Just Kite It.

by: Claire Lutz

Just catching up on my Going Pro posts? No worries, you can read about my first time on the board and my first post about my decision to go pro.

No mare

This week, I want to share a little bit about kitemares. What is a kitemare? Kiting Incidents That End in a MARE (from the verb “mar”severely mutilated or destroyed). A kitemare is a kiting accident that places a kiter in grave danger or renders a kiter incapacitated. Oftentimes these incidents occur due to lack of awareness about your environment, lack of  kiting skills or going beyond your kiting level, commonsense and finally, a panic attack or brain freeze. There are situations when one does not wake up from their kitemare. It is a very pointed statement to help emphasize the importance of taking numerous variables into account before heading out in the water. The idiom better safe than sorry applies. Sadly, A deadly kitemare that is relatively fresh and is focused on by the media spotlight is kiter Steve Schafer’s shark attack.

As an outdoor sport, kiters are always in unpredictable conditions. Anything from the wind dying to a line snapping, something unexpected can occur. Keywords to enjoy this amazing sport requires skill, awareness preparedness and a quick response time.

Been there, done that and Ooops I did it again!

When I was sufficient enough to go out on my own (without an instructor) I would go on numerous downwinders with friends. Downwinders are the best way to practice without having to stay upwind. So sometimes on downwinders I would get a little ahead of myself and go REALLY far from shore., and then the wind would die. Unless you want to or can swim 5 miles or more back to shore — don’t get blown 5 miles or more away from shore. Simple commonsense, but sometimes we forget while in the state of kiting pandora. I learned this lesson the hard way and went far out into the ocean a few times. It was a super scary incident in my early kiting days, especially when you have nothing keeping you afloat. I had to self rescue. While doing so, I was very worried about getting bitten by a shark. Luckily sharks do not seek out acquaintances unless you fall on them or bring too much attention that they actually take notice of you waddling in water.

Self-rescuing is a very important skill to learn and practice. It is an essential skill for any kiter to know the proper steps in self-rescuing. Make sure you ask your instructor to demonstrate these steps to you when taking your lessons.  We will cover self-rescuing this coming week.

kite tangle

When you self rescue make sure to stay clear of your lines, because you never want to be caught in them if the wind picks back up or anything else that can happen, you want to be free from your lines. Besides the many unsafe scenarios it can create, untangling your lines is a very tedious process that could take hours.

The second most memorable kitemare occurred when I went out to far offshore (again) then the wind suddenly died. I was out in the middle of the Sound.  It was late in the afternoon and I didn’t have a kite buddy at this time. A few hours later, I was found by a fellow kiter. Lesson learned: always make it a point to kite with a buddy or let other kiters  know your whereabouts before going out into the water.

I have had several kitemare situations, like losing my kite altogether after a bad inversion, or having my kite deflate. One instance when  my kite deflated I was riding with all my friends, they would laugh at me and ride by and spray me in the face as I struggled to swim back to shore. Thankfully I was rescued by one of my idols Lou Wainman. He let me hang onto his harness while we floated back to shore. He made it so much easier on me, and he was a true gentleman!

How to avoid kitemares

Know your local wind and weather patterns. Before heading out to a kite spot understand safe kiting wind directions. What is the offshore and onshore wind direction? If you are a capable onshore rider, know the hazards – will you get blown off to a building, a highway or rocks? Assess and make good kiting decisions for yourself, fellow kiters and onlookers (beach goers). Watch out for storms, and avoid kiting during extreme wind conditions. Beginner kiters should not go beyond 25 knot winds and advanced riders should stay home beyond 40 knot winds. There are kiters who are attracted to the adrenaline rush so they choose to take the risk and kite. Like any risk you take, make sure to assess the worst case scenario and measure that to your capabilities, skills and life situation.

Know your kiting environment. Is it shark infested or is it shark migrating season? Is there a lifeguard on duty? What type of objects are around in case the wind blows you onshore? A building, trees, swamps, houses, a highway, an airport, garbage cans? The safest kitespots are ones that are safe in any wind direction. Though most kiters would argue that they would not be in this sport if it was “too safe.” Kiting attracts natural high-risk personality types.

Buddy system and GPS device. Always kite with a buddy is a good rule to follow. Making sure your friends and family know the general area where you are kiting. Give them parameters on when to start worrying about you and who to contact should you not be home when that critical point is reached. For additional safety, use a GPS system that allows you to communicate and be detected while in water like Garmin handhelds.

Check your gear before heading out. Check all your control bar quick releases before each session, if you are out on the water and need to fully depower your kite it would be comforting to know that your gear will respond appropriately! On a lighter note, if your line is missing a pigtail, you will not be able to kite! Driving 2  hours to a kite spot only to realize that you are missing “pigtails” can be very frustrating. You’d be lucky if you are in close proximity to a kite school, though this is a big untruth unless you are in renowned kite spots where the local industry is supported by kite schools and product vendors.

Know how to choose the right sized kites for your weight and the current wind speeds. A dedicated kiter on average will purchase 2 kites per year as he or she progresses in the sport. Kiters LOVE their gear because each size, type and brand offers diverse experiences based on kiting skills and goals.

Make sure you double check your lines and gear before launching a kite. If your lines are not properly walked out,  your kite may not fly properly and can place you, fellow kiters and onlookers in grave danger.

NEVER use a board leash. Why? Because if you crash, the board comes off your feet, and that board flies through the air where do you think its going to end up? What goes up must come down and when it does it usually will hit you in the head or your face and if you are unlucky will end up losing all your teeth or leave a big gash in your face. Worst case, a board bash in the head can knock you unconscious.

Don’t panic. Relaxation, clear and quick thinking is key when out in the water and faced with an unexpected situation. A panic attack renders your brain useless and you start making careless decisions that could in a split second place you, your fellow kiters and onlookers in danger.

Check back with me next week for the next step in my journey. Learn about my decision to go pro  here and my first time on the board.

Finally, have fun and water time will help you progress in the sport faster. Practice makes perfect. Safe kiting!