G'day there,
Been pondering this for a while....Before I buy the bits and make one wanted to see if anyone had a better idea.
Basically a piece of wood, about the size of a large bread board, with a rope through the centre of it. Carabiner (simple 1 action type) on one end and a knot/loop on the under side. When theres a pole or suitable attachment point, wrap the rope around the pole, thread carabiner through loop and presto anchor point made. If nothing but sand, bury board on side and cover, attach to carabiner job done.
I've seen different versions of this in use and was surprised how well they held considering how shallow they are buried. Not alot of pressure applied when kite is just bobbing on its side on water/beach so not alot needed. Obviously assisted launch is better but as I'm having my first proper winter I'm finding most WA kiters are little girls and scared of the cold so I'm often alone
I also like the freedom of being able to launch and land unassisted anywhere, not having to come in cause everyone else has etc....I can self launch fine but have never been able to self land very well.
Any ideas before I start hacking away at a lump of wood would be good.....maybe the breadboard is a good idea....just need some good rope and a carabiner. She wouldn't notice would she???
Cheers
I use one of these for self landing my flysurfer, added a rope and float so if the tide is in I just throw it out in the water, it self sets and holds the bar while I walk to the kite.http://cooperanchors.com.au/the-cooper-anchor/
No need to leave it on the beach for someone to trip over, I just have it rolled up in a bag next to my second board.
I also like the freedom of being able to launch and land unassisted anywhere, not having to come in cause everyone else has etc....I can self launch fine but have never been able to self land very well.
You really, really should learn to self launch and self land. If you understand your kites it is easy and safe and reliable, although not as good as a trusted, experienced kiter giving you assistance.
If you don't understand your kites then self-launch and landing can be sketchy, but then all of your kiting experience will be sketchy. You owe it to yourself to learn how to do it and do it safely.
Preferably watch the kiters that self launch and land and ask the most competent looking one to explain how it works. Go and find a safe place to practice and practice some more until it is effortless.
Emanjay,
To respond to your query, your kite bag filled with sand would make a cheap anchor.
Fred
There is a thing called a Blue screw, I have seen it modified for launch and land use before.
I don't know how much it costs or where to find it in Perth?
I picked one of these up last time I was in the US.
kiteanchor.com/product.sc?productId=1
It works great. Maybe you can use it as inspiration for you own. People sometimes look at me like I'm nuts when I use it, but it was really good when I first started out, and found myself kiting in places that experienced kiters didn't want to go (ie crappy winter westerly winds).
The also make something called a Wombat anchor that is Aussie, but way more expensive. There's a few of these types of things available in the US, and if you want it, check out PriceUSA.com or HopShopGo.com for international shipping.
i have wondered if you could use a large plastic sand tent peg.fly the kite down to peg and hook bridle on peg. if it worked it could be good for self landing in confined spaces
I have seen guys using a bag full of sand and it worked ok.
A bag is good because it is cheap and nobody is likely to steal it or hurt themselves on it.
If you are going to use a hard thing or an anchor or screw then you really want to put a flag or something really visible on it so people don't trip over it.
Airsail and 7crwolf, cheers for that. I particularly like that little auger one but both wouldn't pack very well into a kite bag compared to my bread board. Same for the blue screw-all way harder than just dogscratching a hole for the board....I love the simplicity of a bag of sand :-) i think the board would be much more secure though..
RPM, I dont wear my boardies over my wetty but far from noob....nor have I every taken anyone out landing but thanks for assuming
I did my lessons afew years ago at the biggest school in Perth and neither self landing or launching were ever touched on. I was taught plenty of other things that many people I meet on the beach have little idea on though-full pack down self resuce, up wind body dragging...My missus recently learnt and to save fights, did lessons at another large school, and self landing launching again not touched on. In fact first time out with me after lessons she attached her leash to the suicide loop......over again I'd teach her myself.
Anyway no issue self launching-did so about 2hrs ago in dodgy easterly and by chance attempted to self land and gave up...if there are two very simple ways please enlighten me.... My kite seems to just want to keep flying and happily does so on only the front lines. I have trouble getting it to face down in decent wind.
I see very few self land and even fewer do it well-and none in decent wind. When I've seen punters using an anchor it looks controlled/smooth and safe, aswell as kind on the gear.
