Safe Place to Body Drag Seneca or Sodus

[Researcher Guest]

Hi
I live on Seneca lake and have been flying the trainer for weeks now and I'm going to practice body dragging in light winds before enrolling in a course to be ready. Can anyone recommend a safe spot on seneca or in the sodus bay vicinity and what your experience were like?
Thanks

[rider1200]

Go in the State Park at the NE end of Seneca. Drive all the way back to the Sandy swimming area. Its just E of the splashpark. Any southerly wind will work and its shallow enough for a long walk, at least 200 yards. The bottom is a little rocky in spots but mostly sand and in my opinion the best spot in our area to learn. You can drag around for 100 yards without coming near anything, then you can stand up & walk back upwind.

Are you hoping to body drag with your trainer?

[Researcher guest]

I'm thinking a 9M in 8-12mph winds.

[flashpipe]

That's a nice, safe wind range for that size for body dragging. Just make sure you rig everything correctly and it's always a better idea to have someone available to help you launch...someone that knows what they're doing.

I started body dragging up at Charlotte and that worked out fine, I just had to be aware of other people in the water.

[rider1200]

Here is the basic technique I use:

I no longer have to walk as far as the guy in the video does but I did to start. Now I stand upwind from the kite with the kite almost 90 degrees to the wind (leading edge a little more into wind) and tug intermittently on the far lines. This makes the kite scrunch up like an upside-down U and I can eventually get the edge closer to me to catch the wind (wind starts catching the middle of the leading edge & raises kite from middle toward you).

Be careful, it can throw the kite up somewhat violently but as long as its not too windy and the kite isn't too big hopefully it won't leave your booties in the sand (with you dragging down the beach)! Be sure you have plenty of room downwind just in case.

If you post or pm me your number I'll let you know when I head to Seneca. Always good to have someone to double check your set up, specially in the beginning. My 1st time out I hooked the lines up backwards

[researcher]

Great video, thanks.
I am able to hot launch the 9M in 12mph winds by myself on land but obviously this video is the way to go for safety.

[rider1200]

Remember someday you will have a bigger kite & higher winds...nows the time to experiment and see what is the easiest/most controllable for you!

Also in the beginning no one told me it is much easier to body drag upwind if you keep the kite high and drag very slowly. I wore myself out trying to get back to the board after a fall downwind by trying to drag too fast while using my arm as a keel. If you are just messing around though put the kite everywhere. Dive it, loop it & learn how to get out of an accidental loop or dive.

[flashpipe]

Good launching technique! Here's another one that I use sometimes:



and, of course, you can also hook the kite to a tree/post if there's something available...just be sure it's SECURE so you don't end up sending a missile across the beach.

[kelshipman]

Guys, just be careful self launching.(which means you need to self land too - often overlooked) I have been kiting for 5 years now and I still get a little adrenaline when self launching/landing. Its always better to have someone there with you!!! Always!!

In my book, spinning the kite around on the beach is probably the more challenging way. When all goes right it is sweet. But if the beach has sticks or rocks that the lines can snag on, things can go wrong pretty quickly. It also requires the most space as your kite ends up pretty much down wind. Fine if its side-on-shore, but may run out of beach in many places if its more onshore. Also, then the kite is pointed deeper to land which is not really the best position if something goes wrong. Aside from it usually being a fairly hot launch, the other problem with it is that it actually works better when the wind is a little more than 50% of the wind range of your kite, because it usually takes a little extra wind to curl the edge over and roll it on to its side. although every kite is different. So if you are under powered the kite may just end up staying pretty much down wind on you.

If you have an SLE, the shackle method is pretty fail safe. i dont have a video of it, but most SLEs will sit on their side nice and stable if you shackle the chicken loop to a fixed object. They will sit on their side at the edge of the wind window ready for you to run back, tie in, and release the shackle. Even so, I still watch the kite like a hawk when doing this.

Long story short - train your wife, girlfriend, friend, dog - whoever - to help you launch - at least when learning - when ever possible.

When we are out - glad to help you practice self launching and landing! Thats the best way!

Having said all of that - the MAIN RULE IS THIS - No matter what you do - do not hurt yourself, scare a civilian, and/or get us band from the good launches!!!

I will try to post more when we are going out - you can email me your cell if you like and I will text you too.

[e-mail] 315-955-2197

Welcome to kiting - its a hoot!


Ohhh yeah - this was about body dragging.. lol

I know what its like to be anxious to get out and practice, so I very much sympathize! When you are learning to body drag, the main concept is getting up wind. And to do that, you want to have some power. If you are in the lower end of a kites range, body dragging can be a little more difficult to find the edge of going up wind yet not stopping the kite. So if you do fly a smaller kite in lighter wind conditions and cant seem to mark your point going up wind, its probably just that you dont have enough power.

Anyhow, once you have that, its really all about a safe launch and land - because you can body drag anywhere. Deep, shallow, through a channel, etc. Prime example is the Chamber launch at Seneca. Even today, if I am under powered and a little tight on getting up wind I will body drag out a way with my board so that I can clear the rock jetty. Then I put the board on and start so I know I am clear of the rocks and I can kite down wind to get my speed up before turning up wind.

Ok - enough from me. Ciao!

[researcher]

Much appreciated.

[rider1200]

Thanks for the tips Kel! I'm afraid to let go of the kite with it in the air, thats why I drag it all over the place, but I agree its pretty hard on the kite. I may give it a shot next time out. I'm guessing this is basically it:

[David]

That is the technique but there are a couple flaws in the way that guy does things IMO. The first is the sandbags, just a stake if you have to, the dog leash screws work well. #2 the guy is using key chain carabiners, weak!!! get a real biner from EMS or a stainless load bearing clip from west marine. #3 the biners he is using are cross loaded, in other words they are pulling across their axis not along it; biners are very strong but only when the line of force is along their spine. In theory this in not a big deal because the kite is depowered, in practice it is a big deal. #4 extend your clip so you can be standing or kneeling when you clip into the kite like the pic of the launch from the bumper (that’s the North flats on south padre island BTW). 5th always depower your kite slightly when launching but not so much that you have no back line pressure when you sheet in the bar, this is how you will control the launch and settle the kite. 6th never take your eyes off the kite, Kel can attest to what happens when you do since the first time I met him I almost took off his head! 7th when you go to set the kite at the edge of the window push it back into the power zone, then move it forward slightly and let it settle itself. The wind here is not only gusty but it shifts so when you do let go of it watch the kite and get to the bar as quickly as possible so you can control it. #8 NEVER touch the lines (#1 rule of kiting). #9 always stay in front of the kite when you run back to your bar. #10 never tie off to a tree in a state park. A good place to practice is the football field at Seneca, its grassy and open, just shackle to the goal post. Seneca is great but I am sure that the first accident that happens there is going to get kiting banned so please be careful.

[researcher]

Great input thank you. As the sport grows in this area, we will need you folks out there to loosen the click and reach out more so that the launches are not banned due to an accident. I'm doing my part by taking lessons before entering the water and packing the kite in when the winds get too strong on land. Thanks again.

[davep]

Is there anyone in this area that offers kiting lessons?

[researcher]

No - Boston, NYC, Toronto are the closest.