responsible flying....

[skye]

I came into this sport from a climbing background where the helmet/no helmet arguement used to continually rage and i admit some days i wore one and often i didnt.

When landboarding however, i ALWAYS wear my helmet, not so much because i think the danger of injury is always higher (im not exactly pushing the limits of the sport!) but because i think on the beaches of the UK we are always fighting a battle to keep them the restrictions at bay and appearing pleasent, helpful and more importantly a SAFE and RESPONSIBLE flyer is important. I was at llangennith over the weekend with a sky full of kites and i seemed to almost be in the minority. So i was wondering has everybody decided that helmets are a personal choice sand the public dont notice or care anymore?

[DavidOps]

I wear mine when I'm landboarding and have started to use it for static flying too now, having been spanked quite hard by the blade and had a very lucky getaway. Thing the main insurance companies say you have to be "reasonably protected" in order to claim, so flying without a helmet my invalidate insurance?

[Dready]

where i fly you have to wear a lid, so now its just become part of the routine. have been lucky and only smacked the back of my head with a lid on after being dumped.

 

bravardo only gets you hospitalised

[KaptainKremmen]

I always fly inland and consider our site to be a 'must' when it comes to skid lids.

[sym170]

^

same here, horrid wind where i landboard, can't rely on it. and when i was learning to jump i had a couple of bad falls and smacked the back of my head, luckily the helmet saved my arse!

[speedysid]

I came into this sport from a climbing background where the helmet/no helmet arguement used to continually rage and i admit some days i wore one and often i didnt.

When landboarding however, i ALWAYS wear my helmet, not so much because i think the danger of injury is always higher (im not exactly pushing the limits of the sport!) but because i think on the beaches of the UK we are always fighting a battle to keep them the restrictions at bay and appearing pleasent, helpful and more importantly a SAFE and RESPONSIBLE flyer is important. I was at llangennith over the weekend with a sky full of kites and i seemed to almost be in the minority. So i was wondering has everybody decided that helmets are a personal choice sand the public dont notice or care anymore?

A helmet should be your number one friend as you just dont know what will happen next. Any body protection is your own choice and always will be, flying in responsible way is a different matter, ie flying down wind of joe public and slowing down to pass them or fellow kiters, keeping your pit areas clear of unused kites, bags, lines ect. Wind meteres should be as important as the rests of your saftey kit. Big gusts are one of the main dangers to all flyers and anybody downwind of the flyer at the time of the gust, i've seen 3 air lifts to AE in the last two years all down to flying in big gusty wind, and all 3 of them failed to put a wind meter up to see the wind speeds and gust ranges before flying. There are a lot of kiter out there that havnt had the correct trainning yes thay can fly a kite (buggy and board) but are thay doing it safley.

FLY SAFE.

[Zippy]

Oh No! The BIG helmet debate has arisen

 

Im Pro helmet for sure Skye, and as Jon says about the horse, you would be pretty stupid not to wear one, as you well know. But you cant educate some people. So long as people like us keep setting the example, others will hopefully see that we 'fly safe' and will follow our lead.

 

Main thingis to 'FLY SAFE! HAVE FUN! & LIVE TO FLY ANOTHER DAY!'

[Anne1599968726]

This isnt so much responsible flying as personal protection. A helmet will protect you, but what about the family you wipe out because you screw up while flying too close to them?

 

 

 

I wear a helmet 99% of the time.

Yesterday I was static flying in soft sand, waiting for the wind to pick up to something usable, without a helmet on.

When the wind picked up enough to get me moving in the buggy, I put the helmet on. If the wind had been a clean onshore, I might not have, as it was very light and a nice warm day (sweatyhead) but it was being unpredictable.

[kraftyone]

i was at llangennith on saturday and i was guilty of not wearing my helmet the whole time... a couple of times i went out for a chilled cruise down the beach so i didn't bother with a helmet... if i was jumping or doing any kind of speed the helmet went on. Conditions weren't exactly wild and there was plenty of beach to play on.

 

I usually make a choice depending on the conditions/how busy it is/how hard i'm riding. What i always make sure i do is keep an eye on what's going on around me at all times... i think this if far more important.

[kiter_ryan]

With wheels then yes you should definitely wear one. Doesnt matter how good you are (because i dont give a shiiitt if you hurt yourself) but its all about the image we present to the public. If you fly in your own privately owned field, then be my guest do what you want:cool:

 

Static flying however i think you can have personal choice about what protection you use. (Not just saying that because i forgot my helmet yesterday and had to cheekily static without one lol)

[Frakke1599968664]

Always for me these days.... I have been known to OBE in no wind just through titting around....

F

[Sparhawk]

I ALWAYS wear one, ever since I saw what happened to batty :-| (And he was wearing one) Ive got a wife and two kids who I assume (Sometimes) want to see me come home in one bit.

 

For others I d say its personal choice, but if I see you not wearing one and it s a condition of my access to the site for you to wear one, , you can rely on me to camp on your backside until you put one on.

[kraftyone]

now that goes without saying... always got a lid on down at pembrey!

 

but if I see you not wearing one and it s a condition of my access to the site for you to wear one, , you can rely on me to camp on your backside until you put one on.

[Fluffy-lou]

I never, ever, ever get into my buggy without my lid. Ever.

