elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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How to - Drift launch safely
I've seen so many beginners and advanced riders drift launch the "normal" dangerous way so I wanted to share this technique. We use it in all wind
conditions even in 35 knots I don't have a problem with it. Letting the kite drift away from you while undoing lines is dangerous, the safety system
is non-functional and it takes longer to let the kite drift out giving it more time for something to go wrong. Let the lines out BEFORE releasing the
kite like shown in this video. Hope it helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3PB2G7b88
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
Registered: 9-7-2009
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Thats a great way to launch but how do you know that the lines aren't crossed, did you attach the lines before you got into the water and then wound
the lines back on the bar ?
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elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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Thanks. Yes, you attach the lines on shore ensuring they aren't crossed and wind them up again. For failsafe, hook in and remain hooked in while
winding up the lines to avoid passing the bar through the lines without realizing it. That way you would have to step through the lines to cause a
tangle.
If you end up with the bar/lines wrapped up in the leash like I did in the video, the better way to fix it would be to undo/redo the leash rather than
the bar or just attach the leash after flipping the kite to avoid that altogether.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
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Great technique. Makes a lot of sense to do it this way. 
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Kober
Posts: 1942
Registered: 12-10-2010
Location: New Jersey
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Mood: More kiting !!!
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Thanks for sharing ... This is first time I have seen drift launch when you taking kite with you and do lines before letting it go ... maybe i try
this next time when in need of drift launch ....
...
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USA_Eli_A
Posts: 1397
Registered: 10-13-2007
Location: Seaside,OR
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Mood: Ozone For Life
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I had similar results...
I coiled the lines in my hands prior to launching and just let them slide slowly out of my hands..
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elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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| Quote: |
I coiled the lines in my hands prior to launching |
Your hands are valuable assets and those lines can cut them off pretty quick. All it takes is one mistake or equipment malfunction.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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PHREERIDER
Posts: 5781
Registered: 2-13-2008
Location: SC
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Mood: chilled....but ready to SAIL!
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i do kinda the same but, try not to handle any lines or detach anything, it just adds errors....
handling the bar SO much during payout, yikes! and esp. leash handling after you drop it all. ...i don't do either
i set up like solo launch, bar ON, leash ON, get kite, KEEP everything oriented, enter water, set it down(dunk it!) wait for tension, if deep put
on the board. if you can stand its a non event
with super tight or high hazards for snags i handling lines like eli ,only a loop or 2, definitely pilot preference.
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loftywinds
Posts: 85
Registered: 7-22-2013
Location: Queensland, Australia
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This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
There is a local beach that disallows kite surfers due to council bans riggin up on the grass and beach above the high tide water mark. With this
technique, I can now thumb the council and simply take all my gear to the water past the high tide mark, as that is another juristiction where kites
are seen as water vehicles. LOL. The only problem will be how to preinflate the kite and attach the lines. I could have the lines preattached at home,
preinflate the struts, take the lot to the beach, quickly pump up the leading edge and run with the lot into the water.
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Demoknight
Posts: 1150
Registered: 6-7-2013
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Reported for spam.
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early bird2
Posts: 45
Registered: 3-10-2015
Location: canada
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I have been drift launching quite a lot lately , but when the Wind is gusty and strong it could be very dangerous to drift launch . Bad things can
happen very fast .
It is been very windy for the last 2 months here , I live directly on a lake and I have to drift launch most of the time , so here is what happened to
me last week : I uncoiled the lines and left the kite drift , but a sudden gust caught the kite from Under and popped it up in the air very furiously
, the kite had only drifted half of the lines lenght and when it made the distance to reach the full lenght of the lines it pull dangerously , luckily
the kite ended up on the side of the wind window but if it would have popped directly downwind ???
Also , if there are any waves at all , the kite can and does roll over sometimes , once or twice before it reaches the end of the lines . Another
thing that happened to me a few times is weeds caught on the lines making it impossible to operate the security .
So I'm going to drift launch in light to medium Wind now and on ,only , plus I will keep al slight tension on the upper front line while the kite
drift to keep it Under control , plus I won't put the chicken loop on until the kite have reached the side of the Wind window and I can see everything
is Under control.
Stongs gusty winds : find someone (competent ) to help or if nobody available and the Wind is strong but not too gusty : Tether.
Hope it can save someone reading this .
Ozonessssss Ozonessssss
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elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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Dunk the kite before letting it drift like in the video. The water will hold it down. We do it in 35 knots even with no problem, super gusty doesnt
matter (central ohio launch). Are you drift launching like in the video or letting the kite drift as you unwind the lines? Nothing to worry about even
if the kite flipped straight downwind because your safety is fullly functional IF you unwind the lines before letting go of the kite.
If there are waves, then most likely there is a beach as well and you can simply drag launch with the kite on the sand.
DO NOT KEEP TENSION ON THE LINES while the kite is drifting, that means you are either grabing the lines with your hands or you didnt unwind all the
lines before letting go of the kite. Both are very dangerous. Watch the video and launch like that. If you have soft lines, drift launching won't work
very well.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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Here is a video of a "failed" drift launch. This is the guy that taught me the drift launch method. He is using a 6m RPM in 35 to 40 knots. It still
launched just fine even after the kite tumbled a bit and was always perfectly safe because he used this method. When the wind is very strong there is
more possibility for the kite to take off like this while it is drifting (maybe 1 or 2 out of 10 launches for me in high wind) but this is an RPM so
it doesn't like to stay put like a bow kite on the water or sand. Worst thing that could happen is you have to redo your lines and launch again, which
still was not the case here.
He should have spun the kite around the other way (to the right) when letting it go since the lines were on the left, that would have likely kept it
from flipping too. Granted we had just tangled kites so were both very tired at this point.
https://youtu.be/I917BvLktPA
Epic comment at 2:27 "This is gonna be pretty brutal, ay"
And here is how to launch when there are waves (and a beach):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5DEltPPw-k
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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RedSky
Posts: 1742
Registered: 9-7-2009
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Another how not to do it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaD9nZlvItM
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ssayre
Posts: 3587
Registered: 8-15-2013
Location: Indiana
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ive seen that one before. What strikes me is he must have had the leash attached to the back of harness which is commonly done, and it drug him
backwards. Why attach to the back?? Is it just to make it as hard as possible to deploy leash safety?
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elnica
Posts: 363
Registered: 12-12-2010
Location: Miami, FL
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That last video hs so much WRONG to it it's not even funny. That's why lessons are important. Attaching the kite to the back was the least of his
screw ups. I attach it to the back with no issues, with long leashes if you attach to the front it can get tangled in your bar in a hard crash.
Too many kites, boards, and etceteras.
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ssayre
Posts: 3587
Registered: 8-15-2013
Location: Indiana
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Thanks elnica. Having not kitesurfed, I figured i must be missing something.
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early bird2
Posts: 45
Registered: 3-10-2015
Location: canada
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Elnica , thanks for the tips .
I always unwind the lines first and make certain they are not tangled , I don't keep any tension on the lines while the kite drifts , I tought of
keeping some tension on one front line while the kite drift for the future but I never did so far . Also , even when I dunk the kite (reo v3 9 meters
) water won't stay on it .
The only thing I can think of that could be an issue , is that I always walk slowly downwind and opposite direction of the drifting kite to shorten
the drift time . But I never had any issues doing this so far , and I drift launch all the time .
Ozonessssss Ozonessssss
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SimonMayers
Posts: 1
Registered: 5-15-2017
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Thanks for sharing the technique. It's useful for those who is the beginner like me.
https://sites.google.com/site/drivingdirection2017/ (maps directions)
http://driving-directionsmaps.com/
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