"Must you kite so close to my student?"

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

I'm going to revive this great subject line....

I was at the sandbar yesterday... NW corner, which I believe was designated as "instruction zone". I was obviously giving instruction to a student (when 2 people are in the water, one is wearing a harness and flying a kite, the other is pointing, demonstrating or other... that's instruction).

here are the things that happened in the course of under 2 hours.

1) I watched another instructor as he walked with his student north. we went a safe distance south of him and began (>150 feet away). He then started bringing his student (walking with the kite in the air) right into our fly zone. I left my student flying the kite and walked over to ask him where he was going. His reply "oh, we'll be all along here"... to which I replied, "so will we", implying we might want to share this area and remain safe distances from each other by remaining in our own areas. We moved a bit south, and thankfully, he turned his student back around and went back north out of our fly zone.
I'm still not sure what he was thinking.

2) kiters coming in and bombing my student. I know you have to get up wind, but when you cruise by not 20 feet upwind of us, or in from the deep, right at us...even I get nervous. Please make a couple of tacks before bombing by. You know what you're doing, but it can be nerve racking for beginners.

3) Another instructor comes out with his student, not 30 feet from us and puts a kite up in the air. So now we have 2 beginners flying 30 feet apart. I threw a look at the guy, but he obviously didn't care. We walked away a bit and sure enough, my student crashed the kite.... about 5 feet from the other instructors head. After that, he moved off... I guess that is one way to declare your fly zone. Smile

4) I have just taken the kite from my student, we are coming in, close to shore...maybe 10 feet from dry land. There is one kite on the beach being launched, and they are trying to get to water. We are cool, and are going around each other. Some jackass in a pink/yellow 9m waroo comes in from the water, stands right in between us and has his kite in the air flagging.... I try to figure out what he's trying to do, and ask him, "what are you doing?"... he just looks at me with this poop eating grin and says nothing.... grabs the handle, and then lets it go...kite flags again.... I grabbed my kite and board and hopped out of there before the kites got tangled.... I went out for a quick tack and then came in a little south of him to get away from him.... as I looked back, I saw him bouncing off his face through a puddle on the other side of the Western hump... karma is a bitch.

it's tough to find an area to teach. We walked all the way across the sandbar to get away from people (it was barren but for one teacher/student when we got there). The sandbar is huge... .give the noobs some space.... please!

</rant and rave>

Pepi · Mon Aug 20, 07 7:53 am

I'm definitely not an instructor, but have always felt that we would all benefit if we established an "instructor zone" somewhere out on the sandbar.

The NW point actually is a bit of a crux location since it is smack dead center of the launch runway for those kiters starting off of the west end of the Sandbar.
I've actually completely stopped launching off of this western section and have been launching right below the NW corner.

Pepi

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

Sorry you were having such a hard time with space. It sucks. its tough to find another area to teach. Its one of the few shallow areas where you can stand. Plus people are trying to come and go so that is a lot of stuff going on in a little bit of space.

sleestack · Since 07 Dec 2006 184 Posts Land of the Lost Stoked

[quote="FlyinElvis"] Some jackass in a pink/yellow 9m waroo

</rant and rave>[/quote]

Dude about 6'2'', shaved head with dark stubble and wearing sunglasses? Yeah he likes to buzz next to people up by the bridge too and doesn't obey right-of-way. . .Must of been a understudy of "The Dangler".

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

I thought i was in a 'considerate' zone for other kiters...
I intentionally do not take beginners to lyle in hopes of preserving the riding conditions there and not turning it into another sand bar.

if the sandbar is the green, i was where it's red.

Is there a different place that is preferred for instruction? this seems like a great out of the way spot because most northern launchers are pretty far downwind (by the kiddie pool), and most everyone else stops walking at the south end (by the windsurfer's 600' mark).

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

to the east of both the pools is a pretty good place to teach. as long as the student can body drag back into shore. Nice deep water, not likely to get hurt and also the way the sandbar pushes out north the farther east you get makes it easy for the student to get back where they can touch the ground.

jsj · Since 11 Sep 2006 83 Posts Hood River

I also like the eastern 3rd of the sandbar. I value the safety of the friends who've asked me to teach them...

What little traffic there is tends to be advanced kiters who you can at least trust not to run into a noob. Definitely need to be well downwind of the ramps/sliders but beyond that you've got a nice area that still isn't in the main channel. First few drags should happen there, then maybe move up to the NW corner.

