As you probably know, kitesurfing is a dangerous sport and knowing safety and self-rescue techniques is very important.
Self-rescue techniques are the techniques that will help you to get out of problematic situations when there is nobody around to help you. Knowing self-rescue techniques will also allow you to rescue other kitesurfers or any other water sportsmen. This article will talk about several self-rescue techniques that any kitesurfer must be familiar with.
One of the self-rescue techniques deals with the situation when you find yourself in trouble and your kite is still flying. In this situation you can use the kite’s power to pull you and the board to the shore. With this self-rescue technique you can most likely go about 60 degrees downwind to the left or to the right. That is why you should make sure there is an open and approachable shore in the direction where you are going.
Another one of the self-rescue techniques deals with the situation when you find yourself in trouble and your kite is located on the water and cannot be launched again. First of all, with this self-rescue technique, you should wind all the lines in. You will need to do this in such a way that your kite will not launch again by accident
If you have an inflatable kite, you can use the kite as a sail to pull you to shore with this self-rescue technique. You will need to take the kite bridle with both of your hands and set it to operate like a sail. Again, with this self-rescue technique you can go about 60 degrees downwind to the left or to the right. If there is no wind, you should hold the kite with one hand, the board with the other hand, and swim to the shore. If the wind is moving your kite in the opposite to the shore direction, you should to pack your kite with this self-rescue technique. If you have an inflatable kite, you should completely deflate all the inflatable tubes before packing your kite. Some boards will even allow you to lie on top of your equipment and paddle to shore.
