Sobrino_75 - 9-6-2006 at 08:19 AM
Does anyone out there use a parafoil type kite for Kitesurfing. I remember seeing a video of a guy who used a Blade III (can't remember his name).
Anyway my question is this....Once you crash your kite into the water and your in the middle of a lake for instance...is there a method to wind your
lines or pack your kite so that your not swimming back to shore pulling the thing or trying to gateher it up and float it back on your board. I have
used both these methods and found that you don't go very fast trying to swim pulling the kite and gathering it up creates a tangled mess of your lines
that takes forever to straighten out.
If anyone has any insite on this I would love to hear it. With the exception of the obvious answers of "buy a LEI you moron" and "Don't go to the
middle of the lake dumba$$". My location, Budget, and current skill level don't realy allow me those options.
awindofchange - 9-6-2006 at 12:28 PM
Your best option is to purchase a water kite or dont go out any further than you are willing to swim. Or, dont drop your kite! :singing:
I know you stated these in your post already, but there really isn't any other advice to give. If you have to wind your lines while in the water you
can wind them either around your bar (if using a bar) or wind them around your handles in a figure 8 pattern. Start winding your lines towards your
kite and when you get to the kite you can bunch it all up and place it on your board. Wrap your bar (or handles) inside of the kite as you roll it
up.
We do have a couple of the Peter Lynn Guerilla 2's and Bomba's still in stock and those can be purchased for about the same price as large ram-air
foil kite. The difference is that these can be relaunched if they hit the water. These are on closeout prices since the release of the Venom models.
The G2's and Bombas are brand new and start at $365.00. Both of these kites are excellent beginner-intermediate kites and will work much better
than an open cell foil.
Hope this helps.
Tigger - 9-6-2006 at 11:55 PM
Hopefully you are a good swimmer and can tread water awhile.
Put the kite away the same as on land, wind the lines, ball up the kite. Swim one handed like your saving some one from drowing.
Sobrino_75 - 12-6-2006 at 09:02 AM
I am saving someone from drowing......ME
Fun, but can't recommend it
william_rx7 - 26-8-2006 at 09:34 PM
I've tried this with a 7m Ozone Frenzy, on a perfect beach, in 15 knots. It was fun, and since I was in really shallow water (knee to waist deep),
dragging a 25' long trash-bag (my kite), full of water back to the beach wasn't so bad. I couldn't imagine actually swimming with a board and
dragging the kite at the same time.
Once back on shore, you also have to 'dry' the kite out, get as much water / sand out of it as you can before relaunching.
I was able to get up on the board, and actually ride for over 30 minutes.
All in all it was enough fun, that I went out and got 2 Cabrinha water kites.
Bow kites feel just like a Frenzy, only better....
geokite - 14-9-2006 at 08:05 PM
I started kitesurfing in 1999 with buggy foils. Keep in mind that I had been flying kites for 10 years, so crashing the kite was not an often
occurance. I used foils alot for 2-3 years, then kinda got out of the sport; the annoyance of foils on the water (relaunching, no depower,
uncomfortable handles) outweighed the novalty of kitesurfing. But I couldn't afford LEI kites at the time, so they did get me on the water. I only
had the swim about 4 times; once from a harness line breakage, once from a bridle wrap that didn't come out, and I forgot the other 2 times.
I'm now flying Peter Lynn arcs (venom and phantom); they have rekindled my interest in kitesurfing and the buggy. Seems all I want to do is get in
the water now. Amazing kites. So many reasons to choose them over anything else.
Steve Bateman