DEATH LOOPS: how to fix them and how to avoid them

This video looks at kitesurf death loops in detail, including how to stop them and how to avoid them in the first place.
0:00 Intro
0:56 Stopping death loops with safety steps
1:42 Stopping death loops by counter steering
3:50 Stopping death loops by manually flagging out
5:20 What method should you use?
7:53 Hooked on bar death loops
10:31 Line wrap death loops
14:21 Bridle/kite disordered death loops
15:15 Snapped line death loops
16:14 Final thoughts on death loops
Many thanks to everyone that shared their death loop footage for this project. These clips make interesting viewing:
Death loop on beach from Michael Kroese
• The death rolling kite...
Line wrap after crashing kite from Angus Mackay
• Dealing with a real wo...
Steering line on bar after jump from Fabio Fainello
• Kitemare death loop
Line wrap after big front stall from Daniel Liesveld
• Escaped from kitesurf ...
Snapped center line kite spiral from Pancakes Berry
• Kitesurfing in Sutton ...
Kitefoil death loop from Gaspard
• Kiteboarding Foiling j...
Front stall after jump from Jake Does Stuff
• Death Loop - Kitesurfi...
Bridle caught on top of kite from Jerome
• Kitesurfing deathloop ...

[@gloglebag]

Thank you. You are the gold standard on kitesurfing videos. It is clear you put a lot of effort in to your videos.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks very much. This one especially took a lot of work. I did a ton of research before even starting, trying to get enough statistics to provide a basis for the advice; and then I re-wrote/editted a few times to get the information succinct. Thanks again, Alex.

[@gloglebag]

@@kitesurfcollege I have been meaning to pay you for your effort. Just sent 50 euros trough paypal. Hopefully more in the future as you have been really a great help in my journey, and have saved me 10x that much in potential damage. But I just also spend over 800 on action cam stuff and smart watch to track my session so I am a bit careful with money.

[@gloglebag]

@@kitesurfcollege Once again thank you. I just sent you 50,- trough paypal. I truly appreciate your work. And I think you have made the lives of many people better.

[@kitesurfexperiencebypetar]

Alex, your video is really helpful for kitesurfers of all levels. But I disagree with one thing: saying “if you are a NOVICE kiter then the best solution is to go for the safety steps.” Everyone, no matter how experienced, should always use safety systems first. When we suggest they're just for NOVICE kiters, it might make others think they're not important for everyone, which can lead to more accidents. Also, manually flagging out the kite is risky, no matter how strong or light the wind is. It's something we shouldn't show anyone. Let's keep emphasising safety and good practices in kitesurfing. Thanks for bringing up this important topic.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi kitesurfexperience, I have heard people simplistically say counter steering is best, and others simplistically say safety steps are best. However, after extensive research I’ve found the reality is more nuanced and that neither statement is true. The data I’ve collected supports that if you want to pick a single default response to a death loop, then safety steps are the way to go, and this tutorial emphasizes that multiple times. But the blanket statement of all pilots should only use safety steps first for all death loop scenarios is definitely not the safest advice. For example, if the bar or lines are caught on your harness or body then ejecting the chicken loop can make the situation worse - that can then make it much harder to counter steer (since you might not be able reach the bar and there could be much more force on the steering lines). In that case a blanket statement of all kiters must use safety steps first increases risk. Or, for another example, say it’s light wind and you put a hydrofoil into your lines, which starts the kite looping. Then counter steering will down the kite in a second and prevent impact with the foil. Whereas the CL eject will keep the kite looping and possibly drag you into the foil, and then the subsequent leash eject will send a kite-powered-hydrofoil projectile downwind. I could go on - there are several situations where counter steering creates the safer and more controlled result; but (as this video explains explicitly) that is only for those with enough experience and not too much wind that they can safely assess the situation. In terms of manually flagging out the kite, this video clearly shows that it is a bad idea of course. So why did I not leave it out like you suggest? Like I said this video is purely evidence based, not my opinions. After interviewing hundreds of kiters about death loops (the kind of research you won’t get from the IKO) there were surprisingly many who had tried manually flagging out a death loop, or who said they would try it. That data meant it was then essential to show manually flagging out and explain the risks and challenges - rather than simply ignoring that it exists as you suggest.

