What are the odds?

[ricki]

The wind came back after quitting time yesterday so I changed my mind and headed out. I made it out about an hour before sunset and kept on riding into the evening. It was relaxing and with a couple of board changes stayed powered up most of the time. There was about a half a moon west of the zenith but despite that there was enough light to tack and boost the odd jump on rising gusts against waves. It was a fun mellow session.

I don't recommend kiteboarding at night. Usually, I don't talk about it much either to try to avoid conveying the wrong idea. Still something hit me last night which prompted me to put this up.

People have said in the past, you're "Safety Rick" (sigh), what are you doing out at night?! Working a regular full time job at times it is the only way to get some quality wind time in. Beyond that I've been comfortable at night on, in and under the ocean for almost 40 years, at least around here. That could easily change with location btw. Risks and conditions will vary. I believe I know many of the hazards, reasonable cautions and accept that accidents and death could follow, as in daylight for that matter.

To my knowledge, no kiter has ever been killed by a shark or by riding at night except in cases of hypothermia.

Here is the ironic part, people fear, rightfully so perhaps, the night and what it may hide. I am not criticizing that choice at all, but another set of less logical choices that follow.

At the same time they blow off wearing simple protections like helmets and impact vests and doing proper weather planning at times. DOZENS of people have been killed through traumatic brain injury & stormy weather, drowning has taken riders too, and likely hundreds have been injured but survived. Why obsess about the dark, lurking denizens and choose to IGNORE far greater proven hazards and mitigating precautions?

What are the odds?

I have been night riding since I started kiting. It seemed pretty natural since I use to windsurf at night. Lack of light seems like a fairly minimal deal, at least to me. Other things that you mentioned concern me more and I agree, should be taken more seriously as threats.

Odds of sharks I think is your question? So small as to not be worthy of consideration, especially in FL. It never even crosses my mind. Odds of losing your board if you get tea bagged? (less likely with today's kites) Fairly high.
Obviously limited sight has a few drawbacks. But, if you know the area, it's not that big of a deal, imo.

Probably the biggest danger with night riding is getting your bar backwards or having a bridle tangle that you can't see. This is especially a problem during launching. Not being able to see the problem is a problem.
Self launching at night is a real treat

Lastly, if you get hurt, people can't see you. There aren't many people out where we ride at 10pm or even midnight, sometimes.
Probably the biggest thing I worry about are the people themselves in a couple of the places I ride at night (who is walking around at midnight?)

Anyway, I have at least 70 night rides in the last 8 years and have not had an incident (well, except the time I landed on a Land Rover, but that was my very first night session and I was a newbie).

[ricki]

I am not trying to promote kiting at night. After all there are real hazards and in some respects they are higher than in daylight as you point out. At the same time, I don't think that is what people focus on. They think sharks and all unknown, vague dark stuff out there. At least that is what they tell me.

What are the odds?

To date, zero for shark and night fatalities to my knowledge.

Avoidable injury absent helmets and impact vests and ignoring proper wx planning substantial. Although there is no magical protective qualities in these objects but they could make a difference.

Fear is good, it promotes survival. Fear offset by logical precautions, training and awareness in response to actual hazards is far better.

Yeah, I hear you. You can definitely get in a world of hurt at night. If you do, the biggest problem is that no one is usually around and if they are, they can't see you. I wouldn't recommend it to most people.
I have a ton of "night vision" experience from fishing several nights a week at night (and piloting the boat) as well as working on the water at night (piloting a boat) so it's no big deal to me to be on water at night. Things like storms worry me more.

The more I think about it, riding at night is probably a bad idea for people with little time on the water in the dark. My point was other things that you CAN see, like storms are worse and too often ignored. Same point as you.