Kitesurfing Kite
Kitesurfing Safety Tips by Owen Jones
Safety is a very important aspect of most sports, but even more so with some, like kiteboarding or kitesurfing as it is also called. It involves using a kite of between two and five metres in length to power surf across a plane of water.
This is where the greatest risk comes in, a sudden gust of wind can lift you off the water and carry you away. When the gust of wind drops, you could be dropped on rocks or slammed into the side of a building. The alternative is to let go of the kite and probably lose it. This gets expensive, yet being left alone in the open sea is not very attractive either.
The fact is that you can never be entirely safe whilst you are kiteboarding. However, the least you can do is make an effort. So wear a safety helmet and a vest that will both reduce injury from an impact and also float. These two items alone will protect you from the lesser types of impact and help you to swim back to shore if needed.
Gloves and knee protectors will also make life easier as will a pair of impact-resistant running or jogging shoes or trainers.
Never disable, and always make use of, any safety devices built into your apparatus. It is there for a purpose. Some of these features might be quick release buckles or buttons and safety straps so that the kite cannot be torn from your grasp, leaving you stranded far out at sea.
Be sure of the winds that you ride. Both on-shore and off-shore winds are perilous because the one will carry you out to sea and the other could take you into cliffs or buildings. The safest wind to ride is a side-shore wind. A side-shore wind will be blowing across the bay, parallel to the shore.
It sounds too obvious to say ‘avoid collisions’, yet in a way a collision is more perilous at sea than on land. It will take longer to rescue you and longer to get you to hospital and you may drown. Therefore, do not kiteboard in busy waters – where there are boats or swimmers. Endeavor to allow a hundred metres clearance to anything that would injure you if you hit it.
Check the weather forecast and the predicted wind speed and use a kite that is suitable for that wind speed and your level of skill. Do not endeavor to run before you can walk.
Once your kite is aloft, get out on to the sea (or water) as soon as possible and when you are coming ashore, hold the kite low, so that there is less likelihood of you being carried away into the road or buildings.
Carry a knife when you go kitesurfing because lines getting snarled up is not an uncommon phenomenon and this can have a number of unpleasant effects. It can lead you off to where you do not want to go and it can tangle you up cutting deep into your flesh. Make sure that the knife itself poses no threat by keeping it in a strong sheath. Wear safety goggles to avoid being blinded by spray.
About the Author
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of subjects, and is now involved with RX Safety Glasses. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Safety Glasses Bifocal
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