KITESURFING: GETTING THE PERFECT LAUNCH

Launching a kite is sure to kick your butt unless you do it right. This is especially the case if you are launching from a boat. Not all kiteboarders have the benefit of steady side shore winds blowing across an open sandy beach. If you find yourself in the situation where a boat launch is your only option, follow these simple steps to ensure you do it safely.

ON LAND PREP FOR A BOAT LAUNCH:

• Your best bet is to fully set up your kiteboarding rig before you even get on the boat. You can do this in the parking lot, backyard, or on the dock.

• Start out by fully unwrapping the lines off of your bar. Separate the lines so that you have your outside line separated from your inside lines.

• The next step is simple but key to making your boat launch go properly. Set up your lines to your kite like you would do with a standard beach launch as follows. Unroll your kite and attach the lines with the center lines to the front attachment points and your outside lines to the trailing edge attachment points. It is not brain surgery still you have to understand it before implementing.

• After you attach your lines to your kite, wrap the bar up just like you have done before. Once you get to the kite, roll it up keeping the lines attached. It is important to make sure that the bar does not go through the center of the kite while you are wrapping it up. If that happens you have to start over and it might be a long boat ride back.

ON BOAT SET UP:

• The only safe way to launch from a boat is to launch with an assistant.

• The easiest way to launch is to anchor your boat, so the bow of the boat is fixed into the wind. If it is too deep to anchor, you can boat launch while the boat is drifting, but it is harder to do.

• Remove the bar from inside of the kite and inflate your kite. While you are inflating the kite keep the bar off to the side of the kite. If you have an extra leash or some rope you can secure the inflated kite off of the stern of the boat.

ASSISTED BOAT LAUNCH:

• If you have worked your way up to a boat launch then you should be comfortable with an assisted launch. The main difference about launching from a boat and launching from the beach is that you have to swim while you unravel your lines.

• While your kite is tied off to the stern of the boat, jump in the water and slowly unwind your lines off of the bar. Swim to the side of the wind window and make sure that your lines unravel one wrap at a time.

• Once you have successfully unraveled your lines, you need to double check that your lines are straight by holding the bar out of the water and tensioning your lines. At this point your assistant can detach the kite from the stern of the boat, and they can hold the kite up so that both wing tips are pointed at the rider.

It is important that the lines are set up perpendicular to the wind. This will ensure that the kite gets launched at the side of the wind window.

• Once you have double-checked that your lines are set up correctly, swim away from the boat to fully tension the lines. When the lines tension, give your assistant the thumbs up and launch your kite.

WHEN IT ALL GOES WRONG

• The two main reasons that the assisted boat launch can go wrong is if you don’t have your gear prepped correctly or if there is not enough wind when you launch the kite.

• If you did not set up your gear correctly before you got on the boat, you might have to abort your mission when you try to launch your kite. You need to make sure that you always wear a safety leash while doing a boat launch, so you don’t lose your entire rig if you have to abort the mission.

If your lines are tangled, you will need to go back to the dock to set it up right. Or your assistant may be able to detach lines and reattach to correct the problem.

• If there is not enough wind to launch your kite, it should just fall into the water. If this happens it is always easiest to just water relaunch your kite rather than try to have your assistant pick it up in the boat.