thought i would put out the p line specs for the noise for those with a second hand one or new one, as this affects the kite performance.

after a season my kite performance dropped and after contacting bws I found it was the P Line had shrunk. they had shrunk about 8cm. Supposedly it shrinks from heat, not sure why but thats what happens. Once they shrink the kite depowers less and is prone to back stalling.

the picture below shows what happened on my 6m. this pic is with the bar out and some depower pulled on, with a solid 20kn to 25kn wind. The rear lines cant extend so it cant depower properly.

here are the specs for the p lines.

10m = 235cm
8m = 215cm
6m = 182cm

i fixed the problem by adding a 10 cm pigtail to the p line to equal the approximate design lengths. You need to check that both sides are equal length also and adjust to suit with some knots. You can buy some new ones also. The kite flies like new again once its back into spec.

you should check the lengths of the front and rear lines also while your at it so they are all equal at full power

Poida said...

thought i would put out the p line specs for the noise for those with a second hand one or new one, as this affects the kite performance.

after a season my kite performance dropped and after contacting bws I found it was the P Line had shrunk. they had shrunk about 8cm. Supposedly it shrinks from heat, not sure why but thats what happens. Once they shrink the kite depowers less and is prone to back stalling.

the picture below shows what happened on my 6m. this pic is with the bar out and some depower pulled on, with a solid 20kn to 25kn wind. The rear lines cant extend so it cant depower properly.

here are the specs for the p lines.

10m = 235cm
8m = 215cm
6m = 182cm

i fixed the problem by adding a 10 cm pigtail to the p line to equal the approximate design lengths. You need to check that both sides are equal length also and adjust to suit with some knots. You can buy some new ones also. The kite flies like new again once its back into spec.

you should check the lengths of the front and rear lines also while your at it so they are all equal at full power

What about the 12m?

Thanks for that what year model are you talking about . or are they the same from 2010 ---2013.

Poida, thanks heaps for this info.
I checked my used 10m BWS and old P-Lines were 215cm?? New ones that came with repair kit were 235cm. Surely the lines could not shrink by 20cm? I suspect that previous owner (or manufacturer) had the wrong P-lines on it.

Yesterday I changed to the new longer P-Lines and kite seemed to fly better, but it was very light (12 knots) so not good conditions to see the difference. I think that maybe also if your P-lines are too short the kite doesn't turn as well because the back-lines don't affect the back tip as directly?

I am always getting asked by various kiters ''why use P-lines on Kites, some kites have it some dont - Whats their purpose'' ?

I had a chance recently to catch up with BWS designer DANO SEE and ask him why he chooses to use P-lines in his bridle configuration:-

-- Basically what he said and how I understood it was --

P-lines offer a form of wingtip Support, obviously kites need stability and one of the key factors for this is the bridle ( without wingtip support kites will buckle under intense load ) .

The NOISE kite has been designed with a thinner Leading Edge at the wingtip,this enables faster turning and greater response for the rider , without the P-line it cant fully support itself and at times can buckle. The P-lines offer a load point between front and rear lines and Ideally the P-line should basically be slack until the kite is fully sheeted in. The Wingtip only needs the support when the kite is at full power and under its full load.

The rope Dano has sourced is 100% Dynema and is specifically designed to be used in wearing/friction applications. It has been reported that the rope shrinks under heat - Up to 20cm in extreme cases. Dont leave your kites in the car on hot days. The ring is used instead of a pulley, as tests indicated pulleys created more wear to the rope. A pulley can be used but needs to hang over 20cm off the kite. This was a tangling bridle wrapping issue.

DANO has already designed and tested ''to be released'' kites and reports he has super seeded the P-Lines all together and introduced some cutting edge technology.

EXACT MEASUREMENTS AS PER DANO AT BWS

P-line Sizes:

12m = 250cm
(For better light wind turning you can add 1 or 2 figure8 knots to each P-line to enhance low end steering and power)
Be careful not to over do it as the kite will stall if they become too short. If the lines shrink simply untie the knots.

10m = 235cm
(No adjustment, maximum length possible for best performance)

8m = 215cm
(No adjustment, maximum length possible for best performance)

6m = 182cm
(As the distance between front and rear lines is much less then the larger kites the P-lines can actually be removed. Make sure to pump your kite hard. If you have wingtip buckling issues, put the P-lines back on)

5m = 160cm
(These can be removed, no real benefit to the kite)

Hope this helps any P-Line issues.

Keep enjoying your kiting -- ''Whatever Brand you ride''

had same problem with my 8m plines shrunk about 220 added some old pig tails flew like a different kite turned faster so better boosting and no stalling when turning in light wind almost gave up on kite because of this also did try 6m with out plines but didnt work to well (was in high wind) so re fitted