Forums > Kitesurfing   Newbies / Tips & Tricks

Best way to crash?

Reply
Created by gdmclean > 9 months ago, 3 Dec 2016
gdmclean
WA, 30 posts
3 Dec 2016 2:22PM
Thumbs Up

Hey guys, bit of a strange question. I had my first kitesurfing lessons last summer, and since the beginning of November this year ive been back out trying to progress. I can now waterstart to the left 9/10 times and can go on some good downwind runs. Upwind though i seem to head straight into shore and have to stop before i beach myself.

Anyway, there has been more than a few times where i get the speed wobbles or hit a bit of chop and start to lose control over my board, and im wondering when i decide to abort and let myself fall into the water, should i deliberately pull my feet out of the straps to avoid knee/ankle strain? This is what ive been doing and the annoying thing is that i have to retrieve my board (which is always upwind) and not only is that time consuming but i also lose any upwind progress ive attempted from edging. OR should i just crash with my feet still in the straps which im guessing will bring me to an abrupt halt?

So in my mind its risk injury vs risk losing board when it comes to ditching. Is there much chance of really hurting knees and ankles if i keep my feet in the straps when i fall over?


kitcho207
NSW, 861 posts
3 Dec 2016 9:28PM
Thumbs Up

either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.

VRBones
130 posts
4 Dec 2016 7:26AM
Thumbs Up

Try to abort by falling backwards with your ass into the water. It'll slow you down a lot, minimal risk, and once you've sorted out the issue you're ready to go. If you're bailing and a bumcheck isn't an option, ditch the board. Better to be out of action for a couple of minutes body dragging than a couple of weeks with ankle / knee issues.

tomme
VIC, 475 posts
4 Dec 2016 10:59AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
kitcho207 said..
either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.



can vouch for this, left leg has bulk steel in it now from single leg carnage

Andy T
WA, 325 posts
4 Dec 2016 3:05PM
Thumbs Up

Grow a pair!...send the kite and boost all your troubles away (and keep board attached to your feet for landing)

gdmclean
WA, 30 posts
5 Dec 2016 1:38PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Andy T said..
Grow a pair!...send the kite and boost all your troubles away (and keep board attached to your feet for landing)


remind me to watch you attempt a big jump next time we are down at safetys ;)

Andy T
WA, 325 posts
5 Dec 2016 2:33PM
Thumbs Up

You say that like you know me

KiteBud
WA, 1515 posts
5 Dec 2016 4:48PM
Thumbs Up

This reminds me of my snowboarding instruction years when students asked me ''how should I fall?''... My answer has always been that they should focus on improving their technique to avoid falling in the first place.

The same principle applies here, if you have good technique and use the correct size kite there is no reason to have those high-speed out of control crashes anymore.

Speed wobbles come from poor stance and not having the right pressure distribution between each leg/feet. Also, a lot of beginners tend to ride with far too much power, either from having kites that are too big and/or pulling the bar too far in. I also regularly see beginners ride overpowered and out of control simply from having their lines completely de-tuned! If you bought a second-hand kite, spend some time checking your lines to make sure they are all the same length.

When you get enough speed to edge your board and keep riding, sheet the bar out and learn to control your speed using the correct stance. With the correct technique, anyone should be able to ride upwind with very little speed, even in very strong winds.

My advice for any learner struggling to ride upwind after a while is to find an experienced instructor with a good camera so you get a clear visual on what your stance actually looks like vs what it should look like. I've done this countless times with my students and it's always been game-changing for them.

Fixing your stance at an early stage will build a strong foundation for any tricks you want to learn later. Trying to break a poor stance after many months/years of doing the same mistakes is very difficult.

If you avoid kiting in super shallow waters and if you keep your footsraps loose when learning the risk of ankle injury is negligible

Christian

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
5 Dec 2016 7:43PM
Thumbs Up

If your carrying too much speed you need to adjust your trimming, certain kites carry different power upwind to downwind, a simple aggressive board direction change Can kill the power and your travel, I'd say you may be travelling to flat in the water on your board, engage an edge and adjust that body position
A momentary hand off the bar ( upwind hand) touching the water encourages this along with a fixed object on the beach
Tits and arse on the beach helps

ffifty5
VIC, 102 posts
13 Jan 2017 9:30AM
Thumbs Up

Best thing I did when learning, (do we ever stop), was to enjoy a big down-winder. Do it with some experienced kiters, to ferry your board to you after a crash and to generally keep an eye on you.

