Self Launching a Bow kite

[br3npatterson]

That looks pretty dodgy if im honest.... why not just do the same as...

youtube.com/watch?v=hY7Sykrxu8­E

[riprockvx9]

@br3npatterson These are great suggestions. Video says to try in low winds first as all kites will react/fly differently. I have seen the fence post method and I use the truck method all the time. No 2 kites are alike. So try it...a lot of people do daily. Wear a helmet if it feels dodgy as suggested

Your link is a great launch on soft grass. Video showed a rougher surface (shells) that could degrade the leading edge over time.

Both are great videos IMO :)

Pray for wind

[dlbcanuck]

At 1:48 it shows two carabiners clipped together, one through the sandbag loops and the other through the first carabiner. There is a danger of the gates cross-loading and breaking using this method, albeit slight. A better method would be to use a 30 or 60 cm climbing sling girth-hitched through the sandbag loops and then to clip your carabiner through that. Another idea might be to use a locking screw-gate carabiner to prevent accidental opening of the carabiner.

[314890]

webiao!

[drboose]

great advice, thanks!

[Windwalker57]

That's not going to work in HIGH wind though

[MissionNova]

@Windwalker57 Works fine in 25 knots with a 12m. It depends on how strong the anchor is. I use a wombat ground anchor which holds 500kg's of pull but the sand bag worked fine up to about 25 knots

[Kemmie1234]

hi im kem and im a pro wakeboarder. if i want to kiteboard what size kite should i get. im 10. thanks

[MissionNova]

@Kemmie1234 Depends on your weight and wind in your area. Have a chat to local kiters to check out what the conditions require.

[wildblue2]

My first day snowkiting I nearly got beaned by the leading edge of a kite flown by a guy who dove it from 12:00, through the window and into the ground in front of me. There as a crowd and i thought was in a safe zone. Wear your helmet at the launch , don't assume everyone knows what they're doing. You should exercise a healthy amount of caution whenever you're around homosapiens,period.

[cag66]

There is a much easier way to do this. Stand down wind of you kite with your kite face down on the ground. Walk to your left. When you get about 45 to the kite start to pull on the right trailing string so the kite starts to turn while still down on its leading edge. Keep pulling slowly and walking up to the position where you would normally launch your kite.The right wing tip will begin to catch air and will eventually lift off the ground. And then you just gently fly it away.

[Windflowngng]

Aaaaaa sry but there a much better way to self launch but about self landing .... mayby but its not very practical

[curlcurllocal]

how much do the bags weigh? same as you?

[MissionNova]

Probably not that heavy. I was using 2 sandbags, but could easily get away with one. Every kite is different with how much pull it offers at the edge of the window which also effects it.

I suggest you experiment by attach the bag but leaving your leash attached to yourself so if the bag is not heavy enough you still have the kite attached to you. Once you have a comfortable weight worked out, you can go from there.

[md1maalm]

Mr. MissionNova, what exactly is it you do and in which order when you self land? After it touches the sand, you say "immediately put it onto the leash", but I'm not sure what you mean by that. What do you do before unhooking and transferring the chicken loop?

Thanks, buddy.

[MissionNova]

Yes. When it touches the sand, attach the leash from the sand bag (or other anchor) to the chicken loop before you unhook.

[md1maalm]

That cleared things up a bit, but there's one last bit of confusion I'd like to clear up: I can't really see a leash on your sandbags -- just the carabiner.

I'm going to try this out shortly and just want to make sure I use a setup which is already tested.

[MissionNova]

Yes, a leash just gives you more flexibility. You can also use a fixed object at your launch site like a pole or tree if one exists and attach a rope or carabiner to that. I now use a screw in anchor called a wombar which holds a much higher weight.

[Jimkate]

REVERSE LAUNCH : Some kites respond well to 'reverse launching' ... Practice on water first !!! With kite downwind & leading edge on the ground (curved away from you) a simultaneous pull on the steering lines may allow your kite to climb up into the air ... This is tricky as your bar will be upside down & you need to gracefully pivot your kite & bar to fly it normally ... Works great in light wind !!!

