Useful Life Span of Control Bar & Lines

[nick_80044]

I suppose one could simply replace the lines without changing the bar, but the kite bridles are made of the same stuff and they wear too, so I also change kites every couple of years, to keep everything as strong as possible.

Is it possible (and cost effective) to just change the bridles, or do you feel that at that point the wear and tear on the kite as a whole warrants replacement?

[WindMuch]

Vinnie,

My general feeling is that it's not always obvious were something is going to fail. Stitching comes apart, webbing wears, bridles abrade - you may not always see things before they fail and turn your session into a SnorkelFest.

Some folks are fine keeping 3-4-5+ year old kites and lines in their quivers. Me for the places I kite? Not so much...

Kirk out

[sc-surfer]

Interesting feedback from all---thanks! Sounds like the general consensus is that the easy-wear stuff (lines) should be replaced every two years max, or even a year or less depending on usage.

Trim line: 3-4 times a season at $5
Leader lines: once a season at less than $10
QR safety line 1-2 times a season at $5
Flying lines: got two seasons out of the last ones but that ended in a swim at Waddell so now I'll likely replace them annually if not before just as a precaution.

I bought a commercially-packaged trim line last year and it cost me $25 or $30. The DIY route obviously is a lot cheaper. So the question is, where and how does one gain the skills to set up the lines, get all the attachment points modified correctly, etc. ?

Can't really tell ya via forum post how to do it. Don't know what bar you are using. Some are easier than others. If you pm me a photo of your setup I might be able to help you.
Also happy to do it for you or teach you how, if you are anywhere near Santa Cruz.


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[WindMuch]

Can't really tell ya via forum post how to do it. Don't know what bar you are using. Some are easier than others. If you pm me a photo of your setup I might be able to help you.
Also happy to do it for you or teach you how, if you are anywhere near Santa Cruz.

Now, that's what I LOVE about this forum! Good on ya Monte!

[nick_80044]

Can't really tell ya via forum post how to do it. Don't know what bar you are using. Some are easier than others. If you pm me a photo of your setup I might be able to help you.
Also happy to do it for you or teach you how, if you are anywhere near Santa Cruz.

That's very generous of you---thanks. But, partly inspired by all the informed opinions here, I realized I'd hit my 2-year limit and just went out and got a new bar.

It's a shame this information isn't readily available in some clear and instructive format, like a "Kite Repair for Dummies" book or something. I bet a lot of people would like to do these upgrades and would maintain their stuff more diligently, which would result in increased safety for all.

[ozchrisb]

There's some pretty good video's on here http://www.fixmykite.com/default.asp if you want to learn to splice trim lines etc. The issue is that some brands do the "tiny splice and sew" thing so you can't necessarily recreate the setup exactly. It's nice to be able to DIY it when you're somewhere that doesn't have a kite store nearby.