Ben Wilson Kite bar

[tripman]

They use to sell the bar only (the stick only) which I should have bought as I do my own bar set-up and this is for me one of the best sticks available. Regarding the complete set, it's clean and simple but the CL is a bit heavy and the quick release is not that easy to disconnect and reconnect once activated. Good thing witgh the CL, it's easy to cut the loop to make it shorter if needed.

[juandesooka]

super simple and super clean

And the price of course... $670 CAD
YOU ARE ON CRACK COCAINE

https://bwsurf.eu/store/spare-parts/qr-unit-complete
$200 CAD for a chicken-loop assembly?

Agreed, I stumbled into a BWS quiver at a really good price and I have been happy with both kites and the bar. Happy enough to stick with them, but not at the retail prices. I guess you pay for quality, but seems like premium price and then some.

I don't have the new bar yet, but it looks like one of the main improvements is putting a rubber cover over depower rope for smoother sliding. That was a weak point on the original bar ... premature wear on the rope, with the replacement rope costing $75. But worse than that....when the new bar released, no more spare parts for the old ones....so now $75 seems cheap next to a perfectly good bar with an untrustworthy depower rode that's now good for nuthin'....unless you're really good at splicing rope. Ah well.

[Starsky]

Seriously? Anyone who opts for oem replacement parts for a piece of rope deserves the price shaft!

BTW the original bar was one of the first to have a low friction insert specifically to limit line wear. Works exceptionally well. It was the below bar cleat that chewed line.

Plastic covered line.... No thanks.

[juandesooka]

Seriously? Anyone who opts for oem replacement parts for a piece of rope deserves the price shaft!

BTW the original bar was one of the first to have a low friction insert specifically to limit line wear. Works exceptionally well. It was the below bar cleat that chewed line.

Plastic covered line.... No thanks.

Seemed like a total rip off to me too. Then a piss off when the rip off was no longer an option.

Looks like two pieces of 5mm dyneema with a splice in the middle and then two spliced loops at the ends. Unfortunately, that's beyond this DIY guy's skills. Especially for splices strong enough to confidently kite several km offshore!

Could replace the middle splice with a knot fairly easily. I don't think you can replace the connectors to the c loop assembly with knots though.

If you have a quick and easy solution, post it up or pm me!

[Kamikuza]

that's beyond this DIY guy's skills

No it's not. Easy to do, and just as strong. Look up "brummel splice" here for tips...

[Starsky]

No splice. Single line from cl up through bar then cleat line mount, up to their line thingy and back down through the cleat. Above bar depower. Pretty sure I used a bowline where they originally had a spliced loop to attach to the cl. Loops on a sort of hook inside the unit and the whole knot is contained in there. then feeds out as a clean single line.

[juandesooka]

Thanks to you both for info.

Kamikuza: I have actually spliced loops in before with what looks similar to that. Just not sure I'd trust my skills for the depower rope....a lot riding on that connection.

Starsky: if you wouldn't mind forwarding me a pic, I'd be grateful. juandesooka at gmail dot com is probably easiest.

You motivated me to spent the last 90 minutes playing around with my old bar with the beat up rope. I approximated the 3 splices with overhand knots (the double loop like you use for surfboard leash strings). Other than being ugly as f*** it looks functional. I lose about 1cm of throw, that's about it. Any strength issues I wonder? EG is the line tied on itself in this knot any less strong than a splice?

[flyingfishza]

Correct me if im wrong, please
But from that pic the setup looks like your leash would wrap around the CL every time you use the swivel?

[Starsky]

@ flying

Yeah that's right. I only use the swivel occasionally and usually unclip for a few seconds while riding along to unspin the front lines, but have also just unhooked for a second to let the leash fall free. The pictured leash line is a 5th line but can just as easily be rigged 4 line with front line flag. The cleat on the cl is there intentionally. It's easily removed if you don't want it.

@juand

Pic posted above. Two knots total. Bowline hidden inside cl unit and simple overhand after the trim cleat to keep a couple inches of line as a handle.

[Bushflyr]

Thanks to you both for info.

Kamikuza: I have actually spliced loops in before with what looks similar to that. Just not sure I'd trust my skills for the depower rope....a lot riding on that connection.

*snip*

Any strength issues I wonder? EG is the line tied on itself in this knot any less strong than a splice?

Dude, just learn to splice. I use a bit of meat skewer or coat hanger and some blue tape. It's SUPER easy to do right. As for your second question, a good splice is approximately the same strength as the rope. An overhand knot decreases the rope strength by ~50%. It's a pretty huge margin. Also, Dyneema/Spectra rope is super slippery and doesn't hold knots well. That overhand knot you tied is highly prone to migrating up and slipping out over the next few sessions.

Starsky: FWIW a bowline is completely the wrong knot to use in your situation. Use a splice (see above) or if you're dead set on using a knot use a half love knot. Bowlines are awesome because they are easy to untie. They're also prone to coming loose by themselves. There's a reason we don't use them for rock climbing. If you hit them right they capsize and turn into a slip knot with a free tail.