[cag66]

Yeah reverse launch is great for light wind days on the water. But there is an easier and safer way to self launch on land, especially on windy days.

[Jimkate]

Launching: I find it helps to give a little tug on the BOTTOM steering line to orientate the kite for launch ... If your kite drifts down to the HOT LAUNCH (down wind on it's heels) position a tug on the front lines will launch it . ( think of pull starting a lawn mower) ...

[Jimkate]

Nicely done ... On grass a large screwdriver pushed into the ground @ an angle makes a great anchor ... If you arrive back 2 the beach NOT where you started tying/clipping your safety to a solid object works great, then run down a FRONT line as mentioned ...

[ColombianEskimo]

Is really important how you break down your kite and pack it in your bag? I just kind of rolled it up and stuffed it in my bag.

[KiteKid9]

i've never seen this method before and the video explains it very well but i have to admit i would be worried when attaching my kite to a fixed object, especially if it was very windy. The video is very well made though!

[deskitz7]

Nice vid - where online did you find the sandbags?

[MissionNova]

I found airrush ones, but I haven't seen many around since then. you could always just fill your kitebag with sand or use a couple of cheap material shopping bags. I use a permanent spike I carry around with me now.

[deskitz7]

Great vid, makes sense, perfect demonstration. Like the technique. Thanks!

[septembre2001]

R U Crazy??????????

[MissionNova]

Have you tried it?

[DesasterOnDemand]

sorry, but I would never ever recomend to land a kite like its shown in this video. This is against ALL security rules.

[MissionNova]

Pray tell us what "security rules"?

I've seen more self launching and landings go wayward using the flip method because the bridle catches the wingtip and causes deathloops. On the other hand I've seen nothing go wrong with this method.

[kipperskin]

Jeez... looks tricky

[kitefr3ak]

i can land and launch without car or sandbags

while landing if you steer your kite out of the wind then pull the powerlines.

[MissionNova]

No problem. Let me know if you want the higher resolution copy.

[jbcRacing]

very informative

[chzz44]

Cheers for this video - cool contribution.

I use this method and recently helped out an idiot kiter. Had my sandbag on the beach. Idiot kiter tried a stupid trick on water's edge - screwed up, knocked out, no-one around. Only so much you can do with kite in sky, so quickly and safely landed using sand-bag and attended

[etxxz]

good video but what's up with the disclosures geez. you must be a lawyer. enjoy life my man put some motion into that voice! peeace

[MissionNova]

Nah, just concerned about some american lawyer chewing my ass to pieces after some idiot tries to do this with a 20m kite in 45 knots and blames it on me. Thanks for the voice feedback. I'll see if I can improve it the next time I make a video like this.

[etxxz]

hahaha i can understand. i wonder if a simple "do not try this ever" would do.. mythbuster's style. god bless youtube and people like you. i'm kiting tomorow morning by myself for the first time o.0

[youngestoutof4]

Looks good. I learned something!!!

For all kiteboarders I have a few groups started on facebook. Snowkiting Network, Blade kiteboarding and Flysurfer North America. I invite all to check m out.

[utube72977]

This looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

[MissionNova]

works fairly well. I have yet to have an issue with it and I've seen many accidents with the dragging leading edge method.

[chzz44]

Thanks for this video. Used this method for the first time in 20k with a Naish 2008 12m Cult and it worked well.

[MissionNova]

For those looking at alternatives for sandbags, go a search for rapidanchor or kitebuddy on google and you should find some screw in options. I use the wombat from rapid anchor.

[GypseyGuy]

Informative video, thanks!

[hnvnokfsjgjovb]

i'm very interested in kiteboarding/surfing and am thinking of buying my first kite some time next year. for the meantime i am trying to learn all i can about the sport, so i have some general understanding of how to do certain things, names of equipment, etc. thanks very much for making this video, i found it really useful and it was a good idea to make a video on this.

[hnvnokfsjgjovb]

what's the name of that thing attatched to the chicken loop?

