Today, Wed 9/22 NOW!!

[Safe_Cracker]

If that NE trickles down from the north I will be at keegs until 1pm. I have been watching from the north and the direction has all changed so far to Kenosha just waiting for Zion then Keegs to switch looks like the energy will be there, hopefully ...

Edit- It switched but now we need MORE wind
Edit Edit- It is up be there at 9:30



Polo.

[chicagoryan]

U at keegs or Zion?

[chicagoryan]

Post reread got it.

[Safe_Cracker]

Got a little bit today wind was up/down the whole time but was better than nothing. I got a little more than I bargained for today zipping up/down the getty. I wiped out and was kinda caught in the current could not believe how strong it was. My kite tipped a wave and at the same time the wind died, I rigged my leash suicide so when it was LE down it was pulling me towards the getty. I ditched the board and concentrated on keeping it off the exposed rebar. The dude from Glenview, Bob was nice enough to run down and grab my kite for me ( I owe you one dude! ) Once on the beach I caught my breath and we spotted my board. Watching how the current was going showed the board getting ready to head out so I had to jump in swim against/with the current to get it. I guess this is one of those moments where I wished I had a leash BUT I knew I shouldn't have been there, lesson learned....

1.) Don't rig suicide near a getty
2.) Stay away from the Getty until I get more experience.

All in all I still had a great time, always willing to learn

Polo

[skysurfr]

Interesting how fast you "learn a lesson" isn't it?

Current moving faster than the wind, sucking you under the kite and down it comes....

Thanks for sharing the experience....we can all learn from it.

[nG]

shit... something alike happened to me this spring and 4 ft swell started smashing me into the jetty. I was lucky to relaunch my kite when it was just inches from the structure. I think only because i had a kite in the air I was able to climb the jetty, cause - trust me - when waves are crashing over your head and you are trying to avoid your body hitting sharp rocks (or whatever is there under water) - it is very hard, so never let it go.
And THANK GOD I did not have any retarded kiteBOARD leash to wrap around my neck in all this mess. There are already 4 (sometimes 5) lines to wrap your body, is 5th really necessary? Moreover, waves threw my board on the jetty!

[Safe_Cracker]

You don't kite with a "Kite" leash ?


Polo.

[nG]

You don't kite with a "Kite" leash ?

Thanks for noticing. I meant board leash (yes, the one discussed so much about) . I fixed it so that others don't get confused.

[Kevin]

Were you kiting upwind or downwind of the jetty?

[Safe_Cracker]

Upwind definately.

Polo

[West]

Amazing how quickly things can unravel......

nG.....might want to rethink your strategy of climbing onto the jetty with your kite flying.....all's well that ends well, but I would think twice before doing that again...and I wouldn't come up with that solution again!!!!

....I would have already ditched that kite way before it got that close to the jetty, and I sure as heck would NOT have climbed the ROCK jetty with a "loaded" kite.....think of the two scenarios, being drug into the rocks with a flying kite, or being washed into them by the waves.....remember to think like a crab when being pounded by waves on the jetty. The current will often just drag you around the jetty if you just swim WITH the current!!!

You are a very lucky man, don't count on rolling 7's or 11's next time.

Good job Bob....always a good feeling when you see a fellow kiter heading onto the jetty to help you out....good thing he was paying attention!! Glad he was there, Cracker!!!

[Safe_Cracker]

Good job Bob....always a good feeling when you see a fellow kiter heading onto the jetty to help you out....good thing he was paying attention!! Glad he was there, Cracker!!!

You got that right he was running down the beach and it was a good 300ft from where he was at... All in all I would have ditched the kite but I just got it and wasn't letting go without a fight!

Polo

[nG]

West,

I appreciate your comment, nevertheless, I am certain that only because I had kite in the air I was able to use it's pulling power to drag myself on the jetty. There was no way to climb it without help since it was wet, slippery, sharp, and somehow nobody noticed that I was in trouble.
Of course, I took my leash off, and was only hooked in a chicken loop just in case. I do not know if you've ever been in similar situation, but having this little bar in hands made me feel more comfortable and safer. I do not know where could the current take me, but I know for sure that waves were throwing me to rocks and I had to think fast, and this is what I came up with. Honestly, if it happened again- I would do the same thing.