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| Safety Where to and not to fly your kite. LocationFinding the right location to suit your level, no use being on a rocky beach if your a beginner trying to water start. Ask your local shop for riding locations or check out www.kitebeaches.com for a paid view in google earth.
What to look for in a good location.
Safety
Can
you launch and land safely. If you crash on the water where will you
end up, out to sea or into the pier or rocks. Is there at least 3 times
my line lengh (100 meters) for my wind window and eject zone directly
downwind.
Wind
The
best wind for kitesurfing is side-shore or cross-shore (side-on).This
is key when selecting a riding location. Side-shore is when the wind
blows 45 degrees to the beach and cross-shore is when the wind is
blowing parallel to the beach. These are the safest conditions to kite
because you will get blown back to the beach or along the beach to be
rescued. If the wind is blowing off-shore do not go out unless you have
boat support, if you have a problem and you kite goes into the water
you will more than likley have to let the kite go and start swimming
back to land. Directly on-shore is also a do
not kite wind, You need space downwind of you to get momentium to water
start and in all cases you will end up the on the sand before you can blink. Respect the wind...!
Space around you.
Kitesurfing
takes up alot of space. To kite safely you will need sufficant space
around you especially downwind, this is key to choosing a location both
on and off the water. Check out what the local riders are doing and
where they set up and go out from, dont be scared to ask. Never launch
your kite when there are buildings, trees, power lines, rocks or any
hard objects downwind of your launch site. Never launch your kite near
or around people, the beach has is made for people an sunbathers and
they have the right of way at all times. Have 100 meter's downwind in
the case of an emergency you can get lofted and still eject from your
kite and not harm others around you. If there is limited beach walk or
swim out into the water and have someone launch your kite from the
land, this is a 2 person job do not self launch with this method.
Consideration
Consider
all other beach users. It only takes one person to spoil a good riding
spot. Keep all your equipment in one place or put it with someone elses
gear to have less chance of being stolen. Roll your lines up when your
kite is not in use. Put your board on your kite to keep all your
equipment together. Dont lay your lines over footpaths or bike paths.
Watch out for the life guard and his 4x4 truck running over your lines.
Anchor your kite with sand so it does not blow away. and watch out for
the tide, dont let your gear float away.
Conditions
There are two epic conditions. Flat water and Waves.
Flat
water is easy to start on. Sandy bottom and no stingers always help.
Waves are a bit more challanging as the shore break will knock you
about and the current will push you under the kite when you least
expect it resulting in your kite falling out of the sky and into the
surf. Ask your local shop where is the best place for your riding
level, or if you in a another country sit and watch or ask where do the
windsurfers go. All students that start in the waves find the flat
water easy and they can get up wind quicker than someone that was on
the flat water for the same period. This is due to them not having to
concentrate on the waves and focusing on the kite and the board. Our
local area the beginners beach is flat water and the other 4 kite spots
are all on good surf beaches, so you will need to do the waves to be
able to kite all locations.
Wind Window
The
concept of the wind window is critical to understand when you are
learning to kitesurf. The window is defined as "anywhere your kite can
fly in the sky". The wind window determines where you will launch and
land your kite and where the kite will generate the least amount of
power and the most amount of power. Imagine the window as a quarter of
a sphere that is projected infront of you into the sky as you face
downwind and the wind is on your back.The window will change size
depending on the wind, light wind small window, strong wind large
window. As the kite flies through the sky imagine it is flying inside a
ball that has been cut into quarters. Flying a trainer kite is the best
way to become familiar with the wind window. See level 1 Novi | | | |
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