If you’re planning on going kiteboarding, then you need to be very skilled at working your safety release system. If you’re asking, “What’s a safety release system?” then make sure you get some training before you try to tackle the wind and the waves. The type of safety release system on a kite depends on what type of kite it is. Inflatable and foil kites each have their own system, and there is a third type of release, the ominously named “dead-man’s” release. Each of these have advantages and disadvantages, and you need to know what’s on your kite and how to use it before you get out there.
Inflatable kites have two types of safety release mechanisms – the 2-line and the 4-line. These go with the 2-line and 4-line inflatable kites, of course. To operate one of these mechanisms, you must be conscious, because you have to pull on a line or release a pin or harness in order for them to take effect. For this reason, you should be very good at finding and activating this safety device – hesitation or confusion could be very dangerous in this wild sport. Activation of these systems is essential when you let go of your control bar; if you don’t stop your kite, it could pull you into serious danger. When you activate either one of these safety release mechanisms, one line of the kite is extended by about one kite-span; this causes the kite to flag and lose its power, letting you make sure everything is alright and in order before you continue. Most of these systems also have a leash attached to your harness that will let you retrieve your control bar.
Foil kites work on the same basic principle, but they have either 3-line or 4-line systems. Further, instead of causing a “flagging” of the kite, they act more like a brake, and pull the kite down, slowing it so that you have time to reorient and take control again.
The dead-man release system differs from the inflatable and foil systems in that you do not have to be conscious in order for it to work. When you drop your bar, it takes effect – it’s that simple. For this reason, a dead-man release system is better for beginners who are still learning to kiteboard; that way, you don’t have to learn to kiteboard and work with a safety release system, but can focus on one area at a time.
Using kite release systems is an essential part of kiteboarding. Remember, these systems go with the kind of kite you have: inflatable, foil, and dead-man systems.
