Thanks for saving my life.

Stoked you are ok Underoath

Heavy, glad it ended ok


I was out that day

Have DW that stetch of the coast heaps in the last 6 weeks

Some big waves on Saturday

I often kite by myself

to lazy or could not be brothered organizing to meet other kiters for DWs

And most people work Monday-Friday

Great reminder that it good to kite with a mate


I pulled my mate Red Dog out of the surf near Marcoola last summer when he was smashed by a big wave and this hoody came over his face

he lost his board and his kite released accidently {probably a good thing }

he was in a rip and getting smashed

he was face down in the surf and did not have enough strength to reach up and grab the back of my haress when i came close

I had to go pass him 3 times before he grabbed the back of the harness and I was able to get him back to shore


Its a dangerous sport we are addicted too

So many things can go wrong

Would of had a hell of a time trying to paddle a surfboard out the back on Saturday

But its easy with a kite

Probably too easy

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Underoath said..

suniboy21 said...
what type of bar and lines ?

Compstick Bar and lines. Can't blame the brand tho, as the build quality is top notch.

The bar was a few years old. I'm leaning more towards wear and tear/ possible UV damage.....

I have Slingshot Compstick bar and lines

Build qualitity is unreal

But the replacable depower rope needs replacing fairly often

I have already replaced it once when it snapped

And will get another soon

And the safety line replace piece needs replaceing too

already done this twice

The bar and lines are 10 months old

But they get a lot of use

I kite a lot

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suniboy21 said..
Can you explain where it broke? pigtails? depower line ?

I have just inspected my gear.

The first line to break was the powered line, this broke at the start of the sleeve (kite end).


I noticed my Universal Swivel is jammed rock solid. I tried to make it swivel with a screw driver, that baby is jammed hard. She wont budge.

That made me first think- I was still hooked into my bar when I first went underwater. The force of the wave hitting my kite must have jammed my universal swivel subsequently snapping my main depower rope & safety.


However. That cant be the case as the lines were around my neck, therefore the resistance would have been on my throat, not the de-powder and safety lines. (they would still be intact)

So the initial line must have broken, the force snapping the depower rope/safety, me getting dragged would have jammed the swivel.

As for how the lines became wrapped twice around my neck? Must have been the initial fall into the water.

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waveslave said..
Maybe the lack of attention to the maintenance of your stuff might have contributed to your undoing.

Absolutely.

What an intense read.... very glad to hear you've come out of it at the other end.
As others have said, it would be a shame for this to put you off, maybe let it all sink in, have a debrief with mates and some beers, then one day you can "laugh" about it.

I know the fear you are talking of, I had an episode in Byron Bay where I caught a wave and ended up overshooting and kiting through my lines. They were all wrapped around my body and I nearly shat myself until I managed to untangle between waves and then the most stunning blonde Swedish girl came to my rescue and pulled my kite up on the beach and then got my board! It was like going to heaven!!

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waveslave said..

Maybe the lack of attention to the maintenance of your stuff might have contributed to your undoing.

I think that is a bit harsh, considering he had replaced the depower line 6 months previously.

Holy crap Underoath, you should buy a lottery ticket. Glad you're OK!

^ Check everything.... Bar, Lines, Harness, Footstraps...

When running your lines out, look for knots, frays, little cuts. Run your fingers down the lines and feel for any nicks ect.

If you find a knot, nick ect. Do not use the bar - the line will snap at some point.

Activate your safety before and after every kite, to ensure its not jammed with sand/ broken parts.

Replace de- powder ropes and safety lines when they become frayed.

Check kite for any pin holes and have them repaired asap.

Check pigtails for damage.

Check your little pullies, ensure they dont have any cracks in them. Also check for wear on your bridles.

Ensure pads and straps are bolted in tight.

Check the safety on your harness to ensure its working.

Check harness to ensure there are no damaged parts.

Nice one Underoath

.be

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waveslave said...

Maybe the lack of attention to the maintenance of your stuff might have contributed to your undoing.

He does have a valid point.... 1st time ever