[MissionNova]

karabiner

[hnvnokfsjgjovb]

cool. don't worry bout that i know now, thnx anyway.

[mellodad]

way too much going on/required for a self launch, landing. Great reinforcement for the Flysurfer community, thanx!

[leadavo]

This is not the standard way of launching or landing a bow kite. Some are different, I think this is just this guys method. Most bows are launched the same way as you would launch one of the new flysurfers in high winds. Fold over downwind tip, sand then walk back to bar and hook in. I own a flysurfer and 3 bow kites and to be honest I only find flysurfers better in low winds.

[hangtimekitesports]

Have you tried downwind setup, then walk the bar & lines round to the edge? Takoon Nova will just rise up onto a wing tip (keep it de-powered till your ready though) then you just hoik it up from the "taco" position on the edge of the wind! Way better then using sand bags & safer too. Yop tip, allways keep a hand on the release.

[MissionNova]

Yeah, I've tried it and once had the bridle wrap around the wing tip, extremely unpleasant when that happens. The other issue is if you get broken shells on the beach, the kite sometimes slides across the sand and this is one of the issues with it. I also don't like the self landing method if you go that route. I guess its just horses for courses, personal preference.

[hangtimekitesports]

It works just fine if you keep a little line tention in until ready. but you're bob on about ragging the leading edge, it ain't good for the kite! After mucho happy time on the nova2, i'm now on a Cult and it's v.easy to self launch as it pivots on the funny pointy leading edge thing! Anyhoo, good luck witth it all!

[jlew23]

Brilliant and thanks for your time in making it! I'd be curious about recovering from a tumbling kite in the self launch/land scenario. I imagine with sand bags that a kite rolling into the power zone, that the bags wouldn't hold. I guess it'd be the time to go to leash and start a fresh attempt?

Cheers!

[MissionNova]

I haven't had the tumbling kite happen before, but you would have two options to prevent it, one would be using a fixed anchor like a wombat ground anchor.

The other option would be to attach a 2nd sandbag to the front flagging line. If the kite tumbles, the kite will be flagged out by the 2nd bag.

[shortattentionspan1]

.... nice informative and well laid out video also I note your South African accent, I lived in Cape Town and now live in Seattle.

[barnabyarnott]

One comment - some brands of bow can become very unstable when FULLY depowered, and can tumble back into the wind window where the sand bags may not hold them back.

As they say, test your kite. I would recommend testing with the kite comfortably depowered but with enough backline tension to keep a little bar pressure.

And one thing shown but not mentioned - move quickly!

[MissionNova]

You are 100% correct, barnabyarnott and its a great comment for people to remember. I have seen one or two bow kites like this where you have to use the stopper to preventing it being too depowered and tumbling back in the window. I think the original turbo diesel was one of these kites (I could well be wrong, its a while back since I last saw one).

[Teammonkeykites]

thanks a lot for this technik it works very well with my bowkite !!

[hutwarum]

Thanks, was trying to figure out how to do it. Looks safer than the methods I had dreamed up but was not stupid enough to try! I'll have ago at the attaching it to the car, looks the safest.

[MissionNova]

Its more of a precaution than anything else. If the kite takes off, you have a leash line to hold it with (if you can hold it - unlikely) but mostly because it stops the kite bouncing around in gusty wind.

[Dunoyer]

why do you run from the bar to the kite and back while holding the line?

[lifetech563]

i have a bow kite to from north those are power goddless

[nadrojsirhc]

thanks good tip for solo kiteing alot safer than other self launch and land methods where there is a high risk of the kite falling back in in he power zone especially with bow kites

[nadrojsirhc]

ever lost a kite with this method?

[MissionNova]

Nope, but I guess thats because my use of it is largely limited to times when there are no other kiters around, rather than permanently.

If you are really concerned about the kite going missing, you could opt for a more permanent type of connection like a wombat sand anchor which can hold 250kg's

[robiefowler]

Thanks for an awesome instruction and great speach. A great help for beginners/medium kiters.

[MissionNova]

No problem. Glad it can help people out. :o)