Spectacularly stupid wing mistake

[AGK]

I have generally put my wrist leash (to the wing) on loose because it can then freely rotate around my wrist and avoid twists and wraps. Never had any issues in 5+ months of winging 3-4 times a week.  Today was maybe a little looser than usual, and the gust that hit while the wing was free on the water was pretty strong, but the leash cuff just pulled straight off over my wrist and hand and the wing was gone downwind.  Wind was ~20 mph gusting to high 20s, mostly sideshore but very slightly onshore in a pretty shallow sound.

I chased it prone paddling on my (90 liter) board, and to my surprise I could almost keep up with it – but never come closer than about 50 meters.  And prone paddling is way more work than winging!  After 8/10 of a mile a good Samaritan kiter grabbed it and held it till I could get there, and I foiled back upwind to our launch. Without the kiter, it was probably another half mile till the wing would have hit shore.

Could have been a lot worse.  I post this in case any of you are as foolish as me in thinking that a loose wrist connection is safe.  The answer is usually but not always.

[VB_Foil]

Haha Classic! One time earlier on in my learning phase I was out in side offshore Ocean conditions and had to prone paddle in the last 50 yards. I moved my wings wrist leash to what I thought was a secure point on my kite harness. Not having any kite experience, I was oblivious to the fact I just tethered my wing to the Velcro quick release safety knife. I was paddling along and then noticed there was no pressure from the wing. Looked over my shoulder and the wing was slowly flipping it’s way end over end out to sea. I have never sprint paddled so hard in my life!  Caught up to it and thanked my lucky stars and cursed myself for being such a kook. Good times haha!

[PonoBill]

Going too tight can cause the same problem. today I headed out in the light wind and wanted to do an upwind/downwind. I made my wrist leash too tight, so it wouldn't rotate, and it was getting in the way of my harness on port tacks. So when I finally fell I kneeled on the board and adjusted the wrist leash. But a sudden gust pulled the wing from my hand with the leash fully relaxed. Off it went. I knee paddled like a maniac while the wing was down in a swell trough and caught the wing just as it was starting to lift.