I had a little kite mare in June on a killer southerly. My sliding rope harness broke when I was about 400 meters out on a long tack. Tried to rig something up to get myself in. Kite had rolled and inverted but would still fly. After several unsuccessful attempts I decided to self rescue. Kite was sitting nose down on the water into the wind. As I started pulling on the flagging line to get to the kite a swell lifted the kite up and it looped on the way up taking my finger with it. Somehow I was able to crash the kite and unwrap my finger but it was in pretty bad shape being held by the bone and tendon. I also tore my rotater cuff in the process. I ejected the kite and began a long paddle in. Luckily a dude from Sydney who had never been to my spot had been checking the situation out and got out and pulled me through the lineup when I finally got to it. I ran the 1 k to my van and did some first aid, he then came and drove me the 50 minutes to our local hospital. From there I was transferred to Sydney Hospital hand unit where I under went a 7 hour operation to try and save it. I had to have a vein taken out of my arm and have new arteries put in. Well, four surgeries later and some skin grafts and I am almost ready to get back into the water.
Because I have skin grafts all over the bottom of my finger I need some advice on some gloves that will keep the hand warm and protect the soft skin. Finger still has poor circulation but movement is coming along nicely. I should have some feeling back in the coming months and years, it does take time for the nerves to come good from a surgery like that. I am looking for something that is thin enough but will protect the skin. I have never worn gloves of any kind, and being a former builder and a musician I have always had tough hands. Now I have to treat this hand with some delicacy for a while.

Crikey if only you had an epirb.....
All the best with the recovery process

Pop into a whitworths and they should have a good range of sailing gloves that you could try on. you can get ones like the gill grip which are thin or even a normal sailing glove with full finger

Got a pair of sailing/paddling gloves from a kayak shop. Although finger-less (or half finger) they are great for holding onto the lines during a self rescue. I haven't found them to get in the way or impede my kiting at all. Also struggle with eczema on fingers, so these are great to reduce the scuffing, hands aren't as wrecked as before after a long session.

There's a heap of very thin gloves using in mining. Provides hand protection with increased grip but still maintains tactile sensitivity. Bunnings should sell them but it not any half decent industrial safety shop will.

Ouch! Had a mate do exactly the same thing after a centre line breakage. Dropped kite, tried to go with it for a while to avoid surfers, kite powered up looped around finger and same result. His skin is fully healed but doesn't have full movement and feeling in finger anymore. take care with it. Get some physio..... ultra sound with warm water immersion when healed to get as much movement as possible back in joints

Yours looks way worse than mine but I feel your pain.. I took the end off of my finger re-launching a 7m kite in 3ft surf about a year ago. The kite launched and then a wave clipped it just as it was taking off.. The line was across the tip of my finger, not looped around it. The pic is with the end flapped back on- it looked like a cannelloni! They sewed the end back on but it didn't take and came off a couple of weeks later. The line jerking across my flesh took my fingertip off and broke 3 lines. It has taught me never to touch the lines! under tension they create a lot of friction. Don't touch the lines people! My finger is still numb on the end but I'm a musician too and I can still play guitar with it. In fact it looks quite normal now. This was without a doubt the most painful injury I have ever had. The nerves were mashed on the end of the finger... Hang in there - the body can heal up amazingly well!

Ps take rings off of your fingers before kiting too!

Thats good news for you mate Robbie, glad to hear about it. You too Pinto, glad you're still striking up a chord. I have only now just started playing a little trying to stretch all the scar tissue. My finger is still hooked shape, but eventually I hope to straighten it out through perseverance. At least I can grasp now so I see that as a big plus!

One thing I should mention, big thanks to Peace at Kitepwer Sydney. Totally awesome for setting me up with a pair of gloves that fit perfect. Your generosity of looking after the kite community is duly noted in the big book of good Karma. So stoked!

Holy **** mate! That is kite mare alright! I think everyone has been in a situation of tangled lines a little too close to their body but fortunately the kite has never taken off!! Glad to hear your still pumped to get back out there and trust me I will have a sweet down winder organised for you when your in west oz next. Oh and I hope your career as a rockstar is put off for too long! My career was meant to take off in my uni days but im still waiting!!

samokta said..

Blackbeard said..
Crikey if only you had an epirb.....All the best with the recovery process

So you could set the Epirb off and wait in the water bleeding to death?

You got it

breakzmaker said..
Do u really think a glove would have helped in this instance? Looks like more care and better technique in self rescue and management of lines would be more effective...

I think gloves would have helped a lot,I wear em fishing with hand lines for kingies and braids heaps finer than kite lines, and kingies pull like a powered up 14 in 25kn
tough call on what would be more effective- **** happens