[@kitesurfexperiencebypetar]

@@kitesurfcollege Hi Alex, Thank you for your response. I was specifically referring to your video at the 05:20 mark, where you mentioned, “if you are a NOVICE kiter…” which seemed to suggest that only beginners should use the safety systems. As you explained, even if part of the bar remains around your harness or body after using the safety systems, it should still be reachable to allow for counter steering. However, in cases where one of the back lines, about 1-2m from the bar, is wrapped around the kiter, it might indeed be difficult to reach the bar. While it is possible that this situation could cause the kite to manually flag out unintentionally, I have not experienced, seen, or heard of this happening to anyone. Your explanation seems correct in this context. I apologize for not clearly understanding your point about manually flagging out the kite being something that should definitely be avoided. Thank you for clarifying.

[@Wayneshore1970]

Another great video - I recommend this channel to anyone I give lessons to. Interesting the clip with self / drift launching - the only times I've experienced death loops have been drift launching where a steering line wrapped around the wingtip. Counter steering sorted a couple, and CR release another time. When the dunes are fast approaching, time to eject!!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi Wayne, I mainly use rebels and they have a bridle large enough that the bridle can catch on the wingtip during a drift launch. I know to watch for it now (you can tell if the bridle has caught on the wingtip from the kite's slightly distorted shape) and if it has I usually give a few pumps on the center lines (pulling in and out so the center lines slack and tense a few times) and then the bridle pops off.

[@user-vs3sj3le3s]

Brilliant video, thanks a lot. Highly appreciate what you are doing for our sport 🙏

[@deeearnshaw9551]

Thx I had not considered the counter steer option. Appreciate seeding ideas before they become an issue. I had a death loop last month on 9m XR7. I overflew a jump and the kite tumbled and inverted, wind was too strong to flag it back to normal, but no biggie- was in knee deep water, so I popped the Chicken Loop. Unfortunately the inversion turned into partial inversion with a death loop (probably helped by the dual line flag out).- could not resist its power or make any progress to resolving it. After 6-8 loops I had to punch out of the kite and then chase it down- luckily someone else caught my drifting kite, no damage. So yes safety systems worked and could not think of an alternative since I was already on one line with bar out of reach.

[@ermanakbay]

This video might have saved my ass yesterday. My steering line got super slack while I was trying to relaunch and it got wrapped around the bar which would've put me in a death loop situation had the kite actually relaunched at that moment. After feeling the slackness I thought to myself "is this my 10 second window before a death loop?" and checked my bar and found the line wrapped. I quickly unwrapped it and it was all good. Normally I might not have paid attention to this and just focused on getting the kite back up.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks for sharing that @ermanakbay. Sorry you were at risk, but I'm very glad that habit helped you out.

[@fbueno]

Thanks for another great video mate! 👍🏾

[@LuigiSimoncini]

Great video as always!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks very much Luigi

[@danielbinisti1913]

Its been a long time!! and yet another gold standard video without a doubt, which can save your life. Thx to your videos, I had 2 death loops only in my early days as a kite surfer (ejecting the CL worked) and feel real safe flying it now, and had none in years. However, Ill give a try by generating it myself in light wind to train how to use the counter steering method to unwrap... better to have it done once when under control than having to figure it out when you approach a wall... (in light winds, with 2 miles free downwind along the beach..) thx a million for your efforts.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks for sharing Dnaiel. I think a light wind counter steer practice is a good idea for someone who is ready and (as you say) has the correct conditions. I have a friend (who is a good kiter) who recently kept self launching and landing in light wind even when there's a group of us at the beach. I asked him why, and he explained he was trying to improve those skills in light wind in case he ever really needed them, which then made a lot of sense.

[@jackignatev]

Once I got steering line wrapped after a crash in 10+ m/s and got deathlooped to the beach with trees very fast. Luckily I train all new things quite far from shore (but not too far😎), so I got plenty of time to think about my life and eject chicken loop.

[@peanutfilms8210]

I feel very lucky that in my almost 3 years kitting I have not experienced a death loop and hope that my luck continues!

[@RobGrover]

Another great video.. thank you

[@kitesurfcollege]

Cheers Rob

[@leasgarten2583]

Thanks!!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks so much

[@patrickdunne1508]

I've had the bar go under my harness very early on in my kitesurfing journey. And obviously this rendered both safety symptoms ineffective. I accidently jumped, ended up in the lines with the Kite crashed and the kite was powered up in the wind ending up in the bar going under the harness. Extremely scary stuff

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks for sharing you example Patrick. What did you do next and what happened?

