When Foiling goes Wrong

wylieflyote · Fri Jun 03, 16 7:14 am **When Foiling goes Wrong**

Starting a discussion here on emergency kitemare solutions re: foiling.
On Tuesday at Rock Creek out in mid-channel there were occasional gusts and punchy winds while I was foiling. During one strong gust I got pitched off the board and as I'm flying off, the foil cartwheels up into the bar & lines. My fuselage and wings were instantly trapped & wrapped into both the steering and front lines. This created a "death spiral".
For a minute or two I attempted to clear the wraps as I'm being drug violently. Everything is underwater and moving fast. OK... guess I'll pull my safety CL.... nada. The release does absolutely nothing in this situation as the hardware is trapped within the single line flag out.
After a few minutes more of scary dragging I figure to reach up and grab hard on one of the front lines and effect a flag-out manually. Dragging in about 8-10 feet quieted the kite down and allowed me to figure out this fuselage/bar/line clusterfk.
A heaping serving of dumb luck.
Footnote: Pepi advised that releasing my final leash safety would also not have been wise since this foil/board/deathspiraling kite machine could likely have flown miles and eventually stuck a car on I-84.

Comments?

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1487 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

do you carry a knife?
if so - you should have used it.

wylieflyote · Fri Jun 03, 16 7:22 am

Bingo! Yep. It's one of those things I've carried for 12 years and never once used. Will practice and inspect my knife.

Mark · Fri Jun 03, 16 7:28 am

Get a dive knife with serrations on one side and a blunt tip. I have carried one of these for 13 years on my harness.

http://www.leisurepro.com/p-sqtksl/squeeze-lock-knife-blunt

You want the blunt tip so you push it along your skin to get under the line.... Serration for cutting thru any rope or line.

Edit: was doing research on the knife when you were posting.....

voy-tech · Fri Jun 03, 16 7:51 am

How about a harness knife? Everytime I bought a harness I was looking for it include the knife but never actually tested if it would work correclty. Anyone has experience with using it in real life kitemare scenario?

wannabekiter · Since 14 May 2015 269 Posts Hood river Obsessed

Carry more then one knife.. one hook knife in my shorts pocket and a kayak knife on the front of my life jacket. Both have bungee cord loops to put your hand thru. Odds are you will probably drop one.

Kmun · Since 05 Jul 2009 259 Posts Obsessed

Another Choice:
http://www.nrs.com/product/2765/crkt-bear-claw-knife?#tabReviews

Curved handle = intuition/dictates which is the sharp side.

Mounted on inside neck trim of impact/float vest. Easy high sternum, above water access & low exposure to errant lines accidentally hooking into a handle or scabbard.

user124 · Since 02 Aug 2012 391 Posts Portland Obsessed

How would cutting your lines with your knife been any different than completely releasing the kite/bar with your secondary? I suppose you could have tried to selectively cut lines to allow the kite to flag, but if you have that much control then you can probably just grab an outside line and flag the kite like you did.

It sounds like you did the right thing given the scenario. But if things were worse or you were being dragged under, release your secondary. Sure it could have become a dangerous kite/foil projectile but it seems unlikely it would hit a car on the 84 and far more likely it would just snag on a tree, beach , pilon or other fixed object. At that point you are weighing risks, and if it's near certain death/drowning for you vs slight chance your kite could be dangerous for someone else you should release you kite. Obviously the calculation changes if there is a beach full of kids directly downwind of you.

Mark · Fri Jun 03, 16 1:27 pm

drtaamc · Since 24 Jul 2008 120 Posts Stoked

When I first started kiting, over a dozen years ago now, I was deathly afraid of grabbing any of my lines when the kite was powered up. Over time I've discovered that one of the best ways to depower your kite when faced with this kind of situation, where your safety system won't deploy, is to grab a single steering (outside) line and pulling yourself up it until you get to the kite. It immediately flags the kite. Most steering lines even have a grab loop on the bar end for just this purpose. Don't be afraid to use it. Now you still need a knife if you're caught in crab pot lines, but I just hate cutting my lines otherwise. my $.02

juandesooka · Since 21 Jan 2014 98 Posts

I agree with 124....if need be, full release would be way to go....certainty of injury to you vs possibility of others. But good you didn't have to.

Knives....on kf forum people recommended Benchmade strap cutter. Made for emergency services I think....open face so can cut bigger lines. Seems pretty good....happily not had to use it yet.

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

Kip,

Just so all of us are clear, if you had pulled your leash QR, would you have been free? Or was your CL still stuck to your spreader bar?

Freakin' terrifying scenario. I give you a lot of credit for having the composure to do what you did and for posting.

Thanks,

SR

wylieflyote · Sun Jun 05, 16 9:41 am

J.P. · Since 10 Mar 2005 638 Posts Addicted

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

JP. Great tip. I can't see much going wrong on a foilboard by pressuring the front foot when possible. Pressuring the rear foot can send the board flying. I'm gonna be mindful of that. Thanks

kitebug · Since 27 Apr 2015 40 Posts Hood River

you said you had to pull 8-10ft of steering line to get the kite to quite down. I would be worried about wrapping myself in that 8-10ft and then being in real trouble.

Does anyone know if instead of pulling that steering line, will the kite flag out if one steering line is cut? Or do you have to cut multiple lines?

Might be an obvious question but I'm thinking cutting one steering line would've been my choice since I don't have the steering line pull loop thing.

wylieflyote · Tue Jun 07, 16 4:36 am