What bars work with what kites?

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This forum is for new kiters/beginners to share info and experiences and to get answers to kiting questions. All questions are valid. Please provide proper answers (no sarcasm/joke replies, etc.) as we'd like to avoid any confusion or misinformation.
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tulley
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What bars work with what kites?

Post by tulley » Sun Dec 30, 2012 5:51 pm

Control bars work with a certain year and model of kite. check.
Kite manufactures, can usually advise, which of their control bars work with which of their kites. ok.

However, if you mix manufactures of kites and control bars... a beginner gets confused. I was advised in my lessons that you want to stick with one manufacturer of control bars. This way you have exactly how to depower, and unhook deeply engrained in your memory. You don't want to have do XYZ on your 9M kite and ABC on your 12M kite... and have to remember the difference as you are getting dragged face first down the beach... So how does one determine what bars work with what kites. I know its not as easy as just picking a 4 line bar and a 4 line kite...

Specifically, I have a 9M switchblade ('12) and 12M switchblade ('10) with the IDS bar that came complete with the kite. I'm heading to Baja in Jan for 10 days hoping to progress from a beginner to a novice. I've been advised that I'll likely miss a few days without a smaller kite. I'm 150# and I'm looking for a 7M kite. Since, on a previous thread this forum advised that I won't get much use from a 7M in the delta, I'm looking for a used kite. There are very few used 7M switchblades avail on BAK or iKite. So I'm trying to understand what kites I could buy that will work well with cabrinha IDS bars. Any advice? Are bars from other manufacturers similar enough to IDS?

Will an IDS bar work with Wainman, Slingshot, F-One, RRD, etc? If so, only specific model years?

To avoid conflicts of interest, please don't PM me that the 7M kite you are selling will work great w/ an IDS bar. Please do post that a specific year model kite will work with IDS. The forum is a much better judge of your knowledge than I will be. :-)

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Post by WindMuch » Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:24 pm

I don't know about bar/kite compatibility, but I'd disagree with the idea you won't use/need a 7 (or smaller) in the delta. At 150 pounds, that may often be your go-to kite for summer sessions up there!

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What bars work with what kites?

Post by sc-surfer » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:31 pm

Most, but not all newer kites run an equal line length setup, meaning that with the bar pulled all the way in ( as in fully powered position ) all lines will be the same length. Theoretically, any bar set up for equal line lengths will fly any kite set up for that style of bar. Som bar details will have an impact though. You will want the total throw on the bar to be as great or greater than the kites requirements. Basically, if you run a bar with quite a bit of throw, most kites will be fine. I fly a Best Redline bar because I like the trim setup and it has a lot of de power throw. I use it with a bunch of different kites. Also look at total trim adjustability range. again, if the range on the bar is as much or more than what a given kite needs, you will be fine. Again, that's why I use the bar I do. The is no real rocket science behind it. It's just 4 lines that you gain vary the length relationship of.
There are, however several brands and individual models that have line/bridle setups that are not standard equal length setups. You will either have to fly the matching bar/kite combo, or use custom pigtails on the bridle to compensate for the difference. If you figure out that pigtail length, then you could use a standard bar. Of course, no manufacturer will tell you that.
I prefer to use just one style bar. I carry a spare so that all parts are interchangeable and I am super comfortable with the operation and features.

As for specific kites and bars... Well, you will have to work that out on your own. And at your own risk. This is California after all. :-)

Hope that helps.

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Post by le noun » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:57 am

WindMuch wrote:I don't know about bar/kite compatibility, but I'd disagree with the idea you won't use/need a 7 (or smaller) in the delta. At 150 pounds, that may often be your go-to kite for summer sessions up there!
I agree with kirk, I'm 185 and my usual kite size at sherman is 9m in the summer.
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Re: What bars work with what kites?

Post by adamrod » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:46 am

so, the IDS bar has the center line split that extends pretty far up from the bar right?

having the Y split further up does affect kite performance. and kites not designed for it might flare out at the wingtips.

most kite companies have the center line Y right down by the bar, but some (like North and Cab) do not. If your bar has the Y further up, stick with other kites that also run a bar with the Y further up.

soo, probably look around for a used cab switchblade, vector, drifter etc...
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Re: What bars work with what kites?

Post by JRaut » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:23 am

I have kites from three different manufactures --- Caution, Best, and Ozone --- and a bar that matches each of those. All my kites are 4-line kites; all my bars are 4-line bars; the center two lines on all my bars split right above the depower straps. I've checked all my bars and all of them have equal line lengths when sheeted all the way in.

They should all work together, right?

I was out the other day and brought my Ozone kite but forgot the matching bar at home; I had my Caution bar in my car, so I figured I'd make it work if I could.

Both the Ozone and Caution bars are set up such that one set of lines --- either flying or power --- uses lark's head knots and the other set of lines uses regular knots. The reverse is true on the bridles. They make it that way for idiot insurance, I presume.

The thing is, Ozone and Caution have it set up opposite each other. I don't remember which was which, but it it was opposite. Anyway, I was able to make it work by tying sheet bends where all four lines attach to the kite/bridle, being careful to use the same amount of line in each knot.

I launched the kite and it was able to fly it well enough, but I was WAY overpowered the whole day. Uncomfortably so. Even after I depowered all the way at the bar and sheeted all the way out. (And to be clear, I was on an 11m kite in about 15 knots of breeze: hardly a situation in which I should be overpowered. And other people were out on bigger kites.)

I ended up coming in after about a half hour or so because I was riding a surfboard strapless and just couldn't manage to stay attached to it, especially when a puff came.

The moral of the story:
Even if everything seems like it should work between a kite and bar from different manufactures, you may need some fine tuning to make things fly correctly.

J

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What bars work with what kites?

Post by sc-surfer » Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:44 am

J,

If you are going to use only one bar, the Caution bar isn't a great choice. It has a lot less throw than some other brands. See my other posts about bars for a better write up. I ride Caution kites but use a different bar because I prefer the longer throw. Any bar with a good long travel can be adjusted to fly any kite well, assuming that both are 'equal line length' setups. However, a bar with a short throw may not fully depower a kite that is set up for a bar with more throw.

Hope that makes sense...


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Re: What bars work with what kites?

Post by Roosterfish » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:25 pm

sc-surfer wrote: ...I ride Caution kites but use a different bar because I prefer the longer throw.
Just curious--what bar do you use?

C

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What bars work with what kites?

Post by sc-surfer » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:41 pm

I'm riding a modified Best Redline bar. Nothing fancy, basic above bar depower with centerline safety, but it has a long throw and a simple safety system that is easy to reset and works even when it's full of sand.




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