Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post general kiteboarding discussion topics here!
Post Reply
Hanseatic
Joey
Joey
Posts:8
Joined:Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:13 pm
Location:San Francisco
Contact:
Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by Hanseatic » Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:10 pm

Folks,

I see that most of the times, people have good safety standards at Crissy's launch area. There are two aspects that I do not understand as of yet and would like your comments on:

[*] Landing with the kite land-side / kiter at the water side. At all other places I've ever kited, I go out AND in with my kite facing the water. I perceive this generally is the safer option in case of gusts or other unexpected things happening. Is there a general rule to it at Crissy?

[*] Securing the kite while on the ground. I usually do this with either the board on top or sand. When I assisted people in the past to land, they often send me a "no thanks" when I offer to secure their kite and signal that I can just leave. I've seen kites (at admittedly much windier spots like Tarifa) being blown across the beach and don't like these memories. At Crissy, there are a lot of families with small children. Is this in your experience really not a big deal or what is the agreed upon custom here?

Thx

User avatar
Kyle
Regular
Regular
Posts:333
Joined:Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:21 pm
Location:Seattle
Contact:

Re: Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by Kyle » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:58 pm

I think your questions are applicable to all launches.

While I typically launch the kite towards the water, I think it's less critical to land in that direction, IF someone is landing you. I think the most important thing is to minimize the amount of time you are on the beach with the kite in the air, especially at busy launches. This is for both safety and etiquette. If you come in, and someone is there to grab your kite, just land it. No need to waste time switching position and asking the guy to walk around, and the time it takes to do so could be more dangerous in gusty/wind-shadowed launches like Crissy. But if you are self landing, I could see the benefits to landing towards the water in case you have a false landing, with the caveat being that most launches (especially Waddell) will have a better wind shadow on the beach in which to self land.

I always put a little sand on the kite when I land someone, especially at the coast. I've never seen a kite fly away in the Bay Area due to lack of anchoring, but I also don't see the harm/risk in adding the sand upon landing. I don't kite Crissy that often, but it's some of the nicest sand in the Bay. I don't see any reason not to use it, but don't know of any agreed upon custom.

Tony Soprano
Resident
Resident
Posts:741
Joined:Sat May 19, 2007 7:29 pm
Contact:

Re: Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by Tony Soprano » Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:14 pm

To walk your kite up the beach to land it towards the water may require you to fly the kite over the promenade, you can not do that, Also the the less time the kite is in the air on the beach the better. launch towards the water, land standing at the waters edge with a clear 180 degrees safety zone. If to crowded, land you kite in the water and flag it out.

Please read the posted crissy kiting guide over several times.



https://www.scribd.com/document/2638640 ... ete-Maps-2

Hanseatic
Joey
Joey
Posts:8
Joined:Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:13 pm
Location:San Francisco
Contact:

Re: Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by Hanseatic » Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:31 pm

Thanks for your input. I know the Crissy Kiting guide pretty well, it's an awesome document that many more spots should have.

While I am not getting the point about flying the kite over the promenade - that for sure is a no-go, I see the kite turning point is briefly after coming out of the water, we don't need to stress this. The argument to get it quickly down, controlled and depowered, with a person assisting with the land, is sufficiently clear and understandable.

User avatar
CdoG
Old School
Old School
Posts:1485
Joined:Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:12 pm
Location:AlAmedA
Contact:

Re: Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by CdoG » Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:59 pm

Ive seen kites run away here in the bay area at
Alameda, berkeley, Marina Bay ,The race track
always good to Secure your kite with some sand or you're board or something.

Hanseatic
Joey
Joey
Posts:8
Joined:Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:13 pm
Location:San Francisco
Contact:

Re: Crissy: Launch area safety questions

Post by Hanseatic » Wed Aug 31, 2016 10:13 am

CdoG, thank you for your comment.

Everybody should remember that they are liable for their equipment, especially if it turns out it was not properly secured. The rare and extreme case of it running down the beach hitting someone and causing injuries is with just a bit of attention preventable. To me, that's the equivalent of curbing the wheels of your car at a steep San Francisco street. Nothing will probably ever happen with your car, but there are several cases per year in SF in which people and property have been hit by run away cars.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests