I watched this great vid:
nice vid.
as for the question, it is not so much about hooked in or not, rather about strapped or not. In my view at least half of the wipe outs on the vid would have been avoidable (and great fun) strapped in.
Nothing dangerous about that vid, they were just a sessions worth of wipeouts...
lose the leash and all will be good.
Interesting to see lots of legropes too. is this the done thing. i've always taken mine off but yes it does mean a few trips to pick it up off the beach but safer than having the board shooting back at you?? Thoughts... I'm open to changing my mind.
I dont really like kiting with a leg rope. But if im kiting a rocky point i always use one.. Ive had my board go over the rocks on a few wipe outs. On the beach i never use one.
I kept wanting them to make some of those vertical reentries. Good to watch the mortals at work like most of us.
Personally I use a legrope more for the benefit of other beach users than myself.
A stray board to the head has seriously injured and killed people in the past. That is also the reason I don't particularly like people SUPing the same break as I'm surfing.
Both hooked and un-hooked you can get pretty badly tangled in the lines. I guess if you aren't using a leash on a big day un-hooked you still have a possibility to throw it all away.
I ride un-hooked because I like how it feels and I like a challenge.
yeah i think wave riding starts getting dangerous around head high. double head and its a wipe outs in the pocket can potentially be very dangerous.
i don't use a leg rope but think about it when i am at some of the more extreme locations/condition. i had gto body drag past boulders right next to a cliff with dirty wind in well over head high white wash in 40 knots of wind for 30 mins to retrieve my board... it was a stupid and dire situation and closest call i have had on the water. leg rope in that instance would have been alot safer than the dodgy 30 mon body drag.
getting wrapped up in your lines.
getting knocked out
getting hammered by monster surf.
smashed on rocks
Salt,,
'Unhooking'
I believe someone who is contemplating taking it to the 'unhooking' stage is already competent in the waves-
Firstly - ''sheet all the way in on the bar'' ensure kite does not stall backwards (if so trim kite to suit)
So the best idea is to go out in the surf and run directly downwind-
1. Place your kite around 45 degrees
2. MOST IMPORTANTLY - ensure rider is travelling at same speed as kite -
3.Use 2 thumbs to unhook
4. When comfortable introduce the wave component
5. NOW you will have to ADD subtle adjustments to your kite
I agree with above, except for the "Use two thumbs", statement... Why would you need to do this?
If you are riding one handed un-hooked (which if you are riding waves you should be) I can understand using your thumb over the bar with your index and middle finger split around the C-line, as this will help steer the kite.
unhooked is fine with average kind of waves , nothing wrong with practicing unhooked directional riding loads before going in the surf, good idea really if you wave focused and it's flat, might seem a bit lame but I reckon you can get a load of good practice in with unhooked kite tuning / underlooping/ timing/ toeside riding/ maintaing power - may as well get those skills... With unhooked waveriding a good session comes down to wind angle vs wave angle, it's more fussy than surfing for an absolutely epic session where you get to go where you want on the wave, kite drifting.. but u just make the best of anything on offer so all good.
My question is not "how to unhook" i find it easy. My question is:
Is riding unhooked in surf more safe
It is safer... bar is further away from the body (stretched arm), and release is instantaneous (let the bar go) when things are going pear shape, so less likely to fall into the lines... but is not in any case easier, let alone a gusty day cross on...
It's not safer. It's irrelevant.
If you can ride unhooked then ... you can ride unhooked. If you don't ride unhooked then ...
The more important thing is to be competent and "in control" even in those situations where things are out of control. ie. Everything is going over the top but you're dealing with it.
Personally I ride hooked in and mostly in the straps. I get out of the straps in smaller waves and/or lighter winds.
Technically there is no such thing as unhooked riding. Even the best unhooked surf riders are hooked in a lot of the time. You need to master both forms if you want to be better than everybody else.
I prefer to have the kite hooked in in a wipeout. You can send it when you wipeout then not even touch the bar while getting tumbled. Have done the wrapped up in lines while getting tumbled though so now the kite stays in the air always. Also remember if you drop the kite first even when unhooked you could still get wrapped up if you wipeout
Just thinking about it logically:
As has been said, if you're hooked in you have more control of the kite. I have been completely engulfed by white water but still able to fly the kite and get myself out.
If you're unhooked you can either hang on and hope, or release to the suicide leash. Either way your control of the kite is reduced.
I have not had any trouble getting wrapped in the lines, even after major wipeouts. You can swim and stay alive even if you are completely tied up.
I have had a problem when a line has caught around my ankle with a partially powered kite on the end. I used the hook knife and cut the line.
" Is tight rope walking safe " --- THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE,, your level of competence and attitude determine what you believe is safe !! - You asked whether you should practice directional riding before going in the surf --NO- JUST get out there and understand , and then Expand your limits..
GOOD LUCK
thanks for your replies. Basically what i'm feeling is Unhooking even when you get dumped by a massive wave does not necessarily reduce your chances of tumbling in lines.
I guess i should have been more specific.
My real concern is tumbling in lines so i thought perhaps unhooking may prevent this.
I have been riding hooked in on small waves thus far and have been crusing around and hooking to get the feel for it. So today day i'll unhook on a small wave.
So Unhooking is not safer , it is so you can surf in a more natural/ unhindered style.
Salt If you read my rabble above your last post, I said that I think when unhooked there is far less chance of luffing your kite and rolling in the lines... thus answering your question.
True. But I guess if you are in un-hookable conditions (either really windy or too offshore) the chances of rolling in your lines are pretty remote anyway.
