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This sport is INCREDIBLE and you want to dive into it and start throwing some huge airs of your own. Wait a sec, take a breath and let's look a bit closer at things. This sport has the sheer power to pick you up and throw you 20 to 30 ft. + high and over twice that far down wind. That is a big part of the fun and draw of this great sport. Unfortunately, sometimes all the power bursts loose dragging, lifting or lofting you into sand dunes, trees, walls, houses, other people, whatever. Those kite lines can cut, runaway kites can be a serious problem, board leashes can rearrange your looks, painfully, etc. Some guys are even picked up off the water and flung into stuff onshore, ouch and then some. There was a guy a while back in Cabarete, down in the Caribbean who was picked up while standing on the beach and blown over 800 ft. inland and 100 ft. high. He lived amazingly, but others haven't been so lucky.
What is the point? Just like piloting an airplane, which can take a few minutes to learn, there is a LOT more to know in kiteboarding than smacks you between the eyes watching onshore. Years ago, many of us tried to figure out how to kiteboard on our own. Lots of us ended up in the hospital for our choice too. Bystanders can be hurt by our gear as well. If it happens guess who's liable for losing control of things? You are! Today, there are a ton of kiteboarding instructors in marine and lake areas worldwide. So, GET ADEQUATE kiteboarding lessons from a good instructor. Too many people blew this advice off and some merely took longer to learn, others trashed their kite, still others ended up hurting themselves and yet others didn't make it through the experience. There is a lot to know about wind, weather, what makes for a good launch area, currents, waves, kite rigging, preflighting, proper kite handling, how to rapidly build up your skills, passing other kiteboarders and on and on.
Sound scary? Maybe, but just how scary would it be if people tried to figure out how to drive cars on their own, say at a fairground? Not pretty and readily avoidable, if you go at it right. This sport is extreme but if you use your smarts, get lessons and go at things correctly the hazards come better into focus and you up the odds for having no end of great sessions with a lower chance of coming into serious problems.
Once you get your lessons, you are done right? No, now comes the careful building of experience part. Pick you launching area with tons of clear room free of bystanders, pick your winds, less than 15 kts.sideshore is a good choice and build up your game. Practice with trainer kites, and small say 5 m traction kites onshore. Anything larger than that, you need to get offshore pronto and work on body dragging and water starting on your board. Guys have blown this off and said 'I can handle it.'. Of course many guys haven't handled it very well at all. Of all the incidents and accidents, a couple come to mind. The first,which the guy hit the second story of a building in Australia, the second when yet another hit a wall in Spain. The guy in Spain didn't make it. Both of these guys said they could handle it when other riders advised them not to launch in strong conditions.
The Safe Kiteboarding Guidelines toss out some ideas for consideration by kiteboarders. The guidelines are taken from the analysis of one hundred plus accidents worldwide over several years. The goal is to reduce AVOIDABLE accidents and threats to ACCESS. Threats to Access, what's that? That is when big brother says, 'dudes, you're outta here!', NO MORE KITEBOARDING. Too much of this is happening worldwide. What is the point of getting some great gear, carefully building experience just to be told, hey you can't do that here? The best way to avoid having big brother tell you what you can and can't do, is to USE COMMON SENSE and some of the other ideas that are tossed out in the guidelines as well.
What is it they said in the movie 'Spiderman'? Oh, got it! 'With great power, comes great responsibility'. Sounds cliche maybe, but in the case of kiteboarding, IT'S TRUE. So listen to this advice and have a blast, this sport is too good to let go once it gets a hold of you!
The following ideas are presented to try to improve kiteboarder and bystander safety, to reduce complaints and attempt to preserve our access to ride. Many of these accidents might have been avoided if a bit more knowledge and care were used. Kiteboarding can be hazardous to the rider and to bystanders, particularly if practiced without adequate training, safety gear, knowledge and caution. NOTE: Riders must accept that even if these guidelines are followed, accidents, injury and even death may occur in the 'extreme sport' of kiteboarding. Kites can exert very substantial force with little or no warning. Sudden gusts, improper line attachment, mishandling, etc., can result in dragging and/or lofting, possibly with no time to effectively react. And, NO you may not always be able to just let go or kill the power of the kite, as many accidents have established. Your ability to safely depower your kite and otherwise manage in an emergency will weigh heavily on your technique, preparation and reliability of your gear.