The edging concept should "click" quite soon, just be patient and not try when conditions are unsuitable. Time on water is the best lesson.

When it clicked with me, I found it more uncomfortable going down wind than edging!

SaltySinus
VIC, 960 posts
13 Jan 2017 9:39AM
Thumbs Up

Spend more time focusing on not falling off. Sounds like a flippant remark, but if you load up your frontal lobes with falling activities, you'll fall.

Focus instead in leaning back into your harness further when the speed picks up. You're probably poo stancing which means you can easily be tipped forward at speed. Imagine you're in a tug of war, you'd lean back and pull against the pull of the rope. Same shizzle, just through your harness.

stan1169
32 posts
13 Jan 2017 9:19AM
Thumbs Up

I've just started going upwind. When I lean right back I try to sheet out to slow down but I have the bar at such a distance away from me I can hardly reach it with arms outstretched?
Hence I stand more upright to sheet out which leaves me unsteady.

FlyByKite
WA, 103 posts
13 Jan 2017 5:19PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
stan1169 said..
I've just started going upwind. When I lean right back I try to sheet out to slow down but I have the bar at such a distance away from me I can hardly reach it with arms outstretched?
Hence I stand more upright to sheet out which leaves me unsteady.


Adjust your trim line (depower line) this will allow you to find a point where you don't have to lean forward to reduce power.
If you are still at full arms length and want to reduce speed - just edge harder into the wind, this will force the kite to the front of the wind window,
thus reducing power.

drewpweiner
WA, 501 posts
14 Jan 2017 3:41PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
kitcho207 said...
either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.



This has had me worried in my latest sessions. I can the foot stuck in the strap turning in the strap as if it could break my foot where the toes connect. I wonder if I loosened my straps whether my foot would actual just roll and come out.

It's actually quite hard to take both feet out of straps during a crash, especially in rotation crashes (front/back rolls).

I just started using a oceanus reel leash and it helped immensely with cutting down body dragging time and not getting pushed downwind ruining all my hard earned effort of edging to go upwind. My board is always close by so I don't have to worry about being a lure on a fishing line, bobbing about for sharkies below. It is just collect my board and go. Apparently this comes with a risk though as a few people have been hurt by these leashes still. I am yet to see it snap back at me and am yet to see how that snap back is even possible. Once I do then I will probably stop using it. You have to think how many surfers use even more dangerous leashes (elastic) combined with having waves wash over them and their board and yet everyone does it, and only a few ever hit their board in a wipeout.

Spitfire
WA, 394 posts
15 Jan 2017 12:11PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
drewpweiner said..

kitcho207 said...
either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.



This has had me worried in my latest sessions. I can the foot stuck in the strap turning in the strap as if it could break my foot where the toes connect. I wonder if I loosened my straps whether my foot would actual just roll and come out.

It's actually quite hard to take both feet out of straps during a crash, especially in rotation crashes (front/back rolls).

I just started using a oceanus reel leash and it helped immensely with cutting down body dragging time and not getting pushed downwind ruining all my hard earned effort of edging to go upwind. My board is always close by so I don't have to worry about being a lure on a fishing line, bobbing about for sharkies below. It is just collect my board and go. Apparently this comes with a risk though as a few people have been hurt by these leashes still. I am yet to see it snap back at me and am yet to see how that snap back is even possible. Once I do then I will probably stop using it. You have to think how many surfers use even more dangerous leashes (elastic) combined with having waves wash over them and their board and yet everyone does it, and only a few ever hit their board in a wipeout.


How will you ever learn how to body drag effectively if you always have the board tied to you?

drewpweiner
WA, 501 posts
15 Jan 2017 8:47PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
samokta said..

drewpweiner said..


kitcho207 said...
either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.




This has had me worried in my latest sessions. I can the foot stuck in the strap turning in the strap as if it could break my foot where the toes connect. I wonder if I loosened my straps whether my foot would actual just roll and come out.

It's actually quite hard to take both feet out of straps during a crash, especially in rotation crashes (front/back rolls).

I just started using a oceanus reel leash and it helped immensely with cutting down body dragging time and not getting pushed downwind ruining all my hard earned effort of edging to go upwind. My board is always close by so I don't have to worry about being a lure on a fishing line, bobbing about for sharkies below. It is just collect my board and go. Apparently this comes with a risk though as a few people have been hurt by these leashes still. I am yet to see it snap back at me and am yet to see how that snap back is even possible. Once I do then I will probably stop using it. You have to think how many surfers use even more dangerous leashes (elastic) combined with having waves wash over them and their board and yet everyone does it, and only a few ever hit their board in a wipeout.



