How to self rescue with a foil kite
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2020
- In this video we show a real life example of a kitesurfing self rescue with a foil kite and foil board (hydrofoil board), as well as include our tips through the process. During this foilboarding session, the wind dropped and the kite went down, which led to a full self rescue including packing the kite and a long swim back to shore. Enjoy!
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Our kite life you have the best instructional videos about kiting on the internet but I'm afraid I have to say this one is not quite as good as your others.
#1 packing the kite fast is essential for some foil kites. For the flysurfer soul it's built in a way that keeps the water out. For other kites for instance the older flysurfer kites if you roll it up too slow the entire kite will fill with water because you need to keep pressure on the kite. If you do it too slow water creeps inside the inflate valve.
#2 you MUST keep your foil board with you. This is an ESSENTIAL step. In the first video I noticed the foil board got away. The problem is in longer swims, you will not be able to get to shore very easily with the kite if it's just rolled up and you will have to abandon it to swim in. I've done I guess a dozen or so self rescues with a bunch of different foil kites and at first I was lazy let the board go but sometimes you get pretty far from shore on a foil board because those foil boards just love going far. Then if you let the foil board escape and you roll up, it's like carrying a wet carpet with you and if you're a half mile from shore, it's disasterous. You need to put your foil kite on the board like in the second example.
#3 (related to #2). Always carry 10 meters of spare kite line when foiling. This is so you can tie it to your foil board and let it drift downwind of you while packing up. It's very very difficult to roll up a kite with the foil blade near your kite because it will just want to tangle with the bridle. When I forget my 10 meters of line and have to pack up, it's a real chore. One hand on the board, one hand on the kite, roll it up a little, lose the board, chase the board roll up the kite a little, chase the board, roll up the kite etc.
#4 Make sure to open all your deflate valves! This helps you roll up the kite faster. If you have only one deflate valve open and the kite has several it can mean it will take longer to roll up the kite and that just gives waves more chance to roll into your inflate openings and you know what that means. Again the fly surfer soul is a special case. It just doesn't take on water so you can take it easy. I love the soul but with other foils you need to be careful to open all the deflate valves or you won't be able to keep the water out. Some people stick their hands inside the intake opening on the kite to keep it open and do it that way that's also fine.
I'm not sure if you agree with my four points, maybe you do maybe you don't but I'm sure you agree it's pretty important to keep your foil board with you, so next year or two if you revisit this issue just give it some thought.
You guys are doing a great job and one of my favorite instructors on the youtubes.
Thanks for your comments Eric. Self rescue is always a hotly debated topic at our beach as people do it in a variety of ways. That's why we chose to show a real life example. From our experience, each self rescue is unique as it depends on conditions and location. For this reason, we believe you can't really give one-size-fits-all advice, and will leave various techniques to be debated in the comment section. With that said, the SOUL in particular doesn't typically take on much water, bowtie, etc - but it can still happen. So while we agree it's important not to take too long, sometimes rushing can be counter-productive (ex, tangled bridles, messy re-pack that's more difficult to swim with). Definitely agree on keeping your foilboard close for longer swims, but not always for shorter swims. Also - just to clarify - the foilboard you see at 1:25 is another kiter's foilboard as he was body dragging to it (I was sitting on mine for the majority of the rescue).
RE #3 - agreed on 10 meter spare kite line. That sounds a bit safer than a second leash that some locals carry with them to attach to their foilboards during self rescue. Personally, we never carried second leash or a spare line, but great tip.
RE #4 - on soul we usually open both deflate valves and on sonic there's just one. Sonic definitely floods with water easier than the soul.
P.S. thank you very much for your comments and this is exactly the sort of comments that we wanted to generate with this video. We don't know all the answers, but we trust that the community does, so with videos like this our goal was more to generate a discussion than to answer all the comments. Maybe in future we will make a video with all the tips that we generate from this video. Thanks again.
@@OurKiteLife I don't have a Sonic so if course trust your opinion on it
Great tips on always wearing a life vest (or at least an impact vest) that will keep your head above water as you float.
