Looks like Hadlow is out for a while.

http://www.aaronhadlow.com/2012/02/28/knee-injury/

If water is so safe why have I witnessed and heard of so many people blowing ACL's / breaking ribs? :puzzled:

DYING even ?? :sniff:

Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner If water is so safe why have I wintenessed and heard of so many people blowing ACL's / breaking ribs? :puzzled:

All relative, I expect straight impacts are softer on water than land and abrasion is less of an issue.

Drowning and heat loss/hypothermia (excluding snow conditions) obviously skews to the water.

However, if part of your body is in water, and part of it is out, any torque applied to your body goes right to the air/water juncture point with your body paying the penalty.

While a board has "pop," land hard enough and it's still body parts getting jammed into a solid surface.

ATB,
Sam

what Sam said

my experience... water slaps harder, but the gound wont give at all

i have found on the water its knees and necks even a landing , solid with balance, is a serious impact sometimes, just tear the foot pad right the off the board kinda thing. first thing to go ...eardrums (yes "s") it will happen if you do it enough. ...and your head won't feel right for 2 days, everytime

on land its shoulders and hips( the helemet thing actually helps my neck) the distance for lash and weight for strength.
slam and drag... and the reflex to reach out just eats rotators.

and water is quite lethal in its own right

Hit the water hard enough, and it will give even less than land. Snow is the most forgiving. Sand, depending on how hard packed can actually be more forgiving than water. Having said that, you have to be traveling pretty darn fast for the water tension to be less forgiving than say grass... Yeah, impacts will wear down on you. But if you maintain good kite control, you'll land soft. Unless you are throwing kite loops, or other very powered manuevers. Those tend to come in hot, and your joints are going to pay the price...

Personal experience between me and my brother(he rides only water)
ME- 1. torn acl but not totally kite related could have done it walking down a hill
2. lots of sand and road rash (no permanent damage but uncomfortable for a couple of days
3. some petty ugly bruises

My brother on water- 1. 2 concussions
2. broken ribs two different occasions
3. torn acl and mcl foot was stuck in strap

So while i cant wait to get on the water i am convinced that while the ground is harder the water consequences are more damaging and hell i knock myself out on land at least i can still breath.
Scott

I've been jumping static for three or four years now while very slowly progressing with the other stuff. No injuries, all due to the soft loose sand spot at my home beach. Wet hardpack, totally different story. Used to jump off tall ship rigging every new year's, 50+ feet and I'm wearing shoes and hanging on down low, naked and barefoot from that height is rough stuff, almost impossible to swim back to the dock while nursing some slapped junk!



Sorry,a bit OT.

lurking over on kiteforum tells me water is no picnic.

Quote:

Originally posted by flyguy0101 ... My brother on water- 1. 2 concussions 2. broken ribs two different occasions 3. torn acl and mcl foot was stuck in strap So while i cant wait to get on the water i am convinced that while the ground is harder the water consequences are more damaging and hell i knock myself out on land at least i can still breath. Scott

This tells me he was doing some well-powered tricks. Or he got into some crazy conditions. I've been on the water for awhile now, and havent had any of those things happen to me. Of course, I tend to cruise and throw big floaty jumps. I don't throw kite-loops, or do wake-style tricks. HOW you ride on the water can make a huge difference.

"Water is soft, I can throw big stupid moves without getting hurt.." Yeah, that kind of logic will get you hurt. Having a healthy fear of what CAN happen will keep you safe in the water. That, and a life/impact vest + helmet.

Quote:

Originally posted by ragden Quote: Originally posted by flyguy0101 ... My brother on water- 1. 2 concussions 2. broken ribs two different occasions 3. torn acl and mcl foot was stuck in strap So while i cant wait to get on the water i am convinced that while the ground is harder the water consequences are more damaging and hell i knock myself out on land at least i can still breath. Scott This tells me he was doing some well-powered tricks. Or he got into some crazy conditions. I've been on the water for awhile now, and havent had any of those things happen to me. Of course, I tend to cruise and throw big floaty jumps. I don't throw kite-loops, or do wake-style tricks. HOW you ride on the water can make a huge difference. "Water is soft, I can throw big stupid moves without getting hurt.." Yeah, that kind of logic will get you hurt. Having a healthy fear of what CAN happen will keep you safe in the water. That, and a life/impact vest + helmet.

well said.................and as we all know Hadlow does'nt go out to mow the lawn...................

Water is soft so long as it's just you splashing down - landing hard ON the board will hurt joints... landing on other stuff, well that's just obvious... except when you can't see it under the water :o

Buddy broke his wrist in the New Year - shallow water, he hit the bottom on a slam... which is why you don't freestyle in the shallow end!!! Falls on deaf ears here

Like ragden, I just cruise around and try to jump as high as I can - when it goes bad, I ditch the board if I can and try to land ass-first to cushion the blow.
I've been spun around and hit back-first a few times - that's left me breathless once or twice :D

But to break ribs and things, I think waist harness has a lot to do with that...

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude Quote: Originally posted by ragden Quote: Originally posted by flyguy0101 ... My brother on water- 1. 2 concussions 2. broken ribs two different occasions 3. torn acl and mcl foot was stuck in strap So while i cant wait to get on the water i am convinced that while the ground is harder the water consequences are more damaging and hell i knock myself out on land at least i can still breath. Scott This tells me he was doing some well-powered tricks. Or he got into some crazy conditions. I've been on the water for awhile now, and havent had any of those things happen to me. Of course, I tend to cruise and throw big floaty jumps. I don't throw kite-loops, or do wake-style tricks. HOW you ride on the water can make a huge difference. "Water is soft, I can throw big stupid moves without getting hurt.." Yeah, that kind of logic will get you hurt. Having a healthy fear of what CAN happen will keep you safe in the water. That, and a life/impact vest + helmet. well said.................and as we all know Hadlow does'nt go out to mow the lawn...................

Ditto well put. I prefer the water now.
Oh yeah - when I was using a waist harness I had sore ribs. Hybrid seat harness - no more.

Tore my ACL while kiting two years ago, landed with one foot strapped to the board. Spent 8 weeks, 2 sessions a week at 2 hours a pop in PT to get better (tore it thanksgiving weekend and had a kite trip to costa rica scheduled in the middle of January).

Water may be safe if you are just wading in it, but add a kite, board, surf, gusty conditions, cold water, other kiters and safe goes out the window.

Also just food for thought, always think about what can happen to you while you are out there and how you are going to get back. Lucky for me I was able to still somewhat stand after tearing my ACL to which I headed straight back to my landing spot (about a half mile away).

ride strapless.........................

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude ride strapless.........................

That would work until you start trying to grab your board and jump with it (ala Mitu Montiero). I am curious to try that, but I have a feeling I would smack myself in the face with my board.. or land really wrong...

If yer just cruising, no worries... But if you are not riding waves, then riding strapless is a little boring (or it can be)...