BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I know that there are a lot of guys flying RRD kites. I love the way the kite fly's, but when the kite goes down does anyone have problems with the 5th? Last Saturday I put my kite in the drink, pulled the 5th, kite went on it's back (yeah!!), but then something weird happened. When I let go of the 5th line it seemed stuck. It even got to the point where the kite would hover a couple of feet off the water. The 5th line did not tension until another kiter came to the rescue grabbed my leading edge(with his kite in the air) and brought it to the side of the window. I could not figure out how it happened. Later I saw Alex in the water with his Type 7 hovering above the water. He said that he has the same problem with his kite. Has anyone else come across this, and figured out a way to fix it?

you got work it dudes
when you start to pull the fifth line look at the kite.
it wants to move to a side ,you gotta point the bar end at the kite.
AS YOU WORK THE FIFTH line . if you pull too much it pops off the water.
go and re read the book that came with your kite.

When I let go of the 5th it should tension up right? I know how to use it, but it got stuck and just floated in fornt of me with out me holding on to it. This left the 2 power lines and 2 steering lines slack. Not sure where the hold up was. I checked my lines back on the beach and the only thing I found was grass tangled in the lines.

Maybe your stopper ball is mis-placed or missing.

that could do it ..
some times that ball canflip around all the lines and get jamed

if you drop it in the drink while hooked in, don't unhook and let go of the bar. instead, grab the 5th from either above or below the bar (I prefer above) and pull in a couple of feet, til the kite tilts to about 45 degrees. (not all the way on it's back) this way it won't let wind underneath the kite, even in chop, and you get better steerage on the kite, so it can taxi to the edge of the window better. Play the 5th line out as it goes to the edge of the window, and starts to sit on its wingtip once it gets all the way on one wingtip, you should have fully released the 5th. then just tug on the front lines like your 4line, and up she goes. Talked to the north team this weekend, they do the same thing.

Couple more thoughts: In light wind, it's still tricky. also, Dewey, if the kite's sitting on it's back and you have the bar in your arms, the 5th will be very slack.

If you do blow the 5th line, say you blow your handlepasses, or more likely in my case (I'm not quite ready to try 'em) you just come unhooked, hall that bar in as fast as possible to get tension on the front lines. That causes the kite to nose down a little and prevents wind from getting underneath.

Thanks

I've not had this problem (on the ZH)-- I just pull the 5th and watch the kite migrate to the edge of the window based on it's "preference" and voila. Next time try using the 5th just to get the migration going, then get it off the water?

me too
sheet out point bar end at kite
pull some fifth line and the kite starts to taxie to the edge of the window..
were you guys spinnn n ....?

Alex has had this issue with the type 7 when he tries an unhooked kite loop and loses the bar with the suicide leash attached to the fifth line. I saw the same thing happen to the north kites when Sky and Jaime were at rio last year.

The kite will be very neutral on it's back with slack lines. The only solution at that point is to swim like hell to one side or the other...this will lead to enough tension on a back line to get the kite back up. If you are grabbing the 5th line 'cus the kite is bladder down, do not pull the kite all the way on it's back.....like the previous email says..

Bob