Kiteboarders should consider these ideas, area specific guidelines if applicable along with other prudent and safe practices appropriate for local conditions. Cutting corners or picking and choosing safe kiteboarding practices can seriously reduce the rider's factor of safety and increase the odds of an accident. Seek local, competent knowledge regarding safe local practices as special precautions may be indicated beyond those discussed here. Safety automatically increases to some degree once the rider becomes aware of potential hazards and take them seriously. By contrast, ignorance and indifference raise the hazard level substantially and have frequently been a factor in avoidable accidents.
Readily help other riders with launching and landing using reliable agreed upon visual and audible communications. Whether you are starting out or are almost a pro, your help may avoid a serious incident/accident and possible restrictions. NEVER grab the lines of a flying or powered kite. Get involved with your local association or club and with area riders to try to preserve access to kiteboard. If you see someone putting your access at risk by poor practices, grab several of your friends and have a friendly talk with the guy. show some interest, then explain your concerns. Riders are solely responsible for their safety and that of effected bystanders. If you are new to an area or visiting, seek out local kiteboarders, shops and/or associations for local guidelines and tips BEFORE riding. Don't ruin things for the local riders.
Kiteboarders, particularly beginners should seek adequate, quality professional instruction. Beginners must avoid crowded areas particularly as kite control is still being developed. Beginners should body drag out at least 300 ft. (60m) from shore prior to water starting and should always stay out of guarded or restricted beach areas. Be careful in your launch area selection and be willing to drive and walk a bit further to have more ideal conditions. Build your skill and experience carefully in side or side onshore winds less than 15 kts. Ideally, you should advance faster and more safely for your effort. Riders have been injured for choosing poor launches when far safer conditions were relatively close by. Be particularly careful in new conditions and at the START and END of the riding season. Many accidents occur in these times even among experienced riders. In kiteboarding, DISTANCE IS YOUR FRIEND, so use it!
Know your equipment's limitations as well as your own. If you aren't 100% healthy OR IN DOUBT, DON'T FLY! You should be comfortable with conditions and your gear otherwise, don't launch and live to fly another day. Always maintain an energy reserve while out kiteboarding. Hydrate regularly and wear adequate exposure clothing (wetsuit/dry suit), to deal with unexpected time in the water. Cold water kiteboarding requires additional critically important precautions as compared to warmer conditions and are beyond the scope of these guidelines. Don't kiteboard alone or further from shore than you are readily able to swim in from.
Make sure you have proper safety equipment, such as a tested, well maintained kite depowering leash securely attached to your body, a good well fitting helmet, impact vest, gloves, whistle and hook knife. Most kiteboarding fatalities involve head injury. A good helmet for kiteboarding, MAY aid in reducing injury and improve the chance of survival in many but not necessarily all impacts. A helmet is NO excuse to kiteboard carelessly. Regularly test and maintain a reliable chicken loop or kite depowering release. Relying upon manual unhooking alone to release your bar is UNRELIABLE based upon the accident experience. The rider needs to understand and accept that in an emergency, this quick release MAY NOT be accessible or function correctly in the critical seconds of the emergency. It is up to the rider to avoid the emergency in the first place and to aid proper function of the release through practice and maintenance.
Give way to the public on the beach and in the water at ALL TIMES. Be courteous and polite to bystanders. Complaints have frequently led to bans and restrictions on kiteboarding in some areas and continue to do so on a regular basis. NEVER launch, ride or land upwind of nearby bystanders. Work to keep a minimum 300 ft. (100 m) buffer zone from bystanders.
Is the forecast and current weather acceptable, free of pending storm clouds and excessive gusty winds? Color radar can sometimes give a clue as to violent storm/gust potential. Are seas and wind condition within your experience, ability and appropriate for your gear? New kiters should practice in lighter, side or side onshore winds. Onshore winds have a much higher injury rate even among experienced riders and should be avoided. Offshore winds should be avoided in the absence of a chase boat. If storm clouds are moving in, land and thoroughly disable your kite well in advance of any change in wind or temperature, if necessary depower your kite while still away from shore. Lightning can strike many miles ahead of storm clouds. Learn about unstable weather in your area and work to avoid squalls and storms through TV, radio and Internet information. Consider organizing an alert air horn and flag signal for your launch as a warning to riders of pending unstable weather.
