Relaunch

Every kitesurfer crashes the kite at some point. Relaunch is how you get it flying again without walking back to the beach.

Two main methods:

• Edge relaunch — pull one back line, rotate the kite onto its leading edge against the water surface, then steer it up the side of the window
• Push-back relaunch — for kites pinned upside down, send the bar forward to flood air under the canopy

Pre-conditions for a successful relaunch:

• Enough wind (most modern C-kites and bow kites relaunch from ~10 kt)
• Kite oriented leading-edge-up or recoverable
• Lines untangled
• You in the water, holding the bar at a controllable angle

Knowing relaunch is the difference between a quick reset and a 500 m self-rescue swim.