I carry a large mesh laundry bag with a draw string on light wind days. Once your kite is folded and stuffed into the bag, the mesh fabric of the bag allows excess water in the kite to drain out as you swim back to shore.
Haven't tried this one, but sounds like a great idea!
I have seen the same done with a rash vest. If you wear one over your lifejacket, you can take it off and stuff the kite inside
Smart idea and only 7 USD, and can be fitted inside the impact vest www.amazon.com/Commercial-Mesh-Laundry-Bag-Drawstring/dp/B00FQPGWX8?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_marketplace
This is why I don’t like foiling with a foil kite and a super-low-volume board. Sitting on a board with no volume provides no real floatation. A board with even 20L of volume lets you sit comfortably on it while you self-rescue.
I had a self-rescue the other day on a 6m Soul after breaking a flying line (the one attached to the flagout) and I think it’s important to tell people *why* to roll up the flagout line first:
The flagout line works by making one line much shorter than the other three, so that the kite can only put tension on a single line, which is not enough for it to fly on and generate enough power to hurt you.
You can wrap any *one* of your lines around the bar for several meters and it makes that line the “short” one that keeps the other three from powering up the kite, it doesn’t have to be the one designed as the flagout, which is useful in the case that you’ve broken that line.
I’m not actually sure 3m is enough to prevent the kite from powering up partially should it get away from you and fill in a gust while you’re rolling your lines, especially on bigger kites, or if you’re self-rescuing in 15-20 knots because of equipment failure rather than light wind.
Totally agree. It needs to be more like 6 meters. Especially on larger sizes.
Definitely agree with your points. It does depend on kite size, if you're on a 21m it will be more like 10m of line. We did say at least 3m but should have included more information. Appreciate the comment!
Great tips!
Thanks :)
Funny you guys do this video just now when i dropped my Soul 12m last week for the first time in 2 years and it was a nightmare! Result: 10kg of seaweed in my lines and +100l of water in the kite i could not even lift it on shore any more!Great video, but i say rethink the "take your time and be patient" theory and get that thing as fast as you can out of the water! ;-)
There's a fine balance between doing it too fast or too slow in our opinion. Obviously every self rescue will be different, and seaweed can really make things much more difficult! In non-seaweed conditions, I've rushed (/panicked) and ended up with tangled lines/bridles making it much more difficult to swim and adding an hour+ on shore to untangle everything.
The bars that have reels to extend or retract lines have a few patents. Could also add straps to kite as a wing kite then extent out as far as ur lines then reel in when close to shore. It would also help depower the kite as it gets closer. Launching in tricky areas would be easy.
when i sued to kite in lightwind conditions, i always had some swimming gloves and very short palms ( swimming poolsone) in a waterproof tiny backpack, helped a lot in the self rescue, wayyy less energy losses....along with some cash and my phone if i had to travel back to my starting point..
That's a great idea. We know a couple of guys who bring their phones with them for long distance foil sessions - makes sense as long as you're not so far that you lose reception
After packing the kite get of your harness and wrap it around the kite then put the package on the board. The package won't unfold that easily and it's more comfortable to swim without harness.
Great tip, thanks for sharing!
The good old end-of-downwind technique! :)
I attatch a (Flysurfer) compression bag to my harness in light wind hydrofoiling. After packing it is great to store kite and bar in it for the long swim. Too often self rescued....
That's a great tip, may borrow it ourselves :)
Tks for the tips. I feel the folding technique deserve a video itself. With foil kite you get very easily tangled in the bridles line when swimming around the kite. So a video with a GoPro on the helmet would be a killer video for us!!as mentioned by commenter you have to take it slow but also rush because with time the water gets inside the kite and can make it unmovable and dangerous!!
If we do a follow-up video, we'll keep the GoPro/kite fold idea in mind :)
I recently was foiling in Victoria in pretty light winds. There was a tidal current where I went down and put the kite down, flowing away from shore. The wind wasn't strong enough to get the kite up or drift into shore because of the current. Ended up dropping the board to swim hard with the kite. Took a while to go a short distance. I swam back out to get the board after. If I wasn't so close to shore I would have swam perpendicular to the current to get out of it then swim to the next closest bit of land (I was on a point). Anyways, currents can add a whole other beast to deal with!
Oh boy - we're glad we don't have to contend with currents in Ontario!
Personally I like to keep some air in the kite, it helps when it getting heavier with water and then sit it on my twintip, my ozone takes on water quicker than my flysurfer, so the flysurfer can be used to self rescue similar to a tube kite, it all depends on the day & conditions.
Agreed - the approach to self rescue will vary depending on the conditions
It all sounds good,I haven't the courage to use my foil kite with the foil.
But I kite lite winds many times under 8 mph and yes when foiling you tend to go further than you normally go. I use a big solo but if it drops it's game over.
Just holding the board with you and messing with the kite trying to relaunch is tough.
At least I can do a self rescue but usually no wind to fly the taco back...long swims and walks.
We've had many long swims and walks too!
I had to self rescue in strong wind due to tangles. It's much harder than in no/low-wind, since even during packing, the kite is still under tension from the wind. You want to fold it in half or open deflate valves? Good luck with that. I really struggled with just reaching deflate valves and that was my smaller kite, opening them was another issue.
On the other hand, when you manage to fold it in half, you can grab the kite by the wingtips and bodydrag to the shore. It still takes a lot of strength to hold onto it.
Agreed - self rescues in high wind or wavy conditions are much more difficult, especially if you have tangles in the lines or kite itself!
The biggest and most dangerous thing is to get entagled in the bridle lines of the foil kite once you have reached it. Entaglement can become so bad that you cannot swim anymore because you cannot move your legs. You can think of it as being trapped in a gigantic spider web. Thus, always carry a safety knife with you and wear a life jacket!
Yes that is a very big concern, I too have a knife in my harness.
I did loose a kite due to it filling up with water, then it sank and it's still on the sea bed today, buy i am alive. 😂
My experience is that you don't need to rush. Without waves, wind and movement the kite takes water on very slowly. I've practiced after dragging the kite around for 15 min(and taking on water) and it does make it much harder to deflate, but still no real issue doing so. My tip is to roll up the top wingtip a little before adding bottom so that your deflate flap stays out of the water. This is especially important if there is water in the kite since said water will sink the deflate flap and prevent easy deflation. Might even want to redistribute the water away from the deflation flap, it'll save time in the end.
You do want at least an impact vest to keep above the water more easily, though a more buoyant board would also work, both would be best.
Patience is key - rushing sometimes just makes things worse. Agreed on rolling the top wingtip before to keep the deflate flaps out of the water - great tip!
Maybe a good rule of thumb to add to prevent this situation (not the topic of the video but maybe helpful to hear for some):
When you feel the wind is dropping or it is a lightwind day in general, where the chances of relaunching are marginal, especially if your favoured flying transition rate is not above 99%, don't foil further out than necessary to be in the windiest area of your spot. Sometimes coming in before the wind dies down completely and waiting til it is coming back, is a smart way, to avoid a swim in. Para- and Hangglider mindset.
Going out "far" off shore should be reserved for the steady windy days, where relaunching is mostly possible.
Or if you know for certain the wind won't come back this session and all parameters are "safe" for a swim in. Embrace it, till the wet end.
Btw.
A detailed video about how to keep Tube-/Foilkites in the air in lulls, relaunch tricks and low wind foil starting technique (as displayed by Armin) could be a nice addition to this video.
keep on sharing these nice kitevideos ; ).
Great points, thanks for your comment! As we've gained more foil experience, we know exactly what you mean about coming in when you feel like the wind is dropping. As soon as my transitions are getting questionable, it's a clear sign that it's time to head back to shore. Also agree that it's best to stay closer to shore. A good rule of thumb we've heard is 1 minute of kiting out is equal to an hour swim back - perhaps even longer if you're foiling
a frend of mine is caryng a scubyjet with him in low wind conditions.
on the top side of his board, so when he had to swim he just turn the board over and have a swim help of 3 to 4 km/h 45min. 🤙
That's a creative approach!
