Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

wisdom on tangling

Forum for kitesurfers
Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Sun Sep 08, 2002 9:20 pm

Help! Novice spending all her time untangling 4 lines. Used to fly 2 lines and never disconnected from kite, never tangled. What are the tricks to setting up for assisted or unassisted launch without getting a total mess?
Instead of riding I'm stranded on the beach looking like a blonde bimbo. Please share your secrets for line management...
thanks-- Cindi

User avatar
cglazier
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2640
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2002 1:00 am
Gear: Naish, Flysurfer, Alpine, Moses
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 119 times

Postby cglazier » Sun Sep 08, 2002 9:35 pm

Here are some tips to keep those lines from tangling:

1. When you disconnect the 4 lines from the kite, immediately tie them together (using their larks head knots).

2. When you wind the lines onto your bar, always use a figure 8 pattern rather than just a loop pattern.

3. As you finish winding lines onto the bar, make your last loop a half twist over the bar so the lines are cinched down and wont fall off the bar.

Chris G

User avatar
RickI
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 9118
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: SE Florida
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Postby RickI » Sun Sep 08, 2002 10:53 pm

I used to have the same problem, so for normal beach launching I do the following. I first wind up one set of lines and then the other. It doesn't take that long and always spares me tangles. I have yet to get the hang of wrapping/unwrapping four lines at once, for shame! The approach follows in detail if you want to try it.

1. With the kite properly anchored with the leading edge down and the lines stretched out I disconnect the two trailing edge or rear lines.

2. I walk down to the bar and on the way I disconnect the two lines going to the chicken loop leader lines.

3. I figure eight all the leaders on the bar and not in the notches at the end of the bar.

4. I then figure eight the freed trailing edge lines up over the notched ends of the bar and tie off the two lines with a wrap and a couple of half hitches.

5. Then I larks head the leading edge lines on to one of the lines already wrapped up and figure eight this line up on the opposite side of the bar from the line that is already wrapped.

6. I finish by wrapping the lines tightly along the bar about four times in a spiral and put two half hitches in it.

Sounds complicated but it really isn't and it saves you from any tangles.

Rick Iossi

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Mon Sep 09, 2002 12:13 am

OH me god.. its really not that complecated
if there not tangled when you wind them up they shouldn't be tangle when you un wind em.
as first reply says wind them in a figure 8 patten.
when unwinding first attach the ends to something solid then wind them out. then pick the bar up and pull the lines tight and they should with a couple of shake and pulls this way and that just unravel.Well it works with the stiff wax coated slingshot lines anyway.
if this doen't work then attached the bar to something solid (like your girl friend) then pick up the 4 lines at the bar end, one back/outside line outside one leg the other back/outside line outside the other leg and the front/centre lines between your legs and simple walk you way to the end. done ... to easy!!

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Mon Sep 09, 2002 1:46 am

P>S forgot to mention that as you walk away from the bar treat the 2 centre line between your legs as one... ie don't try and untwist them at the same time. it doesn't really matter if the are twisted and you can untwist them once all the lines are attached to the kite simply by spinning the centre loop.
If you have room then do all of the above directly down wind of the face down kite then simply turn the bar over, attach all the lines to the kite and you will be able to pull lightly on the bar and check that all the lines are attached correctly with no twist or front/back line mix ups.
If you get into this routen you will never have any line mix ups

BLOWN AWAY
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2371
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Postby BLOWN AWAY » Mon Sep 09, 2002 3:51 pm

You could also wind each line individually on a seperate winding post or spool... one of each line. That way you will NEVER get tangles. I do that with both my inflatable kites and my C Quads.

If you want to wind on the bar then the 3 steps above will work nicely... ie the figure 8, the end tying and the wrap around to prevent falling off of line.

<font size = "6">BLOWN AWAY</font>

Guest
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Guest » Mon Sep 09, 2002 5:07 pm

I leave all 4 lines attached to the kite all the time. The drawback is that you need a bar and lines for each kite to do this. This is much faster and easier once you get it down. I took a while to work the bugs out. Basically, you can only get crossed lines if the kite turns inside out while packing or unpacking, or if the bar goes through the lines. When winding up, I start by winding the leaders in a figure 8 pattern around the bar as opposed to the bar ends. When I get to the lines, then I wrap around the bar ends in a figure 8. I would wrap everything around the bar ends, except there is not enough room - especially with the adjustment strap. My problems usually occured when I would wind all the way to the kite, and then flip the kite over to deflate, the bar would get airborn and flop through the lines. This is prevented by winding to within 20 meters of the kite, temporarily tying off far enough away from the kite to avoid the possibility of lifting or dragging the bar, packing up the kite, and then continuing to wind up the bar and attaching it to the outside of the kite bag using the velcro wrist leash. Half hitches on one side of the bar and the leash on the other to hold everything together. You can also pack the kite before winding the lines if you don't mind taking a few extra steps. The bar is very sneaky, looking for any opportunity to pass throuth a line during transportation, storage, etc. Doesn't matter where you store it, inside or outside the bag, just as long as it can't move.

When launching with an assistant, make sure they are holding on tight and give it some pulls, jerks, and flaps against the ground (the lines) and this usually takes care of it. If it is badly tangled, then I can walk the outside lines usually just part way to the kite and then try again.

When self launching, I have to unwind downwind of the kite, leading edge down and walk the outside lines all the way to the kite. A little extra time and steps, but still easier than attaching the lines each time.

If I have to deflate all tubes, I leave the center strut inflated, deflate all others, and role the kite up around the center strut, rolling toward the tips downwind, when I reach the tips, I deflate it and fold a couple of times. This avoids much flapping. I see many people folding or rolling each tip toward the center, but this twists the lines.

If I am in a location where I am not driving up or down in elevation too much, and if I have room in my vehicle, then I leave all struts inflated, so that next time I only have to inflate the LE. With a high volume pump, it just takes a few minutes to get on the water. Its not that I am in that much of a hurry, I am more interested in ease and convenience than saving a few minutes. But rigging and derigging is one of the negatives of both windsurfing and kiting and anything that can improve on this is a good thing. This is definately faster than rigging windsurf gear. If I want to hustle, I can be on the water in 5 minutes. I usually take a little more time just to be safe. Any one else out there leave all 4 lines attached?


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Aleza, bshmng, Chriz76, duddd, ham-er, kite fan, Peter_Frank, Smeagle and 305 guests