SAFETY 1. Drowning should be avoided: Wear a wet or drysuit, lifejacket, and neoprene cap/boots to protect against hypothermia. 2. Be careful not to get caught up in the kite lines during an emergency. Sometimes kites will luff, fall back downwind then re- engage the wind suddenly and with uncontrollable pull. Quick release handles are good safety insurance. 3. Don't even think of attaching the kite lines and/or yourself to the boat without a "deadman" type link unless you want to die. - see Page 9. 4. See "bluewater" heading above. 5. Consider other water users. Released handles could easily snare and seriously injure a passing wind surfer. I once snagged and tipped over a 4.5 catamaran this way. Even lines released from Q.R. handles are not 100% safe. Floating lines winding into propellers is a nightmare scenario. 6. Regularly check your boat's structural integrity. A broken cross tube could cause painful injury during a high speed capsize. 7. When kite launching, give yourself plenty of downwind space to slide while you're getting the kite under control. I once burnt the soles of my (bare) feet while launching and another time slid into and broke off a substantial roundwood fence post. 8. On the other hand, over water is about the only case when "kite jumping" can be safe. Bailing out of a kitesailer can be fun!