So I was out on my 12m in Manzanita a few weekends back and started out decently powered, wind started at 18g24mph. But for some strange reason there's a wind funnel that hits the beach about 1mi down from where I normally kite where it's at least 5-10mph faster. Didn't think much of it until the wind up the beach jumped to near 30mph (sensor read 28g33), which is _a_lot_ for me and my 200# on a 12m. Though crazy folsk up the beach were going orbital on their 10m's. I ended up down the beach in the "wind tunnel" and got thrashed by a wave. Still not sure how, i think i gust hit me as i was cresting, and the wave was breaking, and the board just went sploosh. I spent the next 10m trying to find/recover by board; really it seemed like a half hour or an eternity, hard to tell. Oh yeah, and it's a complete #@%$#! to body drag upwind that overpowered Finally got my board, but was totally wiped. So I went back to the beach and figured i'd just pull my safety and lay down for a while :D Really didn't want to self land the kite this overpowered. The bar I was on was a 4-line + a green line (attached above the depower loop or at the swivel to extra depower the kite). So I depowered the kite to the max and yanked the safety. The bar flew away like it should have, but the kite did not depower enough! I'm guessing due to the overpowered wind i needed several more inches of depower. Anyway, the bar, it did it's thing and ran up the center line, but then the kite started to arc across the window.

Now here's an oh #@%$#! moment...

The bar is way to far to reach and I have a powered kite attached to me. I went for the secondary but how bout that, I was starting to get dragged down the beach about 30ft as the kite went through the upper window. I just held on to the pull loop as I could tell that I wasn't going airborne and I didn't want the aftermath of kite cleanup. So the kite went to the other side of the wind and just sat there like a good SLE... except that it had the pulling force of what felt like 50lbs so I could not pull it in on the center line to get the bar or the landing ring without having the kite arc across the window again. So I detached the secondary and held the leash and dug into the sand for resistance. Was about 10m until someone came to grab the kite. Good workout!

Now, I just rebuilt this bar last fall with a new center line and I had used it and tested the safety then but given the conditions it wasn't enough depower. Next time in those conditions, aside from having a 5th line or an arc or flying my 9m which I probably should have been on, I think would attach the leash to the landing ring and just let the kite splash into the water to or find a nice big log to attach it to.

But... this is a reminder for good hygiene. Luckily things went well, and I didn't need to release the kite but you never know when you'll need the primary or secondary for real. Check your safeties to make sure they are working well, hooked up correctly, and you know how to use them without thinking.

What kite was it? The Atom?

Yeah the 12m atom. It and the ion are pretty cool kites They pull like +2m and turn like -2m. So im usually well powered on the 12m at 18mph. Usually find myslelf flying the 9 from 20+ to 30 then I hit the 7m 30 to 38. I'm not a nuclear wind kinda guy on water. All in all glad I had an experience on water flying that overpowered. Wish thrd landing would have been cleaner and glad I didnt need to eject. Went out he next.day on my 9m in 22 and added another few inches the the green line which solved my issue. Initially I tried to add a feet but the line easy not long enough so I could not power up completely. Before the green line took the weight. I do have a bar with a 5line the that I want to convert to. The flex lei had supported 5th lines for a while, I just need to add short leaders on the kite le.

glad your ok Ark.........hate those sh>t your pants moment...............best medicine back in the saddle ASAP which you accomplished..........Ill pass this on to my son and his Hadlows/bar/safety line................gracias amigo

Thank you for sharing. I wish there was some kind of safety that did not require ejection of the bar. There is a leap of faith taken as you watch the bar slide up the line that is still attached to you. Something to hand crank in the 5th line or front line on a 4 line setup.