pay it and keep on truck'n. |
Stuff happens. If you do something 100 times and it works, it is not necessarily a poor decision to repeat the same thing and have it fail once.
You made a bunch of right decisions that allowed you to be around to post your experience.
It is just kite gear/money. all of it is replaceable. In this sport, we put ourselves in risky situations on the water and handle large sheets of materiel with a frame inflated with air. Things like this are bound to happen and just part of kiteboarding. I am surprised it does not happen more often.
In hard surface conditions like Rufus, I use rocks in a kite bag to hold the kite. |
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wood
Since 21 Jan 2013
65 Posts
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Thu Apr 17, 14 8:23 am |
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? You say the wind was blowing. No one else on the water to get the kite? Did you have another kite setup to pump up to go get it? I would try that route before trying to swim for it this time of year (cold and current). Sorry you lost your kite. Maybe some fisherman pick it up. Check out the boat launch area. Never hurts to ask. |
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Slappysan
Since 13 Jun 2012
309 Posts
Obsessed
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Thu Apr 17, 14 9:47 am |
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If you had a surfboard to paddle instead of swim you would have been golden. |
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Windian
Since 28 Apr 2008
889 Posts
Newport, OR
NEWPORT OG
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Thu Apr 17, 14 11:41 am |
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Always better to break or lose equipment rather than flesh and bones. |
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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Thu Apr 17, 14 1:25 pm |
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@ wood
Other kiters at rufus offered their support and help. One guy on the beach offered to put his suit back on to try to help me. There was a guy on the water that I think was suggesting he could pull me out to my kite.
Everybody assess risk differently. There were two factors that concerned me:
1) Water Temperature.
2) There were probably 30 or so fishing lines out along the bank of rufus.
The last thing I wanted was for anyone to get hurt attempting to rescue my kite.
Back when I was first learning to kite I had a kite get away. A buddy of mine and I used a jetski to get it back. This event was an eye opener to me. I learned that when the lines get stuck on a fixed object while the kite is in the water, scary things happen. In this situation the kite powered up so hard that it stretched one side of the bridal. What was most scary is that before the kite had powered up, I had been wrapped in the lines for a bit. It really made me respect a loose kite dragging with a bar in the water. Also, The amount of time it took us to recover the kite (unhook it from the fixed object it was connected to) was considerable.
This time of year the water temperatures really scare me. I enjoy kiting this time of year, however will not kite alone. This time of year I kite with people I trust will haul me in if I were to have an issue. Come June, I will go back to kiting alone.
That's just me though.
I know there are guys out there that have rescued kites while kiteboarding. I would be interested in learning more about their technique. To me it seems a lot more dangerous than simply picking up a board however. _________________ Kiting starts at 40MPH |
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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Thu Apr 17, 14 1:30 pm Other Helpers |
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I should also mention that Windsurfers at the Wall were very helpful as well.
They helped me discuss strategies,informed me of currents, reminded me to get my knife, and one guy even gave me his phone number. He was the last guy windsurfing and when I called him he informed me my kite was still there when he left. Thank you all if you are reading this. _________________ Kiting starts at 40MPH |
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