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how safe really is kiteboarding?

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:47 pm
by hixxy
I've read some pretty scary stories about kiteboarding, and I've been wondering, how safe exactly is kiteboarding? For example, what are the chances of a freak thermal pulling me 30 feet off the ground? Are you more likely to get badly hurt in an accident than, say, driving a car?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:23 am
by charlie
kiteing can be very safe,or not, its up to the person flying the kite
and yes you could pull the triger and jump 30 feet into the air and flote down and kite away. or you could pull the triger wrong and sail up 30 feet and come down splat and hit hard
there are a very few times over the last 5 or 6 years that kiters have jumped into thermal and gone up say 100 feet or more some of the flights have been on film(check out https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/media/ )
as far as getting hurt, people have been hurt yes people have died.

I FEEL SAFEER FLYING MY KITE THEN I DO DRIVEING MY CAR .
TAKEING LESSIONS IS A GRATE WAY TO LEARN THE SPORT SAFELY
well thats my 2 cents

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:38 am
by OliverG
Overall, it's a safe sport. Just like many other sports, jobs, and basic things like driving a car, proper training is needed. Most all injuries result from operator error, exercising bad judgement and not reading the conditions properly. Any injuries I've sustained thus far have been my own fault, the direct result something I did errantly or did not do properly. Don't let it keep you enjoying the sport if you're interested in learning it.

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 12:55 pm
by hixxy
Thanks for the imput. Its good to know that freak, uncontrollable accidents are rare.

Also, I was reading an article in Surfing Magazine about sharks a while back and they quoted a painter saying "Nothing is truly magical without a terrifying quality." I guess the same thing could apply to kiteboarding, too.

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 12:07 am
by Bob
Often the really bad accidents could haave been avoided through common sense and caution.
I like the adage; When in doubt don't. I have stood on the beach on nice days because it just was not feeling right for me that day. Was I correct? I don't know but I am here to ask that question.

If you are a beginner never be the first one our or the last one in. There is usually a reason that the experienced riders are doing what they are doing. Just go over and ask em.

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:24 pm
by fearlu
How safe is kiteboarding? Not very.

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:40 pm
by dewey
It's only not safe a very small fraction of the time. I've only had about 15 seconds of what I would call unsafe time with a kite. They were 15 seconds of OHHHH SHIT!!!!!!!!!, but ony 15 seconds in 2 years.

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:07 am
by Bob
A banana peel used improperly can kill you.

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:00 pm
by OliverG
Bob wrote:A banana peel used improperly can kill you.
And that's what makes primates so smart! :P

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:37 pm
by Bob
Hunh?