[@felmado]

Another great video, and I would say a really important one! I still ride the F-one monolith bar, which I believe has the dual line flag out system that keeps death looping after ejecting in the video at 14:53. I have heard people say before the monolith bar shouldn't be used anymore for that reason. I didn't think much of it until I saw the rider in your video with the death loop. What are your thoughts on the topic?

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks very much. I had a friend with that bar get into a bad death loop and never wanted to kite again. It is known to lead to death loops when there's a kite inversion or bridle snag etc. I have heard there is a fix for the bar to make it a single line flag out, but it's probably not simple and might be better to upgrade when you can. What condition is the bar in, do the lines have much life left? The main issue with keeping the bar will be you have much higher that the kite will keep flying/looping after the chicken loop eject and therefore there's a higher chance of needing to also eject the leash.

[@felmado]

@@kitesurfcollege the lines are in good condition. Sounds like I should upgrade irregardless...

[@Alexomator]

Thank you, nice Video. Had a deathloop in 40 knots. Release didnt work after first 4 loops. Managed to dump it in the dunes.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Thanks for sharing Alex, that must have been properly scary. So the chicken loop eject failed, and then you ejected the leash? Do you remember what set off the death loop?

[@Alexomator]

The set up was off a drift launch. One bridle lay over the tip. Once the kite caught wind it took a split second for it to start looping and it went on and on. I couldn´t react fast enough and was overwhelmed by the strong pull of the kite. The water was only ankle deep. The wind blew on shore and it was a proper storm. The beach downwind was full of onlookers. I ejected and the kite lost power but the safety didn´t go the full way, maybe a couple of meters. The kite lost a good amount of power and I was able to get a foot hold. Yet it was still looping at around 1 loop in 10 seconds. I couldn´t let go of the kite because of the full beach downwind. So I went towards the beach and dunes step by step. Had to wait for some old geezers to get out of the f**king way when I was about to leave the water, as if they didnt notice me coming closer, step by step. Then the kite looped into a dune and stoped. That was quite a relief. This tore up a wingtip, nothing serious. I was lucky and learned multiple lessons from this incident.

[@GreKno63]

I've heard that after about 10 loops, the line twists from a death-looping kite will likely prevent a kite from flagging out. So I count loops if my kite starts uncontrolled looping, and if I haven't stopped the looping with advanced techniques ( counter steering or manually flagging ), I resort to chicken loop release at 5 loops. Anyone else have experience with twisted lines choking the flag-out ?

[@Faxie83]

10 Is a lot... I would get worried after 3 loops, that's where the sketchy threshold begins.

[@TheSailingLord]

Danke!

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi The Sailing Lord, thanks so much for your support, all the best, Alex

[@nicolasboudet9302]

I had 2 situations to report: on a lake with on and off gusty wind, my kite dropped on the water during a 0 wind while, the lines became slacked, the kite galled turning upside down on itself so the lines were not in normal position and the slack lines turned around my board pads. Then the wind picked up suddenly…and the loop started, one line being pulled by my board. so it was unclear what to do. I then released the CL…. Another situation is on a more stable side wind, around 20kts, I realized that my wife, quite beginner, was loosing to much ground from the starting beach. I suggested her to come back to the beach in bodydrag, and I did followed her on this manœuvre. Suddenly she turned her kite to mine, probably asking a question and both kites started to turn together. I immediately released my CL , and asked her to do the same, but kites started to loop with lines possibly turning around her body. I had not other chance to release totally my kite, then ask her to do the same. Both started kite far dancing together, then moving individually. One stopped on the beach and the other one on a dead tree, and was very damaged. I now realize that both bars were old models, without one sliding line but both attached together. This is possibly why first CL release didn’t clearly worked. I will ban this bar for the future.

[@kitesurfcollege]

Hi Nicolas. Thanks for sharing your examples. What bar were you using? The old core and f one bars were common and had the dual-center-line flag out. Also, when your board got caught on your lines, did the CL eject do its job?

[@nicolasboudet9302]

@@kitesurfcollege It was RRD old bar . Good quality, long life lines but I didn’t made relation between obsolete design and actual safety issue. The CL eject system always worked fine. I had 2 , for me and my wife and used them with several different kites. I now moved to foil kites, mostly with dedicated bar, and purchased new bars for other kites, but still have them.

[@stefanspirit100]

DO NOT MANUALLY flag out the kite!

[@javawalker5029]

Get a 5th lines