toddjb123 wrote:That said, the bar did have a hacked together look to it...like someone grabbed a bunch of off-the-shelf marine hardware and screwed it all together.
The 2008 bar? You gotta be kidding, it looks great!
I've gone from Cabrinha (above the bar, poor depower strap design) to Slingshot (below the bar depower strap) to Eclipse (above the bar, good depower strap design).
I don't see the need for below the bar. Other than cosmetically, I don't see the improvement in function. When depowered, it offers a lot of rope to tangle in the sensitive areas in the rig. It has the ability to go from depowered to accidentally powered up (rope slack sucked up by powerful kite) in an instant. It adds wear to the line under the most load. It is hard to pull out when it is all the way in. The only thing good i see about them is that they offer the ability to use one of those sliding two-hole stoppers.
The only things I can see to improve the eclipse bars (2008) are these:
- A little more durable rubber coating, mine is starting to peel a little bit on the more used areas.
- SS rings on the mickey mouse (front lines) to act as additional leash points. (extra $$)
- A vinyl sheathed CL rope
- Multiple steering line attachment points on the bar (a la flysurfer 2009)
- Through the bar safety like 2008 with larkshead that you can attach to center line assembly, or either power line.
- Less finicky QR. Mushroom style. 360 push away.