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Thanks board rescue at Wells on Sat!

 
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SpaceRacer

Since 04 Nov 2007
434 Posts

Obsessed



PostSun Jul 30, 17 6:06 pm    Thanks board rescue at Wells on Sat! Reply with quote

On Sat at about 10am, left the spit lit on my 9m headed to Swell. When I got to the east side of Wells I through my first boost of the day and when I was at the apex, I wasn't too psyched to watch one of my steering lines pull off the kite. Kite and I crashed and fortunately I was fine and kite was pulling me nicely towards Wells and I lost my board immediately. About 30 minutes later some guy brought my SS Screamer back to the island. Thank you! Because the water was so high, there was no beach along Wells so I pulled my kite up the hillside into a clearing and reran all my lines back to my kite through trees, branches, logs and driftwood (every time my lines got near the water the waves would roll them and I'd have to start again so I thought it was better to run them through the branches than along the waters edge. Finally felt like I had run all my lines correctly. Wrapped them up on my bar and drift launched! And because that dude brought my board back I was able to make it to Swell and continue my session. Was pretty thrilled about the end result. Thank you!

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skideeppow

Since 26 Aug 2011
518 Posts

Addicted



PostMon Jul 31, 17 8:20 am     Reply with quote

so when you drift launched. Did you just hold the kite with you foot, then unwrap your lines up wind of the kite, making sure they did not tangle then let the kite go once you were fully unwound?

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Slappysan

Since 13 Jun 2012
308 Posts

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PostMon Jul 31, 17 8:33 am     Reply with quote

Your larks head came off the stopper knot then? Nothing broke?

Never heard of a larks head slipping off a pigtail before, even still I always give mine a good tug to make sure they are set.

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SpaceRacer

Since 04 Nov 2007
434 Posts

Obsessed



PostMon Jul 31, 17 9:02 am     Reply with quote

I know right! After a decade of kiting that never happened to me. I think I was distracted when I was setting up by some asshole father who was screaming and dropping the Fbomb on his 10yo son who he was trying to launch. Obviously the larks head held in lit conditions until Wells.

As for the drift launch, there are two ways to do it. The first way is leading edge into the wind. Wind up a few bar lengths of center lines on your bar before wrapping all the lines onto your bar. This keeps the kite less apt to spin around on you while paying out your lines. This method works great most of the time however in stronger winds with a small kite the wind can flip it up and then it's game over, which is why you never want to be hooked in when drift launching. Always keep your bar and CL in your hand and not hooked in.

The other drift launch method which sounds counter intuitive but really works well even in strong wind is to do the same above but actually just flip your leading edge up, let the wind catch it and have the kite fall on its back. It is important that you first wind up a few bar lengths of OUTTER STEERING (just edited) lines (WRAP CENTER STEERING LINES FOR THE FIRST METHOD AND IT IS REVERSE FOR THE SECOND METHOD) on your bar before wrapping so that your outer lines are much shorter than your front. This way the kite WILL just flip on its back and not hot launch. Once the kite is on its back, any tension by you or wind will actually drive the trailing edge into the water like a sea anchor so the kite will not launch. Then pay out your lines keeping tension on the kite and then you're ready to go. Any drift launch can fail and you cannot be hooked in and must be prepared to let your gear go. It's never worth your life.

SR

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostMon Jul 31, 17 9:11 am     Reply with quote

I also had a steering line come undone in the middle of a session.
I have North kites and they have a tiny tiny knot on the kite's pigtail to connect the steering line.
I have ~300 sessions on North kites and it's only happened once.... but I now pull that line very tight when making the connection.
Love my North's but wish they had big fat knots on their pigtails like everyone else.

Wondering if you also fly North's?

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SpaceRacer

Since 04 Nov 2007
434 Posts

Obsessed



PostMon Jul 31, 17 9:14 am     Reply with quote

Holy $&@"! Yes. I was. Wow. So you didn't make the knots bigger? Just double check?

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostMon Jul 31, 17 1:33 pm     Reply with quote

SpaceRacer wrote:
Holy $&@"! Yes. I was. Wow. So you didn't make the knots bigger? Just double check?


The small stopper knot that causes the problem is actually part of the steering line on the bar. It's fixed to the line.
I guess you could make it bigger by adding an overhand knot to the end of the line.

Since there are thousands of people who use North kites and I've never heard of anyone else besides you and me having this issue - I'm gonna leave the small knot and continue to double check.

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