Safety Guidelines

Home / About Us


We want you to use our site safely and responsibly; so please read the following safety warning points and have fun:

General 3rd Avenue Safety Guidelines

Other

  • Never fly a kite over the path. At the water level you cannot see who is on the path and if your kite were to fall and repower you could kill someone. This means that if you are forced to exit in an area close to the path, and decide to keep your kite in the air, you must fly the kite toward the water.
  • The only true obstacles at 3rd are the rocks on the breakwater and the barnacles on them. Stay clear of the breakwater.
  • Learn how to understand the wind and tide conditions at Third. Going kiteboarding in conditions you do not understand and may be unprepared to handle is a huge risk.
  • Kites should be handled by the leading edge. Never grab a kite by the lines, the trailing edge, or near the tips.
  • Know and use the basic hand signals (trouble on the water/need help, OK on the water, land my kite, release my kite to launch, abort launch, kite movement).
  • Get adequate professional instruction. Lessons are strongly recommended, as are comprehensive videos. Make sure your lessons cover proper launch, re-launch, landing procedures, use of safety systems, and self-rescue.
  • If you use a board leash, it is recommended to use a combination of a retracting type and a fixed line to the board. Board leashes can be dangerous because they can rebound the board back toward the rider after a fall.
  • Wear a helmet.
  • Suggested safety gear: helmet, hook knife, de-powering kite-leash, personal floatation device (PFD) and/or impact-vest, booties, marine strobe, whistle, marine radio.
  • Use EXTREME caution if kiting in offshore winds as the winds will be pushing you away from shore. If you experience equipment failure, you will have to swim against the wind to get back to shore.
  • If you see other kiteboarders hesitating to launch, ask why. Most often, there are compelling reasons not to kite at that time (such as offshore winds, tide is too low, wind is too strong or too weak, problematic current, etc).
  • Set a good example. Promote safety by kiting safely.
  • Spending unnecessary time with your kite in the air on land puts you and others in danger and prevents others form launching and landing.

safetyimage