Sliding spreader bar?

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321kiteboarding
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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by 321kiteboarding » Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:56 pm

Chris, sorry we didn't mean to leave you out, KITE NAKED rocks!

I wont look down on anyone who uses a snap shackle, the Dyneema on the Dynabar V7XT does have an emergency release.

My only advice would be to find a way to incorporate the bungee, it makes the movement so much smoother.

That (in my opinion) is what makes it so much better in the Dynabar vs. Dakine debate. The Dakine version of a "sliding bar" is very rough and although it moves, does not really slide.

Note: You could actually run the bungee (newer versions) through the ring on the Dyneema slider to adapt it to your "Shackle set up".

http://www.slidingspreaderbar.com

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by sloughslut » Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:45 pm

what happend to unhooking for wave rides?
Riding used and closeout kites and boards from e-bay,craigslist,ikitesurf, and local surf shops.Now riding home made foils

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by rowboat » Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:09 pm

Re unhooking -- I was wondering when someone would bring that up. I used to have a goal of learning how to ride unhooked, but now with my Cloud + surf bar setup I wonder whether it's worth it. Unhooked everything works differently -- the kite is fully sheeted at all times, right? -- & the kite is, also, well, unhooked. I realize that I'm not getting quite the same degree of ultimate unhooked freedom, but slider bar + huge travel gets you perhaps 2/3 of the way there without the complication of unhooking.. It's funny, I hear riders talking less and less about unhooking and also see it far less often is pics & vids in the last ~2 years.

What do you guys think?
-- Lose the Handles

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by sloughslut » Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:37 pm

Riding used and closeout kites and boards from e-bay,craigslist,ikitesurf, and local surf shops.Now riding home made foils

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by ramsey » Wed Dec 11, 2013 11:52 am

Unhooked riding in the waves is really tricky, and maybe most don't see the benefits. It really just a different challenge with a different feeling.

Since I ride switchblades and they are more geared for unhooked riding (ie:slower), I like to ride unhooked in the waves when I can. There's a lot of problems though. First, you have to have your kite tuned right. 2nd, its a totally different style of riding. You generally ride towards your kite and most of the power comes from the wave. This means you have much less control over your direction and speed. If the area is crowded you have to be super careful. Most of your fellow riders won't realize you are unhooked and you need to be able to negotiate that.

For my setup, unhooked only really works in the right wind conditions at waddell or scott creek. Maybe OB on a south wind. Also, the wave has to be head high or greater otherwise you just bog down and fall off the back of the wave. I've definitely thought about getting a bigger board for that reason.

That being said, if it all falls into place it can be an amazing feeling. I sometimes still think about one wave that I caught at Scott's last winter. Unhooked and in the pocket for 3-4 turns bombing down the line, scared shitless. Probably looked unimpressive from the beach, but man was it fun.

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by demo243 » Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:06 pm

New to the area, but been kiting for a few years back east. Stumbled upon this and decided to finally join.

I just set one of these slider bars up for myself. Tried it once with the hook still on the spreader bar and just had trouble with it catching the hook, so I was waiting to catch a deal on a second spreader and then cut the hook of my old one.

Here is what I am running

Hacked off hook, but left the small loop so I can still use the hold down strap. Then ran some spare Dyneema across the bar with knots on either end and just a simple steel ring. Clip your CL right into the ring. Kinda of a pain cause you have to operate your CL every time, but keeps it simple and still allows use of stock safety release. Also wouldnt work if you self launch from a fixed anchor...

Image
Image
Image

I have since made the knots on either end a bit bigger and all tied the end back over just for extra safety.

Works pretty well. Have two sessions on it so far. Seems to "stick" a little bit though as the ring sorta "notches" itself in the dyneema. Been looking into other options. Picked up some of those ronstan shock block sheeveless blocks, like the bridle pulleys hoping it would slide better, but not sure havent tried it yet.

Also thinking about picking up a replacement hook for a Jay designs slider bar
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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by Yoda » Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:44 pm

Anyone here have any experience with the Mystic TwoFace harness with the sliding spreader bar?
What I like about the TwoFace from what I can tell was that if I were to put on the harness in the "regular stance" position and then be riding my board in a goofy stance going upwind/starboard tack, the harness will keep the spreader hook locked at the center where I would want it to stay put like a fixed spreader bar, but once I would jib back to my regular stance the harness would then slide back to the correct "surf" position. I think I'd like this function better than the Dynabar if this is indeed how it performs. It also seems like it would cause zero problems with unhooking in the surf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ewA7WLk60

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by WindMuch » Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:13 pm

These are interesting pictures and lead me to a question: I see most harness brands come with little clips to keep the spreader bar from coming unlatched on the side(s) (see the red clips in the picture above).

I ride with my spreader bar hook reversed (i.e. it hooks from the inside out) so these clips aren't necessary. Aren't those little clips a pain in the a$$ to put on and take off every time one wants to take their harness on/off? And especially with cold fingers?

What am I missing here?

Kirk out

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by demo243 » Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:38 pm

I tried on the 2face harness and wasnt impressed... but that was only in the store hanging off a bar tied to the rafters. Would love to actually ride one though for the reasons you mention above. But yea from trying it in the store, it didnt really make me want to buy it.


As for those red clips never had an issue with them. Easy enough to put on. My old harness was a Best Kiteboarding harness and it had one clip in the "reverse" set up. I did have that come unclipped on me once. Never had that issue with the Dakine. I think the reason they run them inboard is that so there is less chance of a line getting caught in that clip. Never know what will happen when your getting worked by a wave

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Re: Sliding spreader bar?

Post by ozchrisb » Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:57 am

WindMuch wrote:These are interesting pictures and lead me to a question: I see most harness brands come with little clips to keep the spreader bar from coming unlatched on the side(s) (see the red clips in the picture above).

I ride with my spreader bar hook reversed (i.e. it hooks from the inside out) so these clips aren't necessary. Aren't those little clips a pain in the a$$ to put on and take off every time one wants to take their harness on/off? And especially with cold fingers?

What am I missing here?

Kirk out
I the "old days" (2000 ish) Dakine used to ship the harnesses with the hooks going inside out like yours. One side was fixed with a little screw and a plastic standoff, you can still see the hole on the plates. They used to bend open when clipped this way, usually when toe side. Maybe it had something to do with not much depower in the kites and riding overpowered a lot though. One friend would do this to every spreader bar the first day he got one, I only managed to pop one once or twice. Standard practise was to bash them closed and then step into your harness each time.
I guess someone realised that clipping them the other way stopped loading the side of the plate that could bend, and the red clips provided extra insurance against them coming open. The clips are good, it take maybe 2 seconds to clip the one side you undo, although I sometimes forget and my spreader has stayed put. Race kites don't exactly load the harness much though.
Dakine harnesses have always been the most comfortable for me, but they always fall apart after a season. Off to find a sewing machine to patch my current seat harness which is splitting by the leg loops, same as the first one I had over 10 years ago.....

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