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#1
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Missing Kiteboarder Found
Just heard about this. I understand some folks staying in a hotel on the beach saw a kiter go down, not get back up and eventually noted his kite move away. They called the authorities and a search ensued. He swam to shore on his own without his kite. He was eventually located on shore after the search was launched and the USCG had recovered his kite.
Moral: If you lose your kite or board, contact the authorities (USCG) to say it has been lost, where and when to avoid an unnecessary search. We sometimes read of a board or kite being found in various parts of the country and related searches. You might even get your gear back if you are lucky but more importantly these folks won't launch a search for someone who isn't lost. It is also a good idea to let someone at home know where you will be kiting with an update if you change spots. Having your contact number on your board makes sense too. More about this incident at: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news..._searchin.html It would be good to talk about the conditions that can cause you to lose a kite or a board. What are some things you have experienced? Preserve the rescue services for the time you might really need them by staying aware. .
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi |
#2
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If I read the report right he launched off Clearwater and as I recall it is blowing from East for three days.
Straight offshore wind for that spot (+ crazy gusts 'cause of the buildings)... this guy is a bright exapmple of Darwin's theory of natural selection. .. or maybe it was an attempt of a downwinder to Mexico?
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smartextreme.com |
#3
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Wow, I was asking for discussion of things that will cause you to lose your kite, I didn't realize conditions were offshore there. Dead offshore winds particularly with buildings, dunes, trees, etc. shoreside have a HIGH probability of resulting in a lost kite, board too and sometimes even a kiter to go with. These are BAD conditions to launch into. Don't be deceived by the nice calm water, apparent good wind conditions because it is a false impression.
The wind is too gusty to support good kiting conditions. The wind drops to near nothing your kite stalls hits the water and pulls you offshore. Then it boosts and you get yarded before the next drop. You may get it up while continuing to drift offshore, you may relaunch, do a few tacks trying to work to shoreward until it lulls and stalls again. Repeat, repeat and repeat again with you going further offshore. I stupidly proved this to myself in offshore winds about ten years ago resulting in a 2 mile+ swim inland towing my gear behind me. Don't screw with offshore wind conditions in short. There are still other conditions that can cause you to lose kite, board or both particularly on the west coast and other areas with frequent cuts and bays. What are some of them? Quote:
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi Last edited by ricki; 06-20-2012 at 02:54 PM. |
#4
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put your name and tel # on your board and kite
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#5
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Quote:
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#6
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There are some cases where folks will go in offshore winds but usually with a chase boat or with a long distance of shallow water as you experienced in Hatteras. The wind shadow effect off the land can severely disturb the quality of wind for miles offshore. I was about 2 1/2 miles off Boca beach in strong west winds and it was still way too gusty to kite for much distance at all. The harsh awaking comes when you try to kite back to shore and the stalling and yarding become worse the closer you get to land! You usually have to tear down and tow the lot in. Using the kite as a sail on the water usually doesn't work with dead offshore wind, you go close to parallel to shore instead of in. Sometimes I have had to reduce the leading edge pressure just to drop the wind drag on the kite to permit me to tow it shoreward.
The time we kited from Ft.Lauderdale to Bimini, we didn't start to come out of land effect on the side offshore wind until we were over five miles from shore. I haven't noticed much land effect on wind at Stiltsville in west winds which is seven miles from shore. Avoid offshore winds, go for side to side onshore winds.
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi Last edited by ricki; 06-20-2012 at 10:04 PM. |
#7
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The proper method for getting back to shore in offshore winds, or to go upwind to retrieve your board is this:
*Never deflate your kite unless absolutely necessary. Happy Kiting! www.kiteboardingtampabay.com |
#8
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A repost from kiteforum.
Quote:
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FKA, Inc. transcribed by: Rick Iossi |
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