how to switch from suicide to "self-landing" ...

[vdeub]

here is my dilemma.

- i dont have 2K$ for a new Cabrinha and IDS

- i am comfortable self-launching and self-landing in normal conditions
- i prefer to ride suicide in case i unhook by mistake or to spin the bar

- i would prefer to land and launch with the leash attached to the central line in the hook that give you full depower, but i am usually too short to reach it , cannot detach it easily in the water and even more difficult to attach it back on the beach. it would give me the security if i miss my self land/launch, or if the wind is really strong at that time.


do you have any trick to reach the central lines ? i usually pull on the central lines, which depower the kite, and it s a dangerous speed play between the kite is falling / i need to attach / detach my leash.

i thought about attaching a extra dangling line of 30cm but that something i hated on my cabrinha's (the dangling depower/repower central lines, making knots and tangling around the central lines...) and i am much more happy with the depower under the bar i got now ...


At this point, i stopped trying, and just do it all in "suicide leash" , hoping to be fast enough if something goes wrong to reach the -oshit- handle 2 meters away from me...

and, yes, when i ride at 3nd or crissy, i usually get help. it s more for less crowded spots, like OB, after a 2 miles downwinder...

[reyrivera]

How about using two leashes? I find it useful to have two leashes, a short leash rigged suicide, a long leash rigged to the flagging line.

If I need to self rescue, I take out the suicide leash and attach it to my board so I don't lose the board. If I don't feel safe riding with a suicide or not practicing unhooked rides, then I take out the suicide leash and hook it to my harness wonder woman style.

[windhorny]

cabrinha has a depower below the bar now?

[vdeub]

cabrinha has a depower below the bar now?

sorry it was not clear, i switched to OR recently.

[vdeub]

a short leash rigged suicide, a long leash rigged to the flagging line.

still cannot spin the bar, can you ?

[wjb]

can you run a mini 5th from the "central line" through the bar. Then you could clip back and forth pretty easy

[reyrivera]

I can, I modified some of my bars and added extension on the flagging line, now all my bars have the flagging line connection neatly tucked near the chicken loop.

I don't know anything about the Cabrinha bars which is why I did not comment on them. If you do try this, just make sure to work out all the issues and test your mod thoroughly.

[reyrivera]

Wade's idea looks promising, you have two possible ideas:

1) Wade's idea, run the extra line through the bar hole, but this means that your two front lines will be the flagging lines, if you have to flag your kite, the two front lines will stop short at the connection point of your extension. Caution bars have this type of flagging.

2) Skip running the extension through the bar, instead use velcros to neatly tuck away the extension line from the ring to the chicken loop. When you flag the kite, it will only use one line.

Make sure to test your mods and take into account issues when you flag your kite.

[EvanOR]

If you prefer to leave your leash hooked suicide (to the chicken loop), in general you are running a greater risk of having an issue, both on and off the water. The kite will only depower in relation to where your stopper is positioned. That being said, if that's the way you like roll then this is how I suggest you self land.

1) Before you hit the beach, slide the stopper all the way up. This way you can just let go off the bar if you run into trouble, even if you are leashed suicide. The Rise is designed to depower and feather out of the sky unless the stopper is pulled down to about an arm's length from the bar. The effect is the same as being leashed " normally " and pushing the eject hub. On the '08 bar, " normal " means leashing to the end of the trim line, and on the '09 bar, it means leashing to the small ring beside the cleat. Both versions allow you to spin the bar.

If you have the '09 bar the stopper tension is adjustable. If push the upwards hard and smack the stopper, it will slide up the trim line so you can then let go and depower the kite.

2) Depower the kite a few inches.

3) Pick your spot - make sure you have space downwind in case anything goes wrong.

4) You now have the stopper all the way up, and the kite depowered. Lower the kite to the edge of the window so the tip is about 10' off the ground. Reach above the bar and quicky reel the center trim lines in, until you can reach up and snap the top center flying line hard and towards yourself (think starting a chainsaw) .The kite will fall nose down into the wind.

5) Hesitation/timidness are your enemy. Move quickly and be aggressive. If something goes wrong, just left everything go. Since you moved the stopper all the way up, the kite will depower and swing downwind. Reach up and grab the tab by the swivel - this will flag the kite off one front line. You can then walk up that line to the kite and secure it.

This is the technique I use - the only difference being I never ride leashed suicide. Regardless, I do move the stopper up anytime I am on or near the beach. In general, you can't be too safe. If I get in trouble, all I need to do is let the bar go.

Tips:

1) Practice this in light wind first, with lots of space. It is quiet simple and easy to do, but you don't want to work this out when it's nuking.

2) If possible, it helps to drop the kite in a wind shadow, or in a lull if it's really windy. Even lowering it behind another kite sitting on the beach makes a big difference.

I'm happy to demonstrate if you want me to show you the next time we're at the beach.

For frame of reference for others viewing, here are a couple of photos.

[eag]

vdeub – by suicide do you mean hooked to the trim line below the bar, or directly to the chicken loop? The trim line attachment is the norm for the OR bar, and rigging a leash all the way to the one centerline tab above the swivel is really just a beginner super safety option.

I self land my Rises a lot and it works as Evan says. Kite lowered to just about touching sand, pull center lines in till you can reach above the swivel, quickly pull in TOP center line and the kite drops perfectly onto the beach.

Practice in light wind at a place like OB and you'll be comfortable in no time