How will you ever learn how to body drag effectively if you always have the board tied to you?


I know how to body drag side to side and slightly upwind, it is just annoying and increases risk of shark attack

IanR
NSW, 1237 posts
16 Jan 2017 8:43PM
Thumbs Up

When you begin to pick up speed lean back and get the kite lower and point the board upwind and edge hard to slow down
The occasional Butt check is a good slowing technique. Too fast thought and it can spin you.

But generally I prefer to crash onto my back and keep the board in front. If I have any choice
Quicker restart.
I also try not to fly the kite while crashing. I seen many a kiter make a crash far worse by looping there kite half way through a crash,!!

Frayed Knot
WA, 20 posts
16 Jan 2017 10:01PM
Thumbs Up

Stay powered up and skip across the water like a rock. You fall off and think you will come to a stop but sometimes there is a little more to go. That's my favourite.

Or fall over but fall back onto your board in a strange position, like with your foot on the tail, or sitting on the board or some other unorthodox way.

gdmclean
WA, 30 posts
22 Jan 2017 8:19PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
IanR said..
When you begin to pick up speed lean back and get the kite lower and point the board upwind and edge hard to slow down
The occasional Butt check is a good slowing technique. Too fast thought and it can spin you.

But generally I prefer to crash onto my back and keep the board in front. If I have any choice
Quicker restart.
I also try not to fly the kite while crashing. I seen many a kiter make a crash far worse by looping there kite half way through a crash,!!


have had a few crashes now and both feet in seems the best way. Had a crash a fortnight ago and fell backwards - the board dug into the water and stopped instantly while i cannoned into it. I threw my arms up to cover my head. Thank god i did that. Have a massive bruise stretching around 30cm from my tricep down to mid-wrist where the board hit me. **** my arm hurt like hell, but at least i still have my teeth.

The other trouble with falling backwards was that i inadvertently sheeted the bar in and got a subsequent quick pull forward making the impact worse. So now if i feel like im about to stack it i leave both feet in and superman forward. If i lose my board upwind a bit so be it. Im a bodydragging god these days anyway.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
22 Jan 2017 9:53PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
drewpweiner said..

samokta said..


drewpweiner said..



kitcho207 said...
either both feet in, or both feet out. one of the injuries is when one foot is stuck to the board and the board stops in the water while you keep rotating.





This has had me worried in my latest sessions. I can the foot stuck in the strap turning in the strap as if it could break my foot where the toes connect. I wonder if I loosened my straps whether my foot would actual just roll and come out.

It's actually quite hard to take both feet out of straps during a crash, especially in rotation crashes (front/back rolls).

I just started using a oceanus reel leash and it helped immensely with cutting down body dragging time and not getting pushed downwind ruining all my hard earned effort of edging to go upwind. My board is always close by so I don't have to worry about being a lure on a fishing line, bobbing about for sharkies below. It is just collect my board and go. Apparently this comes with a risk though as a few people have been hurt by these leashes still. I am yet to see it snap back at me and am yet to see how that snap back is even possible. Once I do then I will probably stop using it. You have to think how many surfers use even more dangerous leashes (elastic) combined with having waves wash over them and their board and yet everyone does it, and only a few ever hit their board in a wipeout.




How will you ever learn how to body drag effectively if you always have the board tied to you?



I know how to body drag side to side and slightly upwind, it is just annoying and increases risk of shark attack


Paranoia , it's the ocean, sharks live there, it's their home, keep out if you carnt accept it

drewpweiner
WA, 501 posts
29 Jan 2017 9:58AM
Thumbs Up

I have been crashing in a really cool way lately which saves my board from leaving me. I go onto my back and trying and skim on my back as I keep my feet in the air, the board stays attached. Works really well, every time.

junglejim1971
VIC, 124 posts
4 Feb 2017 2:02PM
Thumbs Up

protect your ears, I found when I started kiting I didn't have much board control or kite control. it was only after about 12 month of kiting was I able to make a mistake and say for example send the board tip under the water and recover from it. there is no way I could have done this at the start but now i can. depending on the situation I push the feet apart or turn my feet out. but yeah skimming the ass along the water is not a bad option as long as the lines and or bar stay clear of the board



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Kitesurfing   Newbies / Tips & Tricks


"Best way to crash?" started by gdmclean