Drift Launch

[Kenny]

This method works if the wind is side shore or side off. It obviously will not work in on-shore winds.

Lay out your lines parellel to the water so that the bar is upwind of the kite. Make sure the area is free of anything that may snag your lines. Place your kite leading edge down with the nose of the kite facing into the wind so that the kite is not catching the wind. Connect your lines to the kite. Go to your bar and connect to your harness. Walk to the kite holding your bar. Lift the leading edge of the kite and place on the water. Submerge the kite on either side of the center spar. This keeps the kite from flipping and will cause the kite to drift slowly. Do not turn the kite into the wind. The kite will drift downwind. This gives you the opportunity to make sure your lines are not snagged and grab your board. The kite will catch the wind or you can pull one end ot the bar. The kite will be leading edge down. Directly downwind of you in position for a water launch.

Caveats - this method should not be used if the wind is over 25 as the kite can flip in strong wind. You also have to be super careful with your lines because if they tangle you may have to bail your entire rig. Depower systems do not work with tangled lines.

I don't use this method at UL or Rush. Both of those locations have moss that can tangle the lines. This is a good method where a traditional launch is dangerous due to gusty wind and rocky beaches.

[Jacob Buzianis]

DRIFT LAUNCH!javascript:emoticon(':-o') That the word I was looking for. I use this method alot. I couldn't find a word to call that method. Kenny, you got credit for calling it "Drift Launch."

Kenny's Drift Launch Method work really well and require to know how to relaunch the kite in water .

I wanted to add something to the Drift Launch Method safety.

-Don't be hook-in to your chicken loop
-Don't have your leash connected to the kite lines or your Bar until the kite is free of tangle and the line connections are correct and the kite has stop drifting downwind.
-Just hold your bar while the kite drift downwind. Also be ready to grab your one line kill the kite handle or 5th line with your hand if the kite has tangle lines, take off, or the connection is incorrect.

There were time where I had my lines tangle and connection were not correct.

This should be follow when you are launch your kite by self launch, someone launch you, and the differrent kinds of launching method.

GREAT METHOD DESCRIPTION Kenny!

[lesvierra]

Thanks

[Kenny]

Jacob,

I can't take credit for the name. I read about the method on kiteforum and I have been using it ever since. It has allowed me to launch in some tight spots. I prefer this method to an assisted launch on a rocky beach with gusty, swirly wind. Nothing is worse that having your kite fall back in a lull and then whoosh forward in a gust a second later and then getting dragged across the rocks. It feels so much safer to be in the water and unhooked from the bar.

Thanks for the additional advice. I agree that you don't want to be hooked into the bar. That way if things go really wrong, you will lose your kite, not your life!!!

Kenny

[Rick McClain]

This sounds great, but I'm still a little confused. (That's easy for me.)
I understand about the Leash, but should you hook into the Chicken Loop, or not?
Also, Kenny says, "Submerge the kite on either side of the center spar."
Do you mean "on one side of the spar or the other?" or "on Both sides of the spar?"
Don't want to kill myself on the FIRST try.
Thanks,

[Jacob Buzianis]

Rick,

You should not hook in your chicken loop. Just hold your bar and wait for it to drift down. The kite will turn around. If not, just pull one side of the back line. Ask one of us to show you the drift Launch.

[Rick McClain]

Thanks,
Sounds good. I need to ask all kinds of questions. I just don't know what they are, yet.

[Kenny]

Rick,

I agree with Jake, you should see it first before attempting yourself. To answer your question, I submerge the kite on both sides of the center spar. The idea is to put some weight on the kite to keep the leading edge on the water as the kite drifts downwind.

As far as the chicken loop goes. I actually connect to the chicken loop and then walk back to the kite. I put the kite on the water and disconnect the chicken loop before I let go of the kite. The only reason I connect to the chicken loop is to help me keep the bar and lines straight. I connect back into the chicken loop once the kite has drifted out and the lines are free of tangles and straight.

I have been able to use this method where the wind is side on-shore, but where the water is shallow. I walked out with the kite in one hand and my bar in the other. This method worked well for me at Kihei where the launch was tight and in a wind shadow.

