So I took the Aurora to the beach today to test out my new bar + WAC mod'.

It is a rare sunny but cold day here and the seawall was crazy busy but the beach was empty. I set up and was ready to go when I noticed I had no leash on my waist harness or new bar . The wind was very light and I felt that if I could even fly it the safety would not be required. WRONG !!!!!!

It DID launch ! It was actually flying very well. The longer bar seemed to make all the difference and WAC was at least not interfering . Maybe even doing it's job ! Everything was checking out and I moved back the the shore to get a good long scud on. 1st pass went fine. I set up again and was pushing for all the power I could when POP. The kite was ripped out of my hands and floating WAY too far downwind! My knot for my trim strap came undone under load. OOPS! My bad !

As everything is going slow mo' I'm focused on my bar and lines headed toward the path and trying to get an OG's attention. All of a sudden that isn't a problem as the kite came to rest about 30ft up a tree on the other side ! My 1st tree issue !

I thought I was sunk and add to the issue my lines are over the seawall path. An extremely nice bum helped me manage lines and tug. We took our time and smoked lots of my cigerettes but managed to tug it out . The AMAZING thing was that it came down without damage ! The tree had damage! Both of us were tugging as hard as possible many times. I come out of this with a greater respect for Pansh's build quality.The strength of bridle lines in particular but also that the material didn't rip !

My lesson is 2 fold. If you find you don't have your safety leash. Don't fly without tons of room downwind. Something I have been guilty of many times.

Even double the line length isn't always enough with closed cell foils !

The is the second time a CS foil has gotten away from me and both times it floated a LOoooong way downwind! Open cell tend to fall in the " double the line length " safety zone . I have been stung using that rule twice now with closed cell.

Live and learn.

Geez, a guy is nice enough ta help you get your kite outta the tree and here you go and call him a Bum... :frog::tumble:

Quote:

Originally posted by cheezycheese Geez, a guy is nice enough ta help you get your kite outta the tree and here you go and call him a Bum... :frog::tumble:

Exactly! Glad nothing sound permanently broken. It can be pretty frustrating to get someplace and realize you don't have your leash, or even worse, your harness. I went kitesurfing and forgot that once. Didn't do much on that trip.

Sorry if that came accross wrong. He used the word saying he lives in the East End but is happier bumming around down at the beach. Being a bum is more a lifestyle than a bad name in Vancouver. No disrespect meant. The walk was very busy. He was thrilled to just stand holding my lines and smoking my smokes while we waited for chances to tug ! He was thrilled to hear he can pick up a well used trainer locally for about $75 . Just the thing to pass his days.

Whoever he is I should have called him my " New Friend ! "

What beach were you trying to fly at? Are you getting too cheap to pay for parking at Vanier?

S

well you did say he was extremely nice...

Hey, one time I launched a 9ft delta SLK on 1500' of line. There were three "bums" in the parks drinking some anti-freeze They all got a laugh a the grown man flying a kite. Yeah, well 1500' up the wind was probably ten times what I was feeling on the ground. For the life of me I couldn't get this thing
out of the sky. It took all three of them to pull the line down while I wound it onto its spool. Took over an hour, It was like pulling a Tuna out of the sky.
Thank god for those "bums"....

I had one day over Christmas break where I had a green light to kite, take a stupid route to Templehof and 25 steps out of the car I drop the bag unzip and yup, the harness was in the other kite. I decided not to rig a tubular nylon harness and fly anyways. that seat wasant comfy doing tree work. now i've aired my gripe and feel better,thanks

Sunset beach . Free parking ! :bird::bird: