A quick word on launching and landing 1

A quick word on launching and landing

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Did you ever see something go wrong while launching a kite? We see it a lot on the beach here so minimizing the risks seems like the logical thing to do, and there’s one small thing I think can help a lot of people!

One of my pet hates is seeing people launch their kite with their board already in hand, it’s not only unnecessary but it can be dangerous if something goes wrong. I know it’s convenient to have the board in hand and just head straight to the water, but what if there’s a problem and you need to release quickly?

A quick word on launching and landing 2
If you have a helper to carry your board even better!

Launching and landing are the two most dangerous parts of kiting as it’s the only time we’re over land, and I can tell you from experience it hurts a hell of a lot more than water to fall on! The safest way to launch is with one hand on the bar and the other on the quick release, but I know that’s a bit too anal even for me, so at least keep your other hand free to grab the safety if needed. It might seem like a small thing but when something goes wrong it happens very fast and having a board in hand means you take that much longer to get a hand to your release.

Another thing it does is stop you being able to give a thumbs up to your launching assistant, just waving your board around isn’t the signal, and I’m sorry but I’m not launching you unless I get a clear thumbs up to let me know you’re ready. One of the worst things that can happen is someone letting the kite go before you’re ready, and when you have your board in your hand it just confuses the matter.

A quick word on launching and landing 3
Textbook

So please, I know it sounds silly for competent kiters, but for your own safety and my sanity, leave your board on the floor, launch the kite, then pick the board up. It’s really not all that hard ;)

A quick word on launching and landing 4
Let’s go!

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