There are two main reasons your boomerang didn't come back:

 

• throwing boomerangs is a learned skill and takes practice

• a boomerang is a precise object and is difficult to mass produce

Successfully throwing a boomerang is a learned skill, like hitting a golf ball or throwing a disc. It should take a few throws and maybe even a few throwing sessions before you are able to have your boomerang consistently return to you.

Think about it - you are taking an inanimate piece of carved wood, throwing it 100+ feet away from you, only to have it turn and fly back to you to be caught. A perfectly thrown boomerang is comparable to hitting a hole-in-one in golf - except it is much easier to do and your boomerang is in your hand ready to be thrown again, not a hundred yards away hiding in some hole.

 

Where and when to throw boomerangs?

 

Throwing Area

Select a large grassy area, clear of trees, bushes, lamp posts, crystal vases, etc. A soccer field, baseball field or a clearing in a park usually work well. Try to make sure that you have at least 60 yards throwing space in all directions. Avoid areas with high weeds or bodies of water because you will probably lose your boomerang. Especially if you are just starting out.

Do not throw in the vicinity of children, livestock, parked or moving cars, buildings with windows, etc.

A mis-thrown boomerang can be dangerous and cause serious injury or damage if it hits something. Once a boomerang leaves your hand you have no control over it. Because a boomerang flies in a curved path, it is hard for a casual by-stander to anticipate which way it is going to go. Yelling "LOOK OUT" immediately after throwing will almost guarantee that your admiring spectators will stampede directly into the path of the on-coming boomerang. Please keep safety in mind.

Throwing Weather

A nice, warm day with little or no breeze is almost ideal for boomeranging. Some boomerangs will not return in a dead calm. Higher winds accommodate heavier boomerangs and different throwing techniques. Gusting winds, or winds that change direction rapidly could cause you to lose control of your boomerang and should be avoided until you have some experience.

Rain ( yes, some of us throw in the rain) will do little to affect the flight of a boomerang, but it may have an adverse affect on the boomerang itself, depending on the finish on your boomerang. An unfinished or poorly sealed boomerang will swell with moisture, possibly cracking the remaining finish or warping the boomerang itself.

Also, throwing with snow on the ground is one of the best ways to lose a boomerang. A boomerang can travel an amazing distance underneath the top crust of the snow, leaving you first, with a white-on-white knife slit to find; and second, a five foot diameter circle to grope in. You may be able to come back in the spring and find it, but chances are you won't. If you do find it, it will most likely be swollen to the size of your arm or shredded by the Park District mower.

If you have several boomerangs, the Park District lawn mower is also a good reason to be careful to leave with all the boomerangs you brought. More than once I have returned to my favorite throwing spot to find chunks of one of my boomerangs scattered over a wide area.