Hopefully rudeboysaude sees this as he mentioned in the pocket inflator thread that he preinflates and drift launches. I'd love to know the technique...I just can't wrap my head around it. Especially for an Arc - is it flagged out when drifting or clam shelled? How would you drift launcha Flysurfer?

I'm interested as well... I have heard about it it seems that a lot of people have to do it over here cuz of crappy launch sites.

I saw that one - I'm more interested in the "preinflated with a pump because of a dodgy launch site" kinda launches. One of the friendliest lakes I have available to me (loads of support if I have to get out on any given shore) has next to nothing for launches.

I can drift launch an LEI, but a foil? I cant even imagine how you would manage that...

I don't think you can, the guy who was talking about it in the pocket inflator thread was talking about drift launching arcs.

i cant see drift launching an arc working... the kite needs to be inflated in order to fly... in that video, he inflates the fs'er, but you cant really do that with an arc..., fs'er has MUCH better and bigger air intakes, and they only need to be preinflated about 30% to launch... arcs need to be pre inflated to about 80%, and i dont see that happening in a drift launch situation...

That's why you preinflate somewhere nearby (what he was talking about in the pocket inflator post), carry it to the water, top it up with that pocket thingy and then launch. But... I haven't done it, so maybe I'm not thinking of something correctly.

imagine trying to get the 45 degree angle that you really need to launch an arc to work on water, or trying to keep it in the right line at all as you unwind your lines... i dont think it will work

Solution! Dont do it! :saint:

I know some guys who fly foils on the Potomoc , and they launch their kites while standing on a pier, then go into the water... Sounds nutz, and the water quality is... less then ideal, but hey, they get to ride right?

I dont know, I think I'll stay to places where I can stand on the beach and get everything setup properly then launch like normal. The only times I drift launch my LEIs is when there is nobody to launch (cause I launched them all then realized I was by myself on the beach still, doh!).

I just stay off the water personally, so it's all academic to me... dylanj is right though, I forgot about that whole 45 degree angle thing on the arcs.

In my case, I can walk out with my kite in hand. I haven't tried it where I had to swim out and only boat drift launched once from a pontoon.

I inflate with a battery powered leaf blower and attach my lines. Then I wind up the bar and fold the kite tip to tip and drag it through the trees. Walk out a ways and then I pool water on the tips to make them stay down. Just a quick dunk is enough to hold them in all but crazy conditions. Unwind your lines while the kite sits on the water and launch like you would after a crash. Recently though I read on arcusers that a guy sewed velcro about a foot down from the front lines on each tip and ran his lines through that. A quick tug on those lines would release the velcro and release the tips for launch. Seems like a better idea and I might try it. Sounds safer but you'll rely on that velcro to actually release. Drift launching isn't fun, but it's doable. When first trying it, I admit to having to have to come back in and regroup again after failing. But that happens even with LEIs if you don't get it all right and plan ahead properly. Double check your line connections before you go out and be careful while your lines are wound on the bar as you really have no safety except letting go. Thats why keeping the tips together is vital. Also, unwind your lines properly. You don't want the bar to pass inbetween the lines at all or you'll have twists making it impossible to launch without figuring out the twist on the water in battle mode.

Other than that stuff, it's a piece of cake! haha..

a certainly doable (a walk out type drift)

an arc "new " fresh seals , sure not a problem.

handling it inflated.. trees and stuff ,,sounds like alot of holes to me

open ocean from a boat with pre inlfation.. i think so

but with out preinflation in open water. ..with wave action.. tough, but if you have good wind . it would have to be sealed at the zips and maybe the outs too

It seems to me that the Flysurfer material is more watertight than the PL material. Maybe it's just the feel of it and in fact they are both equally watertight? I'd dare say you couldn't open-water unpack and launch an arc at all unless maybe you TOTALLY pre-planned it and packed it up specifically with all zips closed except the one inflate zip at the end of the kite you were gonna hold open and fill from, limes attached and knew EXACTLY how the bar was to unwrap.

I wouldn't even try it unless I had 10 spotters and solid, clean winds on glass water. The FS vid above intrigues me just the same but to my knowledge the FSers were designed to fill via the inlets AND have the pressure drop water outlets once it's airborne would lighten the load. Can't say an Arc would do the same since they are primarily designed to fill via the zips, then top up with the inlets.

Still, I'm curious about the drift launched arc.....why couldn't you preinflate with a pump in the wind shadow, toss everything in the water as if you'd just crashed the kite and launch away? Can't see why it wouldn't work.

Now, if you're drift launching an arc, wouldn't you need your inflation device to be water proof?

If the drift launching technique is the same as when you're dropped off a boat? Idk of many blowers that might be water proof.

No, I'm thinking you'd inflate at the water's edge (or parking lot, or picnic site or whatever) and then head to the water all filled up and then just launch liked you've crashed except without the saltwater choking you ; )

Yes that is correct. Drift launch is pre inflated and walking to the waters edge. I also walk out my lines then pull the kite into the water and go from there. Letting the kite drift with your lines wound on your bar, in good wind? Bad things can happen before your lines are all the way out.
The vid is like a super drift launch. Im sure it can be done but look at the vid, they dump him in and the water is very calm, kite is hardley getting any air, then cuts to him launching, kite fully inflated, and the water has whitecaps obviously better wind, hmmmmmmm