[Rick McClain]

Hey,
You guys are great. I haven't even gotten wet with a kite in my hand yet, but that doesn't mean I'm not learning.
Thanks, again.
Rick

[mike loeser]

Bowkite.com has a similar launch method, but hopefully without the danger of getting tangled. This only works for bow kites though. Keep the kite on the beach, leading edge down into the wind. Walk into the water with your bar unhooked downwind a bit of the kite. The kite should stay put without sand or anything holding it down. Walk further out into the water making sure your lines are correct. Once the lines are taut, pull on the lines furthest from you. This should put the kite at the edge of the window. Here is the link. http://www.inflatablekite.com/sitebow/movies.html It is down on the lower left side. A picture is worth a thousand words. They also have a nice preview of the 2007? bows. Shows him riding upwind in 15knots on a 4.5m2 kite. Could be the next Hellfish?
Mike

[Kenny]

Hey Mike,

Sorry, but the method shown in the step by step instructions on the link you gave is a bad idea around here for a few reasons:

1. The kite in the photos is being launched away from the water, so the rider would get dragged onto land if something went wrong.
2. The photos show a kite launch on a nice sandy beach. If you tried that method on a rocky beach you would definitely tear your kite.
3. The wind at that location was light and steady. Note that is rarely the case around here. The method described would work at Rush on a light north day. You would just have to use something other than sand to weigh down the edge.

You could eliminate the risk of tangled lines by doing an assisted drift launch. If the assistant held the kite and carried it into the water, the person launching the kite could pick up the bar so that the lines were straight.

Another benefit of the drift launch is that you can do it in a relatively small area. I have launched off the boat ramp at Grantsville. I bet you could launch at some of the small beaches at DC in the summertime even when there were people sitting on the beach since the actual launch occurs over water instead of land.

[mike loeser]

Kenny,
You know your stuff more than I do, so I trust your opinion. This was suggested by the guys that developed the bow kites. It does have its drawbacks. Launching alone in itself isn't the best idea. You still end up with problems landing the kite. I still would worry about getting line tangles or the worst getting a line wrapped around a body part, so I think this is still a decent way to launch. Here are my thoughts on what you wrote.
1) Not to put too much trust in a kite, but with the depower range of a bow kite I think you are "fairly" safe launching toward land. Do not hook in and keep the kite at full depower until you are ready. Also, you still should have a line length between you and shore. I think you could modify the setup in the video and keep walking as far out as possible, sliding the kite with you and then letting in drift so you don't have to turn the kite over on the beach.
2) To combat the tears move the rocks, just kick all the nails and bedsprings out of the way, stack up the burnt logs, put the old TV in the dumpster and everything else that you find at our lovely beaches. Place the kite as close to the water as you can. I have actually done the drift launch like you suggest and did run into a problem, which is why I tried to find another way. I let my kite drift and when I tried to flip the kite I noticed the lines had moss hanging off of them. Looking closer it actually was a bed spring that had been snagged. Could have been bad.
3) You don't need to put anything on the kite to weigh it down. This may not work with a waroo because the trailing edge doesn't have the same shape as the leading edge. I haven't paid mcuh attention to this, but a true bow shouldn't flutter. The weight of the kite itself should keep it on the ground.
Again these are just my thoughts, I don't have near the experience as Kenny does. I'm just not so excited about having 120 meters of lines ending up in a rats nest while I am trying to launch.
My question with Kenny's drift is would it be possible to set up something like a buoy, you know a tire or something that floats so you could put behind the kite while it is in the water to keep the kite from moving downwind. Then you could unwrap your lines without a tangle risk while your kite is still stable. When ready to launch just walk a ways upwind to clear the buoy and go. You'd be able to lauch towards the water this way. The buoy could also double as a rail. I know a lot of wakeskaters that use those plastic 50 gallon drums to play on, maybe that would be even better. Is that a stupid idea? Let me know.
By the way I drove by DC the other day and the beaches look pretty decent at the Charleston end. The water looks like it is way down from normal. Kenny, are you in a dry suit up there?
Mike