 

I'm a novice flier and have far too much respect for the wind, and acknowledgement of my own inexperience and lack of skill, to ever think about chancing it.

 

I also take my responsibility in ensuring that I don't mess up access to a beach / site for everyone very seriously - so always make sure I fly within my limits and don't take unnecessary risks. As Andy C is always quoting - every site is a head injury away from a ban...

 

I have noticed that many fliers who wear helmets without thinking about it everywhere else tend to leave them off at Llangennith. Maybe its because they can - maybe its because if one person doesn't, others think it's not cool to wear one... but tis a fab beach for kiting and I would hate to see us loose it...

[Dready]

i invested in a pair of crash pants at the weekend.. good job i did as i got dumped on a hidden rock, doesnt bear thinking about what could have happened to my hip.

[avspider]

I use a lid 99% of the time, only time i don't is occasionally when static, and only when very low wind in the buggy. As soon as i get scared (2mph) I put the lid on. I am prohelmets, and personal safety for us is top of the list - hence we do have good quality lids.

What gets to me, is when look for the cheapest lid they can get - FFS you spend loads on a kite and feck all on safety!!

[skye]

now that goes without saying... always got a lid on down at pembrey!

 

but if I see you not wearing one and it s a condition of my access to the site for you to wear one, , you can rely on me to camp on your backside until you put one on.

 

but access at llangenith is also an issue?

[neenaw]

I've just bought my first lid.

I've tried landboarding a couple of times and I can see that with my amazing lack of ability it's all gonna end in tears if I don't wear a lid!!

[kraftyone]

I'm not aware of any access issues at gennith (correct me if I'm wrong). As long as everyone sticks to the north end of the beach we're fine. If it became an issue, and wearing a helmet was a condition of use i'd be the first one making sure everyone wore one! I love that beach, one of my favs - even now you have to pay £3 to park in the sand pit again. (I'm sure it's gone up this year)

 

now that goes without saying... always got a lid on down at pembrey!

 

 

but access at llangenith is also an issue?

[kinny]

Helmet , knee and elbow pads whenever im on the board,Im 16 stone so when i crash i hit the floor with a bang but not for static unless its silly winds and tbh ill more than likely be in the pub if its silly weather.

[TomW]

it feels weird flying without a helmet, this is what happened when I started flying proper kites without a helmet!

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/TomW_87/IMG_0016.jpg

[kite geek]

I get a tad annoyed when I see pro's kiting without helmets. They should wear them because a newbie will follow anything they do and before we know it we have a newbie on the floor with a cracked open head and a nice little ban on our hands.

 

I always wear my helmet. I think its a really cool one aswell:)

[metal_snapper1599968645]

I never fly without one

[wenglish]

im not voteing because my choice isnt up ther for me its personal choice.

at some locations you are not required to have any protection on at all but i always wear knee pads regardless. at llangennith at the weekend i had a lid on all day because i was playing about and geting some photos taken (must look responsible for the sake of others and its always the case that when your showing off for a camera things will go wrong as i find myself pusing that little bit harder to get a better shot)

 

however if i goto the beach and its a smooth wind upto 15mph then ill offen fly without a lid, if conditions allow, this is my choice because i feel that i am able to assess the conditions and my own abilities sufficiently to know when and where protection should be worn.

A big part of this sport is about freedom for me, in the us you will see a lot of bikers rideing about with no lids on to get a sense of freedom, thats their choice also.

 

when i was younger i used to go skateing a lot too, offen i went out with out a lid and a few times i did take a few knocks but nothing enough to put me in the A&E dep because i knew my limits and always padded up when i was pushing them. when i went to the local skate park it was compulsiry to wear a lid there so i did, wrist guards were also a must have for anyone on skates so everyone was padded up.

having done things like climbing and such in the past i know the importance of wearing sutable protection but for me its like low level boldering, your not going to be doing anything perticularly difficult and if you fall its not going to be under power or in a situation where you have no control.

as far as i am aware there have been no issues with the lack of head protection at llangennith the only issue on that beach is people flying in the no fly zone, on saturday there was only one person who was flying stattic and when informed of the situation basicly replyed that they can do what they like.

 

its not about ''looking cool'' the people who accuse flyers of not wearing a lid so they ''look cool'' give me a mental image of them selfs as someone in a pac a mac sipping warn lemon drink and reading the church news paper, i know this is not the case.

everyone on this site knows the inherent dangers of the sport not only for beaing out at their local flying sites but from watching vids that have been posted.

 

we all know the dangers and many of us have been doing extreem sports for a few years now (at least 10 for myself and much longer for others im sure) i dont think we would get to the age we have if we ignored that basic gut feeling inside that said ''wow this is starting to get a little rough best take a step back or pad up''

 

if you want a totally safe sportthen kiting is not the one for you, try chess, just watch out you dont poke your eye on the king.

 

stu

[spooky]

It is not how WE view the sport and the risks.

But how OTHERS ie the powers that be view the sport and the risks.

 

Councils along with ALL with other goverment departments all talk to each other and work in "partnership" (all about meeting targets) and as such if they think a certain activity is a drain on resources, ie fixing someone after they get hurt then they ill ban it.

 

We are a minority sport and as such, easier to ban us than ban idiots in cars etc

 

Oh yes we may know what our limits are bu we are competing against mother nature and she will win, so prepare for the worse lol

 

Fly safe,

Jon