I don't know what happened before he hit the beach, but with crazy winds like that my first reaction would be to ditch the kite 50 meters from shore and let it drag me in. It looks to me like he was standing on the beach when he got lofted, but already things would have been crazy. Look at the other kite and where the dude, (or dudette) has their kite parked.
And yes, when **** hits the fan, it all happens so quickly...i do feel for the guy though, lucky the car didn't take him out....
Its a valid point. How many people have you seen ditch their kite when a squall hits? In my entire time kiting I've seen 1. The balance is all guys trying to bring their kites into shore and land them.
Why are people so scared to pull the safety?
Weather is different at every location and what my local area has for squall is going to be different to other area's. When we have squally conditions on a SE blow we usally have rain but no lightning and the wind ramps up to max strength then pisses down and after wind drops off. You can see the clouds build up 30km away so you know whats going to happen. But what I always do when a squall come is to head out away from land for at least a k or two to get spanked and when the wind starts to drop head back to beach. But I think you need to understand the areas weather to know how to handle big wind, if you don't then you is stupid.
In saying all this back in the early days with no depower in our kites our beach was slamed by a wind gust that had no rain or cloud build up and very little signs on the water. About everyone on the water ended up in trees and these were experience sailboards who could read the water so it goes to shows the sh!t happens.
Its Easy to sit here and watch that happen and say "just pull the safety" But honestly when your trying to bring a kite under control and looking at a safe spot to land, pulling the safety is not the easiest thing to do.
Surely plenty of practive could help but thats a nasty situation to be in.
When squalls hit the worst thing you can do is come into the beach. It's much better to get way out to sea far away from hard stuff that will hurt you.
Being well out to sea gives you the room to ride out a squall. If you are still not happy then you have a heap of space to drop the kite onto the leash and/or release if you have to.
As a simple rule of thumb for Melbourne, if you can't see the parked ships or Fawkner Beacon then get to the beach quickly or get way out to sea.
All hail Saffer, the god that knows it all, yet i know does quite the opposite in real life, like failing to wait for someone to give the thumbs up!!!
This context is bull****..this is a hurricane, not a squall. Being our in normal storm condition is one thing, and being out there in southerlies is common for us in winter wanting to get out and ride some waves. This video is different, and that is the point I am making, it was hurricane conditions and people were there watching, the news was there etc etc. Yes, Robbie went out during a cyclone. It all could have gone wrong for him and bad luck to his family...that would have been a bad result from a situation of boredom, heroics, or whatever. No matter how good his skills are, and I would say he is a very good kiter, it could have been easy for things to go wrong for him. His family would have suffered from his call. Lucky for him he came back to shore.
Knowing the weather is your best friend, but time in the ocean is only gathered by experience. These comments of "oh bull**** I kite in 50 knots etc etc" are fine if you are single and have no body in your life except yourself that you are responsible for, and don't care too much about the people who might have to go out looking for you.
There is nothing wrong in pushing your level, and being out in very strong winds, however, if you understand weather, and if you kite you should study very hard to understand weather, then common sense should prevail for everyone including yourself....
end of rant
^
I agree completely. I was just making comments on the other posts about heroics...I have always like the term, "live to kite another day"...
^^^ nuthin to you!
. but it was a whole lotta fun...
seriously people... theres always gonna be d!cks that do stoopid things, and theres always gonna be people who just get off on pushing the limits. and yes sometimes but not alwaysthey are one and the same.
if for instance you are kiting in perth in winter on your, - i dunno 9M?? - and you see a pitch black front heading your way, that you know is gonna be 40-50, then get the hell outta there.
if on the other hand you are a poor wind starved northern kiter and its 40-50, and your son is silly enough to lend you his 4M, waddaya do??? 
and btw... if we didnt go out in squally thundery conditions, then we wouldnt kite all wet season...
and btw btw... it has been my experience that you are far more likely to get messed up by decent surf, than decent wind...
. ... it has been my experience that you are far more likely to get messed up by decent surf, than decent wind...
Yes, the forecast for Saturday was for very strong wind and gusts. The radar showed storms and the wind plots showed big gusts. Could have gone out on my 7 and been underpowered most of the time then well (or over) powered with 45+ came through.
If you get the right window its fine. If you get the wrong one you could end up inspecting the tiles on someone's roof on the other side of Beach Road or hanging from power lines.
I have gone out in conditions like Saturday before, but it did seem to be dicey. We opted for "Discretion is the better part of valour" on this occasion, I am glad we did.
Tips kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteboarding.com/weather/kitesurfing-storms
