When you release a kite to it's leash,

you surrender control.

Totally.

You roll over, go belly-up and take a free ride.

The kite now controls you.

lol.

Upon releasing,

if for some reason the kite doesn't depower 100%,

you are freakin toast.

You know something, they often don't depower the kite 100%.

There might be twists or wraps in the lines, all kinds of stuff can screw up.

Death-drags kill people.

The INDUSTRY needs to think ...and improve ... and re-invent kite management.

JJB said...
cabrinha QR doesnt actually NEED a safety leash?

That's refreshing to read. ^^^

Nice.

waveslave said...

When you release a kite to it's leash,

you surrender control.

Totally.

You roll over, go belly-up and take a free ride.

The kite now controls you.

lol.

Upon releasing,

if for some reason the kite doesn't depower 100%,

you are freakin toast.

You know something, they often don't depower the kite 100%.

There might be twists or wraps in the lines, all kinds of stuff can screw up.

Death-drags kill people.

The INDUSTRY needs to think ...and improve ... and re-invent kite management.

Kite rolled over, the release works the same unless you've got a fifth line.

You get some some twists, well learn how to use the swivel on your bar or maintain it if it's an automatic one.

They don't depower 100%, your safety must be connected on both center line so just swim quickly toward the kite and it should depower enough to do a self rescue.

Maybe what you need is a lesson

Kiting without a leash?
Kind of like driving without seatbelt.

Maybe I'm confused?
Good kiters unhook.

Are you trying to say leashes are bad?

I totally agree, the idea of teaching learners that if you feel unsafe just pull the safety and throw the bar can put you in a uncontrolled zone. Activating a safety should be a last result.

"Cab has made leashes redundant if your hooked in the whole time."

Tell that to the person i saw get a wing tip bridle hook up death loop and thrown 40foot onto their head with this kite. Also to those that release their kite if in the **** with 2 or 3 way tangle - no concern for the other rider at all with a safer one line release - although dont just release communicate with other rider if you can... Also the 1/2 hitched bar due to floppy leader lines that ends up deathlooping the rider so fast they struggled to get to suicide - especially if at back. you start hooked in like that , then you release, and guess what - your still being death looped by your suicide on your back so violently you cant get to it, teh half hitch, bridle tangle or line swivel knot tangle whatever... is still deathlooping you.

Things are better than they used to be but there is no excuse for not having a way to release the kite as safe as possible for others at risk- unfair otherwise

i think as time goes on riders do not realize about above because kite design safety has got better in some ways but on the other hand the bottom line is still the same.

Slingys Css system works

This is an emotive topic(very unlike wavey to do).....shame it is gonna die a horrible death.

I think at the end of the day it comes down to the fact that if you dont like something, then you have the freedom to design your own and solve the problem yourself.

Also if it all goes to ** you can always just undo your harness (waist) which I'm sure 99% of kiters wouldnt even think to do.

polykarb said...

Kiting without a leash?
Kind of like driving without seatbelt.



Are you trying to say leashes are bad?

Wrong analogy. ^^^

A seatbelt is designed to protect the user.

A kiteleash is an attempt to protect the innocent bystander ...by placing the user in jeopardy.

theres always the quick release on the death leash, to release the whole rig.
gotta be better to have the option rather than no leash and say kiters at south scarb releasing their kite after a wipeout to have kites on the loose being blown downwind through a crowded scarb beach.

Im lost,

I ride suicide on my fuels. (No IDS or the like)

If I found myself with lines wrapped, and a kite looping out of controll. I still have 4 release points.

1) chicken loop. Kite flags to one line.

If this were to fail and the kite continue to loop. See below

2) Safely leash has built in quick release.

If i were to have had my left arm dislocated and couldnt release???? See below

3) Harness quick release on the other side of my body.

If I was riding a BWS and didnt like the kite any more.

4) Kite knife.

You need a leash as backup to the chicken loop. The loops do come off the hook. All the kites I have had the loop has accidentally come unhooked.

Fortunately it mostly happens in light conditions through pulling too hard on the bar and I can ride unhooked well enough to recover the situation. In the old days it meant chasing down a kite.

Separate to the leash issue, it is a bad practice to automatically release to the safety system at the first sign of a problem. As Mr Slave says it does remove any control you have and any chance of recovering the situation, or more importantly, stopping a bad situation becoming worse.

I have seen a couple of cases of kites tangling. The riders did not panic and release. In one case the a rider simply dived down under the other lines and was able to drag away. In the other case the riders self-landed their kites onto the water and washed ashore to untangle and continue.

Poida said...
theres always the quick release on the death leash, to release the whole rig.

Yep,

The above option seems so logical, doesn't it ? ^^^

But in reality, folks don't release.

They think about it for too long.

They wait, and then wait some more before attempting to pull the QR on the death-leash.

Meanwhile precious seconds are ticking by.

So why do they delay, you ask ?

Cause they don't want to lose their $1500 kite.

lol.

eppo said...
What about crew doing unhooked freestyle say in lightish winds at for instance the pond. No leash would be a pain the ass.

The other day my chicken loop come off all of a sudden and the bar was whipped from my hands. Had the leash on the suicide as normal. Quick line pull and up she went. No leash would have been swimming in a long way!

But I do see the dangers in using them just a risk benefit analyses really. But yeh lines crossed and kite in the water in high winds ready to launch unexpectedly ... Ouch. Don't think the answer is to have no leash though.

You often say that you don't unhook, why do you connect suicide then?

Livit said...Core has 2 leashes in their range, a freestyle one for those who unhook and a freeride/wave one for the rest of the crew, the 2nd one is much shorter and I believe the other brands should follow and let the customer choose.

From a noobs perspective the core short leash is great.

At first it was a bit ackward so i bought a longer one but i've reverted back after it annoying the crap out of me when body dragging.

After my kitemare early on i think having a leash thats short and in front of you is handy. I dont know, hower it could be hard to hit the leash safety when your being dragged backwards.