Its nice and deep as soon as they get in the water, which feels much safer to me. Thing is, standing in knee deep water at the NW end isn't adding any safety at all. If they get yarded they'll end up on the beach immediately.

Finally, the last thing a beginner needs is the intimidation of an endless stream of kites. They'll get that eventually, but the first time they fly a kite, you'll do 'em a favor to elminate that particular distraction.

my $0.02

john

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1738 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

Is it an option to get up to Wells Island? If the water level is so low, is it not possible to wade through all the way over to Wells from the hook? Not sure if that is an option without a boat. west of the island is where I would want to teach, assuming I would ever want to teach. Water up there is waist deep in many places.
Good luck and be safe out there.

stringy

brass · Since 15 Jul 2006 152 Posts Stoked

I understand the sandbar is crowded and good kiters need to be particularly aware of newbies, instructors and students and everyone else for that matter but.....

The NW corner is a shit place to have your students. It blocks the easiest way to get off the sandbar and upwind away from the crowds. Why not go down wind a little due north of the sand that way they can reach out and reach right back to the sand on a little downwinder then walk back up wind on the sand? This is what the experienced instructors like Carlos and Rob do.

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

brass · Since 15 Jul 2006 152 Posts Stoked

Lately starting south of the middle of the sandbar (I assume you mean close to the Event Site) is not a great option when the sand bar is crowded with beginners and lessons.
First, there are at least half a dozen kooks trying to get there first ride all along the upwind (western edge) of the sand bar dumping (no pounding) their kites into the sand on top of the heads of joe public and people rigging. This is a topic for another post for people who probably do not read this forum.
Second, the wind is sometimes funky just downwind of the Event Site and you may have to fly your kite aggressively to get upwind quickly. Even if you do get upwind of the NW corner and the lessons taking place there you might have to drive your kite too close to a lesson and that is not cool for anyone.

I also should have said, "this is what I HAVE SEEN experienced instructors do." I was not referring to any particular day.

I am sure, Flying Elvis, that you are trying to do the right thing. I guess you can teach wherever you want there and I will avoid you. You have to make a living at the sandbar and I just go there for fun...and I hardly ever hang around and kite right there at this time of year anyway. Wells Island is cleaner wind usually.[/quote]

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

i think the NW corner is a good place to teach when there are NOT many kites out. if the water is high you can walk out really far and being able to touch bottom provides a level of comfort to beginners. If the instructor is responsible he will make sure to leave plenty of room between where the kite may slam down and people downwind, as well as holding onto the student by the harness and/or using a small enough kite to teach with so that the person will not get pulled downwind to where the slider/kicker are. One would hope the student would be able to pull the quick release before that happened. People are going to teach there, so i think it would be best to respect them. I also highly doubt any teacher in their right mind would take someone to the NW corner on a super busy day when tons of kites are in the air.

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

I believe that those 3 or 4 white clorox bottles are marking submerged dead head stumps at the NW corner. I have seen beginners practicing with their kites in the air just a "yank-and-a-spank" upwind from those hazards. Is that a good idea? Grinding to a halt on the sand beach, while being dragged by a looping, powered up kite would be a pleasure compared to taking a hit from one of those stumps. Beware of a Leeward Shore!!

Also,

I am very familiar with both low and high water conditions to the West of Well's Island. Before you ever take any beginner up there to practice their body dragging or initial board riding, please inspect the place at very low water... and chances are, you won't take them there. The guys that teach professionally have memorized the hazards up there, and know where to allow their students to practice. As a rule of thumb, do not allow anyone to body drag closer to the island than about 200 yards. You will probably be safe if you draw an imaginary line from the orange doors of the Hatchery building on the Washington side to the expensive house on the Oregon bluff, that has all the reflective windows.

Just don't ever let anybody bodydrag close to the island!!

Safety first...

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

Speaking of hazards - there is a big log that is generally just below the water level sticking up just waiting to impail some unsuspecting kiter. The log is on the NW section of the sand spit where the instructors teach. I try to remember to bring a water jug or something to mark it - but I keep forgeting. I'll be out there this coming up weekend - I'll try and remember to mark it - if not, can someone else flag that log.

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

i actually have an emtpy liquid detergent bottle sitting at home for just such a purpose.