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WARNING TO SNAP SHACKLE USERS!!!

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RickI
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Postby RickI » Wed Jan 22, 2003 5:33 pm

I just received preliminary reports about an accident involving:

1. An experienced kiteboarder wiped out and slung his kite accidently into the power zone as he fell.

2. He was dragged at speed over land.

3. He tried to release his snap shackle.

4. The snap shackle was DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE PLASTIC CHICKEN LOOP AND DIDN'T PROPERLY RELEASE.

5. He suffered serious head injury and his current condition is unknown.

More details will be obtained and incorporated into a KSI account. There were other contributing conditions to this accident that will picked up in the complete account.


Image

Photo 1: USE A RING BETWEEN THE PLASTIC CHICKEN LOOP AND THE SNAP SHACKLE
This is a photo of components of the Kitepro Shop bar displaying the use of a metal ring as a snap shackle connection point.

Image


Photo 2: DO NOT ATTACH THE SNAP SHACKLE DIRECTLY TO THE CHICKEN LOOP, USE A RING FOR A METAL ON METAL CONNECTION.

Image

Photo 3: If you don't use a proper metal on metal contact, the snap shackle MAY NOT RELEASE. DO NOT SET UP YOUR SNAP SHACKLE THIS WAY!

Many kiteboarders know not to connect directly to the chicken loop with a snap shackle but apparently NOT ALL riders know this.

TO IMPROVE THE ODDS OF PROPER RELEASE OF THE SNAP SHACKLE you need to have a metal to metal connection. That is a metal ring needs to be placed between the snap shackle and the plastic chicken loop. If not the load on release may cause the chicken loop to pinch over and "grab" the snap shackle and hold it. The kite will not be depowered if this happens as in the case of this and other similar accidents. This thread has appeared many time before in this and other forums. There also have been some good photos that I was unable to find in the rush to get this out this morning. Please spread this around and casually inspect the setup of other riders at your launch. A timely comment or suggestion on your part may save a great deal of pain if things go wrong.

Snap shackles involve a number of careful considerations in regard to proper type, attachment, maintenance and testing to improve the odds of proper release when needed. If all these factors are not in place the snap shackle may not properly release when you desperately need it to. The new pin Quick Release systems on 2003 bars hopefully will provide higher reliability at lessor cost and complexity. Evaluation of these newer systems are still underway among riders and performance data is still being circulated.


FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2003-01-22 21:11 ]</font>

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Postby Guest » Wed Jan 22, 2003 5:55 pm

Is it not possible that a metal ring could catch in the same way?

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Postby Rob P » Wed Jan 22, 2003 5:57 pm

Rick - a very good point. I and many of my fellow kitesurfers are already using the system of a metal ring attached to the chicken loop. I actually go one stage further and have a snap shackle on both my harness spreader bar and chicken loop. The theory being that if one shackle fails to undo then the other one will - hopefully proving the 'lightening doesn't strike twice' theory. One further point - always regularly check the split ring on the shackles. They are pronme to rusting as I found out the other day when I came in on a 17m Takoon to find that the ring had disappeared and I was permanently attached to the kite.

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Postby swancvs » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:20 pm

had the exact same thing happen to me with my snap shackle, it involved an involuntary drag, 30m beach flight and big crash.

Now I use a system involving a pin which holds a loop of the chicken loop, instant release every time no matter how overpowered. If some gives me an address where I can post the pic I'll take a pic and send it to the group

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Postby Rv » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:20 pm

To Anon,

No, the problem is that the chicken loop, under high load, will squeeze tight together and grip the shackle, where as a steel ring will keep it's shape and release.

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Postby Kinky John » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:28 pm

Rick - I can't see your pictures, can you post a URL where they are hosted? I currently use just the chicken loop + snap shackle and it sounds like I need to change this quickly...

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RickI
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Postby RickI » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:37 pm

The photos are located at:

http://groups.msn.com/FKAInc/misc.msnw?Page=1

There is even more consideration to proper selection, rigging, maintenance and testing of snap shackles than presented in the original post above. This topic has been discussed at length here and elsewhere in the past. Mel, Dwight, Toby and others can provide some valuable input on this.

IF a rider decides to use a snap shackle, he needs to understand these details and that even with these preparations it may still not release.

N O T E: A long list of accidents have demonstrated that under excessive kite force as often occurs in these cases that simply unhooking doesn't work reliably either. A mechanical release along with a LOT OF HAZARD AWARENESS AND AVOIDANCE may be necessary to avoid some of these accidents. Kiteboarding can be more complicated that it appears on the surface.

I am hopeful that the new pin Quick Releases will prove to be reliable. They already cost less, are less complex and IN THEORY (at this time), less prone to failed releases. One such design is pictured on page four of:

http://groups.msn.com/flkitesurfer/surf ... snw?Page=1

Image

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by;
Rick Iossi



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2003-01-22 18:38 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2003-01-22 18:42 ]</font>

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Postby Guest » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:44 pm

Hi Rick,

The ring is a good alternative for life and death situation.
The only problem is if you ditch your kite far away from shore for some unknown reason, you can not hook back in once the kite relaunch (The kite is upside down and death down wind, to relaunch you need to unhook.)
Here is my suggestion. I've custom make copied Wipika system with inserted pin for quick release and a 3" spread bar on my chicken loop like Air Rush system(the chiken loop doesn't bend with spreader bar).
So far up to now I manage to release my Wichard shackle without chicken loop got caught at the end like your image.
The chicken loop with preader bar doesn't let me hook back to my Wichard shackle, but at least I am able to hook back to my harness hook.

Trang

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Postby Protos » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:59 pm

I use one of the Wipika Throttle bars with the pin QR, I've used it a few times (mostly just to test it, once during a dicey overpowered relaunch) and it has worked great so far.

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Postby KiteGlider » Wed Jan 22, 2003 7:12 pm

Thanks for the update Rick.

Last Sunday I offered to help a new guy launch because he set up his kite 5 ft from the access where kids and people walk/run to the beach.

Then he launches brings the kite overhead and I notice that his snap shackle is open but still hooked to the end of the depower rope loop under full tension.
He didn't realize what was going on.

Someone just told him that the snap shackle was a cool way to connect to the kite. The idea of using it as a quick release never entered his mind.

(And his leash was attached to the bar. I suggested that he strap it on because of the 55-65mph roadway 300m downwind of us.)

Anyway he went out for a while then recovered/landed no problem.

The guy was cool and eager to learn, just another case of someone getting their hands on a powerful traction kite with no safety advise or instruction of any kind.

(kinda like me when i started ) :smile:

KG


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