Depower Rope/line

[Zepheros]

I am always surprised how quickly the depower rope wears out. I find myself replacing the rope once a season at least. I mostly fly north kites but I've experienced the same issue on other manufacturer's bar. Certainly with todays technology there must be better quality rope?

The flying lines seem to be much stronger. I can't help but think a 5mm flying line instead of the std depower rope would be much more durrable.

It would be great to hear from someone with line / rope knowledge as the various types of lies used on our bar and the pros and cons of each.

[Kamikuza]

I am always surprised how quickly the depower rope wears out. I find myself replacing the rope once a season at least. I mostly fly north kites but I've experienced the same issue on other manufacturer's bar. Certainly with todays technology there must be better quality rope?

The flying lines seem to be much stronger. I can't help but think a 5mm flying line instead of the std depower rope would be much more durrable.

It would be great to hear from someone with line / rope knowledge as the various types of lies used on our bar and the pros and cons of each.

Mmm . . . nope. It's all about friction. You might find that some companies (Best for sure, new North bars?) have an insert in the bar hole with material designed to lower the wear on the depower rope.

Or you could wax the line with bow wax . . .

[sarc]

DO a search on the forum. Rub surf wax (hot-tropical type, the hard type) all over the depower rope. Repeat every 20 sessions or so. Rope will last many years.

And rinse your bar/lines in fresh water after every sesh!

[matth]

just one more reason I love my Cabrhina bar. I believe ozone , rrd and maybe another have pvc tubing protecting the center lines.

[Zepheros]

Seriously, wax and wash your lines?

Is there no rope that can last longer than a season??? And why are the tiny flying lines more durable than the depower rope?

At $500 for a new bar we should be getting the best quality lines.

There must be more durable lines, for example climbing Ropes or perhaps paraglding ropes?

[icebird]

I have an age old 5th element north bar with no real wear on depower line - the secondary line for the stopper got a bit worn eventually but wasn't really needed. I have treated the lines with nothing, and never rinsed the bar after a session, and at most let the bag a bit open if lines really wet, and I do move the bar up and down in lightwind. The QR works like a dream.

Lot's of reports on worn depower ropes though.

I think there are two issues:

1) I you are heavier, there is more friction and more wear. Difficult to change that.

2) If you do no dip the entire bar and depower system in water when starting out, sand will stick and water will not lubricate. This is easy avoid.

[dazarter]

i run a 2012 gaastra bar and a slingshot bar....the gaastra bars depower rope looks warn already but will hold the rest of the season (not waxed) , you can buy a new rope for about 6-10 euros from good sailing shops! does not need to be from north etc etc...., the slingshot bar is from 2009 and still has the original depower rope on it, not so much usage.....the rope is also warn but will hold on für a very long time...
Its about how the bar works, i love the gaastra system, the magnetic release, the simple ideas and that it never tangles due to the automatic twist system which also causes more friction on the depower rope, i would never change it because it always works and relaunch is really easy....due to the high V..

the slingshot bar also works well but does get tangled up after a while....and relaunch is not always easy because the lines twist more often...

every system has got pros and cons....i feel that to change a depower rope once a year for 10 euros is not really a problem...on the Gaastra it takes 10 mins!

maybe i will try to wax it.....might get a few more months out of the rope....

i always wash my bars with fresh water after use......

[Séb]

Is there no rope that can last longer than a season??? And why are the tiny flying lines more durable than the depower rope?

As someone already said it, the difference is the friction! You don't have a lot of friction with your flying line but you do get a LOT of friction with your depower rope, even more if you have a bar that can unspin the front line just by pulling the bar fully (but this is a great feature). Coating your line with wax is the best way to increase the durability and try to avoid sand as much as you can, rinse with water if you have sand on it before going to ride. That is the only way to extend the life of this consumable line and by the way it is cheap to replace so don't worry too much.

[Starsky]

It is all about friction, but I would suggest you can lower the friction with simple mindfull technique.

I see some riders chew through depower lines much faster than others, and can see the difference in how they ride. Some keep the rope in constant contact with the edge of the hole in the bar and move the bar a great deal. Others fly with the bar in only light contact with the line and are a little less angry with their steering input.

[jbdc]

Earlier this year, I saw more wear than I was expecting after one session on my Ocean Rodeo bar. I did some searching and found a few options:

• Do nothing and replace the line as necessary
• SailKote or other dry lube
• Surf wax
• Bow string wax
• Candle wax

After weighing all the options, I elected to go with the bow string wax and I'm happy with the results. The application is just as easy as the surf wax (just rub it in), and it's probably not that much different. It's just a little more reassuring to use something which is meant to reduce friction and wear on synthetic lines--as opposed to the surf wax which is meant to be sticky. Even though tropical surf wax is pretty hard, the bowstring wax is maybe a little harder and less likely to get sticky and pick-up sand after laying in the sun.

Like I said though, they're probably not all that different (it's just frickin' wax); it's more of a psychological thing. Regardless, it works pretty well.