Handlepass Leash - Best Source?

Post general kiteboarding discussion topics here!
Post Reply
User avatar
OliverG
Old School
Old School
Posts:5326
Joined:Sat Feb 07, 2004 5:03 pm
Location:Oakland, CA
Contact:
Handlepass Leash - Best Source?

Post by OliverG » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:19 pm

Does anyone have any recommendations on the best handlepass (suicide) leash? Should I try to get Willy to make me one? Are there good strong reliable ones with safety release available via 3rd party sources?
:?:

User avatar
KillaHz
Resident
Resident
Posts:875
Joined:Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:56 pm
Location:San Francisco
Contact:

Post by KillaHz » Thu Feb 03, 2005 11:55 pm

Ollie, what most of us have done is to use a windsurf uphaul. Add a shackle to the back side and a clip to the front end. The clip attaches to your chicken loop (no need for a release b/c you'll never reach it) and the shackle to the rear of your harness. You can take it one step further which I have done and add some leader line from one side of your harness around the back to the other. Put a ring on the string before you attach the last side. Then add a chicken loop with a good pull release to the ring, then your shackle attached to the uphaul. As many safety releases as possible basically. But you don't really want to pull them because then your kite becomes a hazard.

I've never had to pull them. Your kite actually depowers pretty fast when you release it to the suicide leash. Just have to train yourself to let go instead of death looping thinking on every sequential loop you will get your other hand back on the bar.
Gabe Brown
sometimes Gary Bronson...

consumer
Regular
Regular
Posts:453
Joined:Thu Dec 16, 2004 2:38 pm
Location:berkeley
Contact:

Post by consumer » Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:59 pm

i might have just gotten unlucky or dumb, but i have broken 3 uphauls out of 4 misses. Its made me kind of paranoid, and i dont have the confidence to go balls out, but regardless i know it had to be a thing with uphauls, and i know a lot of people who have also not had much luck with them. However, i CAN attribute one of my snaps to what Gabe opened my eyes to, i was trying to hold on with one hand as my board and all was under water like a plug, well as the kite looped it felt like it was gonna rip my arm off so i let go right in the middle of the poewr zone and sure enough it snapped instantly, very dumb move.
Most of the people i have talked to have made custom suicide leashes from matierals from west marine, which they then sewed webbing on and so on, but i definitely dont have the time nor the skill to do that. So i found a suicide leash from NSI(you can find it on their website, there are other retailers), its not as thick as an uphaul but it seems like its definitely strong enough to hold my weight (175lb). I attach one of those defective wichards to one and and an snap eye(dont know the name but its found at west marine) on the other side.

I really hope it does because the last time my leash snapped i was in the middle of the carribbean sea in AWESOME winds, and it snapped and i remember my kite just flying away, some people have nightmares and trauma from being raped or being in horrible accidents, but i am sensitive to losing my kite.

Kiteboardstud25
Contributor
Contributor
Posts:22
Joined:Sun Dec 12, 2004 1:13 pm
Location:Chico
Contact:

Post by Kiteboardstud25 » Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:25 pm

I got one from prokitesurf.com. They will make one whatever length you want and they have had no problems with them breaking. I think it only cost me like $25 for one with a larks head thing on one end and the other end I put a wichards shackle (the good one). They also sell them with the shackle if you need it.

User avatar
OliverG
Old School
Old School
Posts:5326
Joined:Sat Feb 07, 2004 5:03 pm
Location:Oakland, CA
Contact:

Post by OliverG » Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:21 am

Cool guys, thanks for the tips! I'll try and hook one up, so to speak, soon.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 47 guests