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Do you trust your harness?

Forum for snow- and landkiters
Badwind
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Postby Badwind » Fri Dec 20, 2002 4:41 am

Yeh, 10 to 15 feet off the water is one thing, but 50 to 75 feet off the ground (snow) is something entirely different.
I've been watching the Advance and the Spaced Out videos and I know of spots just like that here in Washington. I'm psyched.(err..stoked...in surfer terms)
But then...I look at this hook welded onto the spreader bar of my Dakine Fusion harness and I'm thinkin "That could be a problem"
I'm new to kiteboarding, but have 10 years of accident free (knock on wood) paragiding under my belt. We don't trust anything welded on...and climbers don't either.
This seems to be something adapted from windsurfing, where it probably wouldn't cost you your life if it broke.
And,I've seen recent and multiple reports of another manufacturer's hook doing exactly that.
Anyway, I don't like the looks of this setup. Does anybody use something else?
Has this one been a problem for any snowkiters yet.
It seems to me that a sling/runner cinched onto a smooth , hookless spreader bar might work better from a safety standpoint and also make it easier to ride toeside.
Any thoughts?
Dan

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Badwind on 2002-12-20 04:47 ]</font>

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randykato
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Postby randykato » Fri Dec 20, 2002 2:59 pm

i ditched my spreader bar/hook a long time ago (i still dig it out now & then to play with 2 line kites though). i have a tylaska t-5 shackle with a large bail and have the webbing strap from my dakine thermoform going right through the bail of the shackle - no spreader bar at all. it works great, gives me a little more range to sheet in, and slides from side to side to help with riding toeside. i don't need the hook because i use a sheet cleat rather than a fixed loop.

i've seen broken hooks and early on i realized that this piece of equipment that was designed for windsurfing wasn't something i felt totally comfortable trusting with the increased forces involved with kiting.

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sq225917
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Postby sq225917 » Fri Dec 20, 2002 4:12 pm

i've intermittantly used my climbing harness instead of my kite harness and threaded my chicken loop through the main loop on my harness.

the only problem with that is, how much do you trust your chicken loop not to release....

as i really fancy taking my 12m psycho off cliffs this winter it is of concern.

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Postby Guest » Fri Dec 20, 2002 5:15 pm

sg: can you give me a link for yours climbing harness model, i am intresting get one thank´s
flyingFIN


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