Make sure your launch is open, FREE OF DOWNWIND BYSTANDERS, hard objects, nearby power lines, buildings and walls, etc. within at least 300 ft. (100 m), and preferably more particularly in higher wind. Too many riders have slammed into walls, parked cars, and trees with better launches not so far away at all. Some riders have needed in excess of 600 ft. (200 m), to regain control in violent dragging or loftings in higher winds. Avoid kiteboarding near airports and in low flight path areas, complaints have led to restricted access in some areas. Never fly your kite in the path of low aircraft in flight, moving your kite low to the water at the first indication of inbound aircraft.
Check to see what size kite other kiteboarders are rigging and get their input on conditions. Try to select a kite size for the lower to middle part of the wind range. Do not rig too large a kite for conditions and carefully consider advice of more experienced riders. Failure to act on prudent advice has cost some riders severe injury and even death. If you don't have a small enough kite to safely launch, DON'T!
Check your kite for tears or leaky bladders. If you have leaky bladders or tears in your kite, repair them before flying. Check ALL kite, harness, and control bar lines, webbing, pigtails, bridles, the chicken loop and leaders for knots, cuts, wear or abrasion. If the line sheathing shows any breaks or knots, replace them. The pigtails should be replaced no less frequently than every 6 months on inflatable kites. Inspect and test your quick release. Frequently, mentally and physically rehearse pulling your quick release in an imagined emergency situation. Make sure your flying lines are equal as they will stretch unevenly with use. If they have knots that can't be easily untied, replace your flight lines. Do not casually make changes to manufactured equipment. What ever you do must work reliably in any conditions that may come.
Solo launching and landing are NOT recommended and should be avoided particularly in stronger winds. Launch with a trained assistant, using reliable audible and visual signals. If solo launching, make sure your kite is properly anchored with a substantial quantity of sand to avoid premature launch. Never use untrained bystanders to help you launch or land. Riders have been severely injured by making this easy mistake. Rig your kite for solo launch at the last minute and launch without delay AFTER CAREFUL PREFLIGHTING, serious accidents have happened in only minutes during this stage. If you leave the kite unattended, wrap up your lines, deflate the kite's leading edge and roll it up. It is best to place the kite in a bag to avoid UV and wind damage.
Launching with crossed or snagged lines has maimed quite a few kiteboarders as the kite tends to fly up at very high speed, dragging or lofting the rider into a nearby hard objects faster than they can react. Walk down your lines and examine them carefully. Pick your bar up and carefully look down the lines for twists, tangles or snags that could cause the kite to be dangerously uncontrollable. While you are holding your bar up look down the lines, shake your bar to make sure the center lines are connected to the leading edge of the kite. Be particularly careful, slow and methodical in high winds. Multiple, careful preflighting in higher winds is strongly advised. Rigging 'Kook Proof' connectors on our kite and lines is easily done with most kites and should be rigged on all your kites and bars.
Avoid hooking in or connecting with your quick release, while onshore or near hard objects. Practice LAUNCHING AND LANDING 'UNHOOKED' or not connected to your chicken loop. Pull in your trim strap or rope entirely or to a point that will allow stable kite flight with existing wind conditions, to properly depower the kite before launching and so that you can readily hold the bar and release it if necessary. Always maintain minimum clear downwind buffer zones, particularly while flying unhooked. Physically and mentally rehearse managing emergency situations including just 'letting go' of your bar. Connect to your quick release once you are well offshore. Question: If you have a proper buffer zone AND your kite properly depowers upon release What is the downside of launching unhooked aside from a more limited wind speed range? That is considering you could be spared from a real slamming one of these days if you stay hooked in during launch and landing.
