Ocean Beach kiteboarding accident

[friggin old guy]

Simplest explanation: overpowered in super gusty conditions leaves you no ability to sheet out, no depower capability in gusts. I'm guessing that's the whole long and short of it but wonder if any other malfunction contributed. Even at high tide, long way to get yarded.

Any time I've seen anybody get yarded, they're clenching the bar. If you get lofted and you try to steer the kite, you only power it up. That's the instinctive (but wrong) thing to do.

Most of the time you can get out of an op situation by just releasing the bar completely, which also give you two hands to punch out if you need to. Not much time to cogitate bout what to do.

Still wondering who the guy might be......

[le noun]

As a second year kiter, I am trying to understand what this guy could have done once he started to get dragged across the beach. I understand his kite was apparently oversized for the wind conditions, but should he have released his chickenloop and safety once he started to lose control?
I hope he is ok...

First thing to do as you see you're no longer in control is to let go of your bar and punch the QR.
If after flagging your kite is still out of control then release completely. Your life is more important than $1000 piece of equipment...
Most beginners have the tendency to freeze and sheet in, which is the worst thing you can do...
EVERY SINGLE TIME before I launch I pull my QR and put it back, then check my safety leash and then my knife. Every. Single. Session.
Already got me out of two sketchy situations, first getting dragged under water in the surf, second when a pulley got caught into the back line when hot launching at OB.

[sflinux]

Even at high tide, long way to get yarded.

Distance-wise it was about 160 ft, 48M. I'm assuming he was on slingshot lines, so ~23M. He traveled 2 line lengths. It was a solid 30+ miles/hour (44 feet/sec). In high winds, everything happens really fast. From launch to road median could have lasted 2-3 seconds. Witness stated bouncing in between, which would obviously hinder his ability to pull both releases.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7344838 ... a=!3m1!1e3
I believe the take home message should be that these were expert conditions. A seasoned rider would know to rig for the gusts. In these conditions, you have to be on your A game, else you'll pay the consequences. I'm just glad no innocent bystanders were hurt. I don't like the mentality of releasing gear in high winds, there is just too much of a chance of an innocent bystander(s) getting injured. Risk management; before leading up to a launch make decisions, so you don't have to release your gear. Hindsight is always 20:20, his "small" gear wasn't available (working), he should have gone home.
I assume he was on a 9M Rally. What's the safety like on the Rally bar? Is it a mini-5th line (IDS) safety, or does it flag out on a front line? If it was a IDS style of safety, the end result makes sense to me.

[friggin old guy]

I have a 9m Rally. They flag to flying line. I don't like flying it much above 25-30, and would not be comfortable on it when it's gusting over 30......and I'm on the heavy side at 220.

I basically never use the depower strap on any of my kites unless the wind picks up pretty radically while I'm out. And then it's probably time to go in......if you think the depower mechanism on your kite will allow you to safely fly it outside of its properly designated range, you might be looking for trouble.

If there were gusts over 40, I don't think you'd even have to have an equipment malfunction to have a runaway 9m. The chart for Fort Funston for the day doesn't show gusts that high, but typically I take those readings with a grain of salt, and find that the actual wind at OB often reflects the reported gusts....in other words, the Fort Funston readings under-report the wind, and if you rig based on the average reported wind speed, you will be rigging too big.

And yeah, ejecting around others never a good idea, especially in howling winds, but sometimes you have no choice about whether to eject or not..... I'm guessing that OB on a weekday afternoon with howling winds was fairly uncrowded. Definitely need to keep the downwind area clear, although I'll confess that I have become a little jaded about having 100% clearance in many circumstances. Sketchy conditions dictate above normal precaution for both rider and bystanders, though.

[JimmyJack]

This is horrible, no two ways about it. However, I work in the financial district and my smallest kite is a 10M. I went to OB once when it was 25-30. I launched my kite and went into the break and quickly dropped the kite and went home. Even in 30 on a 10M I felt the buffeting that signals danger. The beach was huge that day at low tide. The way to avoid these situations is to follow what someone told me when I was a noob about to launch at ashby beach, "Make good decisions early". I have applied that to more than kiting since then, and on the Friday this happend, I chose simply not to go to OB. I am not sure I will ever have enough experience in 30+ to justify having a 6-7m kite for it. I am just not sure anything is safe when it is blowing that hard. The exponentiality of higher winds is scary.

[GOfast]

Yeah I've been on a 9m Rally with gusts to 35... flags out fine, their safety system is solid

[akhodakivskiy]

There is this video I watched a few times where kiters get hit by the squall. Kind of gives you an idea what to expect when you are extremely overpowered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5cCOI_Lq5w

[kief]

As a OB frequenter and lover,I can say funston sensor reads way low and obkc usually high but sometimes not,but the picture can tell a lot.
OB regulars own 5m's,and were not talking small guys
my smallest 6m,and i have been op'd on it there & next to impossible to self land in those conditions .
if the injured kiter had rigged at Kelly's he probably
would have been talked out of it by many concerned & caring locals (joey)
sad and frustrating thing is , he could have traveled 30 mins inland and found perfect 9-12m conditions!

I am worried when I hear kiters confused and shocked how this could happen,
in the same way non kiters are confused and shocked how we can boost 40-50 ft off flat water,same forces at play,respect due.

first I believe he was near sloat,much smaller beach there,why?
did he know he'd be talked out of riding Kelley's ?

reminded of 2006 when bows came out , a great advancement,but many wise experienced kiters saw a problem ahead,mainly due to the marketing ,100% de power !total safety!that would lead to complacent kiters with not enough,or no respect for the power and unpredictability of the wind,there is no off switch,and kites are only safe & depowerable within their range .
kites wanna fly,it's what they do !
those of us that learned on C kites,knew cause you got larded,frequently,ha
don't miss those days .

"the most important piece of safety gear is between your ears"


***** any update of his condition ?

[JimmyJack]

there is no off switch,and kites are only safe & depowerable within their range .

"the most important piece of safety gear is between your ears"

Yes, exactly

[mighty]

If there were gusts over 40, I don't think you'd even have to have an equipment malfunction to have a runaway 9m. The chart for Fort Funston for the day doesn't show gusts that high, but typically I take those readings with a grain of salt, and find that the actual wind at OB often reflects the reported gusts....in other words, the Fort Funston readings under-report the wind, and if you rig based on the average reported wind speed, you will be rigging too big.

Fort Funston seems to always report light compared to Ocean Beach. There's are stations for Ocean Beach at OB-Kelly's Cove (which seems to be only showing gusts presently):



OB-Fulton:



and the sensor on http://ob-kc.com/, which seems to be the most accurate.