Take your time, take your time, take your time...! All great tips. I hear you regarding the "I just didn't feel like it". I'm not going to lie, we've all been guilty of this at least once. Or the "I forgot my "foiling" helmet... Oh well... it's okay I won't do anything crazy..." I wish you had given more details on the folding part of the self rescue. Maybe you could add it to a video on dry land? I also saw some guys foiling with some kind of compression bags they put the kite into... maybe something worth mentioning? is it effective?
Thanks again for the great video and happy kiting.
Thanks! Haven't heard about the compression bag tip but sounds like a good idea. We'll keep the kite pack example in mind for future videos. The way that we typically pack the kite on water is the same as we do on land (to the best of our ability)
@@OurKiteLife Oh interesting. I tried that once self rescuing and I ended up with so much water in the kite because I felt I opened the velcro too early and release too much air which resulted in an influx of water inside the kite. Not only it was a mess and heavy (thank god for very floaty foil boards that can carry that mess haha) but it took forever to dry up (It was during winter). So that's why I was wondering "There must be a better way". Glad to know through the videos that I'm not the only one struggling so thanks for keeping it real haha. Cheers to the team.
I'm curious about the 3m of safety line wrap up. Is that a foil kite thing? I'm imagining that the offset lines would force the kite into a deformed shape should it happen to relaunch unintentionally. Is that correct?
The 3m safety line wrap activates the safety and will prevent the kite from relaunching/death looping
Great video. Along this topic. Can you explain the safest way to self land in deep water and any differences for shallow? I have a Soul 10M and Sonic 2 15M. Recently I brought the Sonic 2 to the edge of the window away from shore, pulled the safety release, the kite went up and started looping as I quickly pulled the safety line to bring the kite to me as I also went towards the kite. Wind was probably 17 mph. I didn't expect it to do that. Thanks!
yeah landing in higher wind speeds can be tricky, even if you pull your safety a foil kite can loop around it axis, so what we usually do is pull the safety line until kite touches down
How long did it take from the kite stalling to swim to shore. Did you become cold during the return?
the water was warm and it took about 40 minutes
What location is this at? I am a kiter in Ontario as well but mostly go to long point.
Presquille park :)
Just have bought Soul and very interested in how to manage rolling it up in water. How to prevent water inside? The valves are on the water surface, right?
P.s. Laurie wrote you in Instagram direct )
If possible, grab one tip and fold the kite in half (as you would normally pack it) - you can roll the top a bit first and that will keep the flaps above the water for easy deflation. Of course, this can be easier said than done depending on the conditions. If there’s a lot of wind or waves you have to pack the kite faster than situations where there’s no wind/calm water
Tip, use a restube instead of life jacket
Thanks for the tip
Hi, I had a session today but then something very strange happened : the kite was flagged out as if I ejected my chicken loop. But I didn't. And my chicken loop was still in place. Do you have an explanation for that?
you mean chicken loop was still attached to you?
@@OurKiteLife exacly. The line flagged out while the chicken loop was still attached to me..
@@faridsabry837 maybe one of the lines broke? Did you check? Never heard of this before.
@@OurKiteLife no the lines are perfect. Im a beginner with a completly new gear
What spot is this? Toronto?
Close to Presquile Provincial Park (we launched from private property)
what was that thing in the water??????? huge! 1min 50 sec.
Probably the shadow of a friend’s kite …or maybe a fresh water shark ;)
@@OurKiteLife ohhh lol. Sharky foil kite then😁😁
In GER most of kitesurfers are not abled to do this cause the are *simple* even with a tubekite
I must admit that most of my self rescues occur in gusty wind when wind pick up then drop, pick up again..and lines become fully tangled around the kite before or after I used my safety release . In these conditions during gust or if wind really pick up steadily it could be quite dangerous. You said that self rescue would not be the best option, but which other technique would you recommend to come back safe with your stuff assuming that no rescue boat is easily available🧐😎
It's not that self rescue is not a good option in gusty wind or situations where the wind picks up, but there are certain parts of the rescue that may be different depending on the conditions. Locally, when the wind looks sketchy, we'll bring a paddleboard to the beach for rescue assistance.
in light wind conditions we use a Restube www.resttube.com small, easy to handle, become visible, long leash (rescue other kiter)
An hour or so of untangling on land will save you 5 minutes on the water. ;)