I really hope I never get to soft to play in the cold/gusty winter winds ;-) Some of the best sessions I've had have been in this years storms and all people scared of the cold make for no crowds! Awesome fun.
Any other anchor ideas or versions of the bread board??
Cheers
I made up a rig to self launch and land on, cost about $30.
It's just two blue screws which i bought from BCF, they screw into the sand, i set them up about 500mm apart. Then a peice of rope between the two, with a carabiener on the rope so it can move along the rope from left to right. Using the two blue screws makes it twice as strong.
Also, when self landing and you don't have one of these set up, why not just throw your kite (if there's room obviously) .
I just use the safety on the fifth line and unhook and let go. Easy. If you don't have a fifth line, your kite should have a point somewhere it will de-power 100% somewhere.
I agree with ya emanjay, self landing is not a fail safe adventure. Even if you have it sussed, every now and then you will end up with a hand ful of line and a kite about to power up. Its a nemisis of many a noob and longtime kiter alike..
I figure its what makes ya comfortable, its sharthouse not being able to kite by yourself and sometimes help comes with attitude and crowded area which is more frustrating and dangerous than trying to selfland your kite.
If your hangin out in one spot down/upwinding then i reckon the sand bag is the best anchor, and used/taught by kiteschools worldwide. Its not going anywhere and it wont be a deadly weapon when it pulls out....
Well,
I was after ideas for improving the bread board anchor....
But i've learned that self landing is the easiest thing a kiter can learn, and your not a kiter if you can't do it
someone please tell me how they do it safely/reliably in 25+knots? I've read a long thread on here on methods and there seemed to be many techniques in use and no one or 2 preferred methods?
Yeehaa, thankyou, I've flagged to one line many times if no body around. I just like the way the anchor system works as you obviously do too, will have a look at these blue screws, I just don't like the idea of carting metal rods around with my kite gear??
7crwolf and anyone interested in an auger type anchor-the aussie wombat version looks to be the same cost as the one in the US link-http://www.kiteboardinggeraldton.com/online-shop.html Still prefer piece of board but looks good if thats what you're after....
Cheers
someone please tell me how they do it safely/reliably in 25+knots? I've read a long thread on here on methods and there seemed to be many techniques in use and no one or 2 preferred methods?
Theres a place in aus that makes a sand anchor called the wombat,it just screws into the sand and has a half ton sideways load,theres also a guy in the south island here making a similar cheaper version for about $20,one of the guys bought one and we tried it and it works great.
http://cooperanchors.com.au/the-cooper-anchor/
Jesus imagine if the kite powered up and ripped that thing out of the ground while you were running to/from it!... Farrrrk. I say no! teather to a fixed object that wont move of use a sand bag as suggested. At least that wont impale you if it flies off!!!!
IMO The teathered method is the safest non assisted launch. You set the kite launch the kite yourself and can see if theres anything wrong Before your hooked in. its easy peasy, safe and wears the kite alot less than a drag launch.
Have you tried walking up the front lines and a self land method? works pretty well. or if its too sketch pull the safety.
someone please tell me how they do it safely/reliably in 25+knots?
Thanks all for the input,
I will be sticking to the wood idea, was starting to come around but then Mr Plummets post created a vivid image of a sharp metal object flying down the beach behind my kite.
Also I will endeavour to refine my self landing techniques and if Im not an expert by summer I'll take you up on that RPM so hope your serious....fella who taught me had very similar,okay exact, job description you mention
Galah, as my favourite kiting is high winds, I need something for those days....and dropping the thing in the water everytime and the mess often made of the lines after releasing, well, the bread board will be nice for these days.
Couldn't be bothered reading all the posts so apologies if this has been said. Of course assisted launching is the prefered option, self launching and landing a distant second. It is fair to say that with certain wind conditions (often light varibale winds) and local geographical situations, a self lander can be handy. 2 blue screws ( long plastic screw with end loop), 1 metre length of rope strung between the screws and a simple carabiner is what I've found works very well, though some sand compounds can be difficult to screw into. I have never had a screw come loose when put in properly. Simply set up self-launcher upwind of kite and hook into the caribiner. Walk the kite to the side of the window and spend a few moments getting the kite to sit on its wingtip then go to the launcher and hook in and launch, easy. Just do the opposite when landing and if there's any hassle, the launcher takes the brunt, not you.
