Ok, so you're at the beach first, it's blowing nicely, sun is shining, tide's going out and there's no one to help you launch your kite. If the conditions are right, you've got a nice, clear area to launch and you've already have good experience controlling the kite you can launch it yourself. Here's how!
Please bear in mind that unassisted self-launching can be very dangerous if you're unexperienced or the wind is particularly strong or gusty. Let's break it down:
- Make sure you are setting up the kite far away from any hard obstacles and that there's nothing sharp on the ground around the kite.
- It's always good to be next to water, the less time you spend on the beach with the kite in the air the safer it is.
- Setup your lines from behind the kite. Make double sure there are no twists and tangles - you won't have the second chance as soon as you'll start launching.
- Pull in depower line to be on the safe side. Even if it doesn't look too windy.
- Get hooked in (leash first!) and move to the edge of the wind window.
- Pull in gently on the steering line so that the kite can turn and start catching wind.
- You know the rest!
- Check out the videos below to give you more of an idea how to go about it.
- If you need kitesurfing lessons, get in touch with us, we'll point you in the right direction. Stay safe!