How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

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ddubwinokur
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How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by ddubwinokur » Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:06 am

How dangerous do you all consider to be to have a speader bar that comes unattached during particularly spectacular crashes?

I have a harness that has been used and abused quite a bit, and the spreader bar has become unhooked (on one side only) of the harness sometimes in big crashes. I've been able to rescue the situation by kiting in with my spreader bar pointing straight up, harness only still attached by velcro and a backup strap (normally meant to prevent the harness from riding up).

How dangerous is this? Has anyone experienced a similar situation, and was it not a big deal, or was it a big problem?

I've been riding with it for awhile, but it crossed my mind that were this to happen far out in the 3rd ave channel, I would be a mite concerned...

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by etxxz » Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:13 pm

well... i lost my dakine spreader bar at sherman two years ago. Twice before had it become unattached on one side. One day it just went and i was left with the kite hanging by the safety leash.

Its there somewhere near the beach "?%#

would suck if that happened way out on 3rd. Or on the coast. Good bye kite, good bye world.

I actually straight up traded that harness for a waist one, a beat up mystic warrior II that i still rock.

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by bschwagg » Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:18 pm

I had this problem with my old harness. I picked up some harness clips at Real Kiteboarding shop down in hatteras to solve the problem. They were the older model of these: http://www.realwatersports.com/dakine-p ... buckle-set

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by Sonny » Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:46 pm

Also, flipping the buckle will to prevent from unhooking. Generally, you can get unhooked if you don't have it tight enough and ride toe side.
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How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by sc-surfer » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:39 pm

+1 on the Dakine clips. Wouldn't ride without 'em.


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Re: Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by kitenaked » Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:52 am

Sonny wrote:Also, flipping the buckle will to prevent from unhooking. Generally, you can get unhooked if you don't have it tight enough and ride toe side.

This is the same I do with all of mine...if you don't and ride a loose harness toeside, it will come unlatched. The newer harnesses with the harness hook hold down strap can help prevent a major catastrophe and act as a backup if you come unlatched.

Dakine has the little clip in their's to prevent it and the new Underwave has a new clip as well (needs a little refinement but a nice addition).

I had a couple of early generation Mystic harnesses with the click in attachment on spreader. Required two hands for getting it to release especially tough after a long session, but they were earlier models and I know they are pretty refined and nice now.
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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by friggin old guy » Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:45 am

I still recall the early morning op'd solo session at Sherman in which the spreader bar came unclipped on one side and sent the kite into a death spiral pulling me into the tules. Due to my inexperience at the time, I was unable to figure out how to get the kite back under control and could not reach the primary eject. I finally wiggled out of the harness just before the kite would have pulled me through the fork of a tree (which wasn't big enough for me to have fit through).

One of my most memorable kitemares, actually. No damage to either kite or myself, and little damage to ego as there was nobody around to witness. I've wondered sometimes how long it would have taken anybody to find my body if I hadn't gotten out of that harness. Super lucky for sure.

I'd say an unreliable spreader bar is plenty dangerous. Fix those clips or lose it completely, pronto!

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by WindMuch » Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:03 pm

The steering wheel on my car falls off sometimes - should I be concerned?

If you were to pose this question to someone unfamiliar with kiting, I'm guessing you'd get a quizzical "...are you effing serious?" look because the question sounds something like:

"I do this sport where I attach my body to a really big kite. We regularly fly these kites in 25+ mile per hour winds. Sometimes I let the kite lift me 10-25+ feet off the water. Oh yeah, and the thing that attaches my body to all that power, well, sometimes it comes loose..."

Question answered?

(grin)

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by friggin old guy » Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:44 pm

The steering wheel on my car falls off sometimes - should I be concerned?
Maybe you should take better care of that beat up old Westy.........is that what happens when you put 200+ hp in the back?

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Re: How dangerous is an unreliable spreader bar?

Post by ddubwinokur » Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:46 pm

Word, thanks for the responses all. I was trying to rationalize expending more $$ on kiting gear, and I think you all have helped me down this path significantly.

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