Rhino, I was referring to a fundamental working knowedge of physics, dynamics, materials, and of course applied maths. Not many Engineers I know are sweating on the answers to quantum theory to be able to work effectively. I'll leave that to the wacko's in lab coats, they can tell us when they figure all that crap out and we'll find a way to improve society with it...or build a weapon with it..
PS if you'd actually been Electrocuted you wouldn't be here talking about it.
www.thefreedictionary.com/electrocuted
Just trade your wetsuit for one of these and you'll be fine:
Get good Zaps on the water and beach in the Wet season up here when big storms around. You can here it crackle just before you land then feel the shock.... is generally considered a good time to come in though..
Static Electricity or Lightning strike?
Same thing.
Just scale is different.
As an interesting thought ...Kite lines are made of Ultra high molecular weight Polyethylene - I think - well some sort of plastic. UHMPE is super duper good insulator. Much much better than air actually. Only problem is it will have dirt & maybe water on the outside. And also the interface between materials is always better for electricity to flow down. I reckon if you had really dry & spotlessly clean lines & kite you should be just as safe with your kite in the air - but I'd be stuffed if I would test it. One zap & I'd be packin up & heading home. Lightning spotted & I'm heading home. If I recall correctly Lightning kills heaps and heaps more people each year than sharks do.
Ohh and kites & powerlines [they don't mix well by the way] - why a big spark but kiter doesn't die? Cause the power lines are closer together than you are to them and phase to phase voltage is larger than phase to earth.
If you cover yourself in water, less electricity will flow through you, and more will go through the water on your skin, a couple died a few years back sitting nice and dry under a gazebo as a dude who was soaking wet ran up, all 3 got struck, the two dry people got cooked inside, and the wet dude just had scorch marks where the bolts left him.
