Stormy Weather Hits Kiter

[Whitey]

Rick, Like you said every kite is different. I know that on a SB3 if you put your leash on the triangle shaped ring that connects the front two lines to the chicken loop main line and depower straps, when let onto the leash the kite will act like it does in Jon Modica's video of self landing a swithblade III. Much better alternitive to the back line ring the factory provides on the outside of the bar. Letting the kite go onto that point results in a big mess of spaghetti and a kite that you can not relaunch.

[ricki]

Thanks for your input Whitey. When it comes to squalls, earlier is far better than later. So many guys just waited too long and then their options vanish. It is a good thing to well secure on the beach before things hit too. Runaway kites can easily mess themselves up and occasionally folks downwind.

Here is the ikitesurf image you mentioned for Dunedin for 2.13.08. The first spike looks like a squall with the confused wind direction changes. Note the violent direction changes happened after the spike. There is no telling what a squall will do, mega-spike the winds, kill them, change direction or do little. You only know once it is on you. The second from the direction and spike change looks like the passage of a frontal boundary and squall line.