To try to avoid lofting or involuntary lifting. DO NOT bring your kite much above 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m) from the ground and NEVER to the vertical, within 300 ft. (100 m) of shore or any hard object. Never launch, fly or land upwind and close to the shore or hard objects or stand on the beach for an extended time with your kite in the air. This careless practice has killed and maimed riders. If uneven winds due to land effects or tight conditions make this recommended practice difficult, consider finding a safer launch area. This practice MAY reduce the chance of lofting but may also promote dragging and serious injury in gusty/strong wind conditions. So, if you are dragged be ready to depower instantly and ideally before the dragging starts in the first place. HAZARD AVOIDANCE IS THE KEY along with rapid preemptive, rehearsed actions. Do not fly your kite near vertical or sloped surfaces that can cause uplift and sudden dragging/lofting (walls, buildings, hills, tree lines, etc,). Avoid thermal generating areas as sudden thermal lofting can occur. Launch in the appropriate part of the wind window to avoid 'hot' or over-powered downwind launches. Make sure that there are no bystanders within your downwind buffer zone or close by in general.
Go offshore at least 300 ft. (100 M) WITHOUT DELAY after launch. Stay beyond 300 ft. until time to come in. If there are substantial waves where you need to put on your board consider body dragging outside the breaker zone first. The fun is offshore, danger to the rider & bystanders is near shore where most of the hard stuff is located.
Yield the right of way to all others in the water. Riders must yield to others when jumping, to anyone on your right hand side and to launching riders. When in doubt, STOP. Kiteboarders should not jump within a buffer zone of at least two hundred feet (60 m) of others and objects that are downwind. Always be aware of the position of your lines relative to others, line cuts can be severe and tangled lines with another kite, deadly.
All kiteboarders are encouraged to master body dragging to aid in board recovery. Use of a board leash is dangerous and is generally discouraged due to the hazards of board rebound or wave driven impact. Injuries have happened with both fixed length and reel leashes. Wearing a helmet and impact vest is always advised but may not provide adequate projection against board impact as the boards can and has violently hit any part of the rider and have penetrated helmets. Wind extremes, white water, broken gear and contrary currents may impair ability to drag upwind for board recovery, resulting in a lost board. If there is risk of your loose board hitting bathers, find another launch.
Lofting or involuntarily lifting is one of the greatest hazards of kiteboarding. Avoiding unstable weather, keeping your kite low and getting offshore without delay are only a few of the measures necessary to avoid this threat. If despite all precautions you are dragged or lofted a short distance AND have time to react, depower your kite as soon as you start to pause. You will likely be dulled by shock so mentally rehearse depowering immediately under such circumstances. Depowering ideally should occur before you are lofted, still offshore and away from hard objects. Multiple gusts can hit over a short period and you may be lofted a second or third time, so ACT to depower your kite as soon as you can. DO NOT ASSUME that you will have a lull between loftings, sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. If you are air born over land, it is uncertain how and if you will come out of things. Focus on controlling your kite with small control inputs to avoid stalling the kite. Some have advised keeping the kite overhead AFTER you are lofted and to try to gently steer towards the least hazardous are to impact. Other riders have said that reversing direction or transitioning after lofting has helped to reduce forward speed. It would be wise to accept and plan for the fact that YOU CAN BE LOFTED AT ANYTIME you have a kite in the air.
Approach the shore slowly with caution. Keep your kite low (ideally within 10 to 20 ft. of the surface), to try avoid lofting. Take care to avoid causing an accidental jump in well powered conditions while approaching the shore. Arrange for assisted landings at least 300 ft. (100 m) from bystanders, power lines, vertical surfaces, etc.. NEVER use non-kiteboarders for assisted launches or landings, as use of bystanders has resulted in severe rider injuries. Use mutually understood hand and voice signals to improve launch and landing safety. Riders have been killed standing around looking for an assisted landing when gusts have hit. IF IN ANY DOUBT, DEPOWER YOUR KITE even if you are still offshore. ALL riders should be comfortable with depowering their kite immediately even in deep water and swimming in to avoid being lofted or dragged in sudden gusting winds. After landing, properly anchor (or ideally deflate your leading edge and roll up your kite), disconnect and wind up your kite lines. Do not allow your kite to be accidentally launched. Kites should be placed in a safe area well out of bystander and vehicular traffic. Be safe and good winds!
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