North Kiteboarding VEGAS'06, Manual

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Safety of the Kiteboarder
• Fly this kite only over unobstructed
water. Never on land.
• Fly this kite only if you are a strong
swimmer and are wearing a Coast Guard-
approved PFD.
• Go no further from land than you’re able
to swim back in case of an emergency.
• Use only bars with a safety system that
you can open in emergency situations.
• Use a quick-release kite leash with
which you can unhook your body from
the gear in case of an unforeseeable
emergency.
• Avoid power lines, telephone poles, air-
ports, streets, buildings and trees.
• If you use a board that is leashed to
your body, wear a helmet!
• Take into account the usual risks asso-
ciated with water sports such as rocks,
waves, sunburn, hypothermia, jellyfish etc.
Threats through Kite Lines
• Never touch the kite lines when the kite
is under wind load as these lines can
become dangerously sharp when under
tension.
• Never use kite lines with notches, cuts
etc.. They must be changed.
• Use only lines that have no knots in
them, as knots can weaken lines by as
much as 0%.
• Do not touch the lines of the canopy,
unless the kite has been secured to the
ground. An unsecured kite can relaunch
unexpectedly, putting the lines dan-
gerously under tension.
• Never tie lines around your arms or
other body parts!
Weather-related dangers
• Avoid offshore wind.
• Be careful with onshore wind.
• Get information on tidal and sea current
conditions at your kiting spot!
• Get information from both the weather
report and the locals on prevailing
weather conditions.
• Never use the kite with wind forces so
strong that you are unable to maintain
precise control.
• Do not use the kite when wind condi-
tions are likely to change dramatically.
• Never use this kite when thunderstorms
are nearby or when such storms have a
good chance of developing (check the
weather report!).
• Leave the water immediately when a
storm is approaching. You are in acute
life-threatening danger since you may be
struck by lightning!
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