SAFETY KNIVES

[JRN]

I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO THANKFUL, as when I saw fellow kiters rushing to my rescue! The kite had looped and wrapped lines around my glove. Someone on a Ozone stopped the kite, then Chad Dobson kites over, followed shortly by Terry Dunklee. Thanks to you guys...taking pressure off the lines & cutting me free. Lesson learned...KEEP A KNIFE HANDY...WHERE YOU CAN REACH It & keep hands away from where they don't belong! In this case, don't touch slack lines in flight.

[steveb]

So happy you got away with it. Kudos to the guys for rushing to help.
Nasty experience.

The lesson in my mind is not so much about the location of the knife, but keeping your hands where they should be in power situations.
But who gives a crap about the lessons we learn, I'm delighted you're OK.

[jeff1]

glad to hear you had a good outcome, if you had lost your digits we would miss out on your snappy one liners here on lakawa.

Look forward to seeing everyone again at the crossing!

keep your stick on the ice and avoid putting your fingers in places they don't belong.

[MK]

Nice work helping. Sorry to hear about the snafu, sounded like it was intense.

The knife location is a good source for discussion and worth being reminded.

I think I need to verify where mine is. Also, another good reason to kite around others.

[Tom L]

This is my water helmet. On my winter helmet the knife is mounted top center. Which is easy to reach with either hand. Photo makes knife look extra large. Haven't had to use it yet, thankfully.

[tom_latcham]

Glad you are OK Jim. Thanks for sharing the story. May save someone else from catastrophe. Great heads up move move from your liberators. Things could have been much worse. If you lost one of your middle finger, how would you express yourself. See Jim, thats why you should never go skinny kiting. Imagine if the line got wrapped around your dew flicker.
Need some wind
TL

[Tom L]

Sorry Jim, kind busy here,

I forgot to say glad your OK. I had a kitemare similar to that last winter. Bad news. I use to carry a knife in a fabric pouch which was worthless. The Dakine ones on the back of the harness are even less accessible. I've seen some other mounts on LAKAWA. Once you decide on one to go with you should practice grabbing it so you can do it automatically.

[johnz]

Heroes, all of you!!

Jim, I'm really glad to hear you got out of it.

What a community! yet another good reason to get to know the peeps you are riding with.

NICE JOB, EVERYBODY!!!

- z

[tom_latcham]

You are correct Tom Lowe. I have the Dakine knives in fabric pouches on each side of my harness. I did this so if one hand is tangled or broken I can reach the one on the other side. Seems to work good for summer riding. I have never needed them, but have practiced deploment so I can do it in panic situation. Just tested with gloves and found that the dakine knives are hard to deploy with gloves. I like the larger handle on your helmet knive. Seems like the way to go. Who makes that knife and what did you use to mount it.
TL

[Tom L]

Tom I got mine at http://www.scubatoys.com $17. Its called "Zeagle Line Cutter". Their site was down when I just tried today though.

For mounting I used "GOOP", in the marine version which seems to stick like hell. Takes a while to set though. Have to hold it in place somehow for a few hours. Scuff the helmet at the adhesion area.

One thing to watch out for. If you do the self drift launch method with the kite sitting on your head while you unwind the bar, and walk backwards. If you are using a bridled kite, it can get snagged on the knife when you take the kite off. Otherwise I haven't had any snags.

Every knife/location will have it's downsides. One guy on KF criticized the blade on the Zeagle. I think the top/center mount of a knife is one of the best solutions. Make sure you have your helmet strapped on fairly snug. In a bad wipe you probably could lose it, then your screwed.

Original post about this knife/location.: http://www.lakawa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10236

[dtownkiter]

wow, quite the story! glad everything worked out and you get to keep all your fingers. nice work from the other riders as well.

i think i have now read enough stories about the importance of a knife. it has been on my list of things to get but i havent actually got one yet. i think this may be the final push.

does the scuba store have these knifes? when i was thinking about getting one last year i thought someone mentioned they had them?

adam t.

[JAE]

These things happen so quickly, I had a similar thing happen last summer. My kite droped into the water dureing a lull. It was tail side down. When a gust came I grabed the center lines to give them a quick pull for a hot launch. Somehow when I reached into the water to grab the slack lines they wrapped around my hand. Of course the gust was a pretty strong one and my kite instantly powered up with the center lines around my hand. Luckily the lines just rolled off my fingers and I ended up with some nasty bruises on my fingers.

Glad your ok Jim.

[steveb]

If the worst a had come to the worst Jim and you'd ended up with a digit deficit......I know there's many of us here would have happily given you a finger

[JRN]

Only a little swelling remains. Lucky this time. New knives on order. Be careful. Kite with friends!

[steveb]

I'm not sure if my tweezers are left or right handed. I do know I'm having to use reading glasses with a much higher magnification to find anything these days.

Joking aside, very happy you're OK, that would have sucked. I remember when Nate P lost the tip of his thumb to that tow rope wakeboarding. It's so easy for silly accidents to happen.
Oh well , no arm no foul.