Unhooking leash options

[ragzilla]

Alright.......
Bout 6 months into the unhooked game now....... I seem to be thrashing my leashes. Been through 3 so far.
Either bungee leashes get so stretched they dangle at my feet, I blow the quick release system, or they snap.

I've been looking for another alternative, but don't really ride with many people who unhook, so trying to explore my options.

Seen I few guys ride with a heavy 10-12mm rope, but can't see how their QR leash system works.
What's the go?
Still using a leash QR system, or just a permanent attachment??
( seen one recently that was connected around the trim, and above the QR)

Curious to know if anybody has come up with a new or better system.

Sadly, I ride alone 90% of the time, and in sketchy locations. Not sure if I can go without a 'punch out' feature.

Ideas??

[jumptheshark]

Leashes snap, but if your going through them, think about going to a 5 line c kite. Leashed to A 5th, the load when crashing on leash, lines and kite are usually nothing compared to a 4 line kite leashed suicide. that's the term for leashing to the chicken loop or depower line directly so the kite doesn't flag, but only depowers as much as your set up allows on all 4 lines. You might already know that, but I can't tell. Flagging on every bail sucks but tomahwking your kite eventually wrecks something. 5 lines is a pretty tried and true solution.

[NorCalNomad]

What leashes are you using that you're destroying the QR system...that seems sketch as f***.

Heard the Ion unhooking ones are pretty burly.

Or go the DIY route. 1/2" Tubular climbing webbing + bungee cord + burly stainless steel carabiner + Ion/North QR + a lot of nylon stitching.

[ragzilla]

Hey Norcal......
So far 2 slingshot leashes...... Both fairly new.
The first stretched so much that it was dangling at my feet.
The second snapped the the splice in the that hold onto the ring inside the QR handle.
3rd one was a fairly old Cabrinha (maybe 2009-10)..... The one with the big ball , and that popular little snap lock bit (you know that little metal part that heaps of dudes use to rig up rope harness instead of hook?)

I'd actually like to make my own leash.....
F@#k paying $70aud for something I can likely make better & stronger for $20!!

I'm thinking....
- 8mm spectra with a cover, and having it permanently attached to the ring on my flag line ( SS sentinel, so I'd cut off the big red webbing loop, and replace it)
- monkey fist a few inches from the connection for a grab point on recovery
- connected directly to harness.......

But stumped on the QR system?
Maybe a stainless shackle with the pin & rope?

Do those mystic harness' with the shackle have a QR system?

I dunno..... Wondering ifvanybody has rigged something up.

[Werito]

Try Switch leash. I used to break somehting like 2-4 leash/season, but this has hold up already one year. Release system is also quite rigid, so you won't release by mistake when passing (which has been problem with some other leashes). Also the price is reasonable.

[dragnfly]

I have the same problems. I've been using Cab leash's - but after about 6 months of regular crashing, they are so long they nearly drag in the water, with very little actual stretch left in them - and I also have a big issue with them releasing by accident - i've lost my kite about 6 times after dropping the bar and finding my leash no longer attached - i'm still not sure how it happens - but it's goddamn annoying - and now every time i crash I end up reaching out desperately to catch the chicken loop, just in case.

[dragnfly]

Try Switch leash. I used to break somehting like 2-4 leash/season, but this has hold up already one year. Release system is also quite rigid, so you won't release by mistake when passing (which has been problem with some other leashes). Also the price is reasonable.

Good price for the leash - unfortunately, the postage costs just as much = (

[edt]

Leashes wear out just like line sets. You want to replace it every year or 6 months depending on how often you kite. I made my own leash from an eyebolt, wood block, carabiner, 5mm dyneema, but tend to use regular leashes more. If you have a friend who buys new kites with control bars and resells them every year, ask them for their old leashes, there are lots of old unused leashes out there you can grab for cheap.



If you have some broken leashes laying around, grab the eyebolt from them and you can make a new leash. To make it stretchy, get some elastic and draw it through the center (like how you splice) and then sew it on the ends.

The red one in the above looks pretty, thanks to the wood grain, but it's awkward to grab. I have another leash I made with fabric cover, easier to grab, anyway, making leashes is not too hard, I would go with the eyebolt + wood (or nylon) block method as it's cheap and works as well as buying one of those 2673 wichard shackles (they run about $70 for the shackle alone). You don't want a cheap shackle as they don't release reliably. The one in the above photo cost me $15 for the carabiner, $10 for the dyneema and I reused an old eyebolt from another leash where the splice failed so $25 total. Then I got another leash free from a friend of mine who buys new kite stuff every year so that's the one I'm using now it's a north, pretty nice, but they do wear out.

[jumptheshark]

Ragzila,

Are you on Fuels or RPM's ?

Do you have more than one bar?

[dylan*]

best was making freestyle leashes that were basically a huge rope. not sure what happened to those.