... furiously looks for a picture of the trademarked WA Cabrhina in tree landing system.
found it
I love the "Running, running, looking back over the shoulder. Ooooh! Running! Running! Running! Swimming! Swimming! ..."
If you go the wooden plate thing I would suggest also using a sand bag. If the wooden plate gives way for any reason your kite will still be attached to the sand bag. In the worst case it might drag a bit but the sand bag will at least slow your kite down a bit.
For what it's worth, below is my recipe for self landing. I have self landed in winds up to 40 knots. I have had one blown self landing in over a 1000 hours of kiting.
As a practice thing, try parking your kite on one tip, hanging onto the centre line and practice moving yourself upwind and downwind, raising and lowering the centre line, and very carefully adding inputs from the bar and the back lines to see what happens (bar and back line inputs are bad!!!!).
My preferred method:
- Make sure your launch site is safe with plenty of downwind space and no innocent bystanders.
- Gently fly the kite towards the ground.
- At the last second, give the centrelines a yank and take a step or two forward.
- The idea is to make it hit the ground flattish tip first and to reduce the tension from the lines (front line tension is what makes a kite fly).
- The kite will plop onto the ground. It may pause for a second or two before it plops down. Because you have removed the tension on the front lines the kite has nothing to make it fly and it stays down.
- It may not plop down so you need to take a step back to retension the front lines so that the kite will stay parked on the tip. Don't touch the back lines!!!!
In strong conditions the kite can sit up on it's tip. Move to method two.
- Bring the kite down and park it on one tip or if the previous method has failed then allow it to rise up from the previous position to one tip.
- Push the bar out as far as possible. Perhaps even let it go completely. You MUST resist the temptation to dick around with the bar or try to steer with a back line. That only ever works in very light winds.
- With the bar out and no tension on the back lines walk upwind a little, the further the better. You can hold onto the centreline above the bar to provide more depower if you want. Hold the centreline down near the ground to avoid any lifting tendency.
- When you are upwind of the kite the kite will have rolled over and be nose down into the ground. That is, it is flying itself into the ground.
- Work your way up the lines until you get to a single front line. Make sure you don't loop the lines around your fingers.
- Pull the top front line to drag the kite around and park it. Walk up and drag it round and sand it and whatever else you want to do.
- If you have a front line safety system (like Cabrinha IDS), holding the kite by the centreline is the same as being on the leash. The kite can bob back a little before it flops over into the safe position.
- If you completely screw up let the kite roll and do whatever it wants. Usually it will roll over and settle nose down. It might hot launch in the middle of the window, but that's no problem with a modern kite on full depower. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PULL ON THE BAR!!!!!!!! You will just power up the kite and get dragged.
- If you are self landing near a cliff or dune the updraft of the lift band can roll your kite over and leave it floating in mid air several metres up in the air. If that happens you can walk away from the dune and the kite will drop down and roll over. Or you can work your way to a single front line and work that to roll the kite over.
The amount of upwind walking and walking up the lines depends on the wind strength and your experience.
I often walk to an area where the kite will be sheltered from the breeze when it is down. Behind some bushes or in the lee of a dune or something.
The other thing you can practice is precision assisted landings. Bring the kite down to near the ground and keep it perfectly still so your assistant can walk up and grab it without chasing the moving kite. It's just good practice at kite control in the landing position.
Gorgo,
Thanks for the detail instructions, I'll give your methods a go next session.
Cheers
I tend to self land and a launch fair bit due to some of the places I kite. Even with other kiters around, and it's windy, you can find yourself all alone on the beach. I made up this little anchor and it works great. Strongest wind was about 25kts with a 12m Rebel. I keep it in a old ski sock in the front pouch of my kite bag, and it takes about 60kgs of effort to pull it out of the sand. I bought it from one of those $2 type shops, or pet shops also sell them. The uphaul was lying around from my windsurfing days, and tends to damp out the kite moving on the beach, sitting on it's wingtip. The carabiner was lying around from my past hang gliding days. You probaly gathered that I don't tend to throw much out!
