Never had a kite line break on me but I was wondering what to expect ?? If an outside line breaks does the kite usually do a few loops and fall out of the sky? what about a center line ? thanks for your input

I had an outside line come off when I was learning. The kite looped a few times then crashed. I was like cool, I just learned how to loop a kite.

One of my friends first sessions on his new kite, the lines were so new and slippery that one of the center lines popped off. The kite kept looping, but it was a delta (flies almost completely on front lines) so it didn't really have any power even though it was at the top of the wind range. It did a couple powerless loops and gave him a scare but that's about it.

Last year one of my steering lines came undone and the kite landed nicely down wind on it's back likely because it flagged out on the 5th line somehow. I must have either hit the QR or the CL came off, not sure. It happened pretty quick. The bar I think flew right out of my hands. I remember seeing the kite just fly off down wind. I was totally confused with no idea what happened. I didn't find out what till I got everything back to shore.

If it happens to you, chances are you're not going to have a clue what happened. Kite will go one way and you'll likely go another. So hit your QR right away and start wrapping your lines up and get a hold of the kite and swim in.

A lot depends on when it happens ie on shore, launching, landing etc. Could get nasty depending.

Happened yesterday, kite looped smashed water, pulled the release,

Has happened once before (line popped off) I was just popping off the water. (kite super loaded) felt something go "pop" in the bar, saw a line spring off and go slack, pulled release mid-air before the kite even crested past zeneth 5th line knocked the kite out of the sky. turned out to be a steering line. Lost a few front lines as well these are less terrifying kite just kinda gets squirrly then falls.

The line breaking "pop" gives you a litte bit of warning and should trigger your OH SHIT reflex real quick.

More likely to happen cause you didn't tighten your larks heads worth a damn rather than a line breakage.

Some guys like to throw huge airs so close to shore. Landing about 10 yards from shore and riding out. I was thinking if one of their outside lines break mid jump they could get pulled onto the shore by a looping kite.

If you lost a steering line while in the air you'll likely drop fast because the kite loses power without the back line... and the kite will turn in the opposite direction and likely land pretty quick and stay there. It's like you suddenly have an infinitely long back line on one side of the kite. I don't think the kite will loop out of control like I've seen when bridals snag up.

So I think the worse case scenario would be if you were jumping over land or really shallow water and lost a back line.

I snapped a steering line, kite flapped a bit, did a loop straight into the sea, bout it really, nothing exciting. Snapped a front and side line together, same again kite just crashed into sea, did a pack down, walked back to the shore.

Here's a video that was posted on KF a few years ago showing it. Doesn't look like much fun from up high!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfenWbpk ... re=related

Peter

That's what I thought... if you're in the air you drop like a stone and the kite behaves reasonably well with very little looping if any.

I was in deep water riding along edging up wind when mine gave way and then in a split second I was in the water and the kite soon followed.

So it's not that big of a deal unless you're high up over land or way the hell out to sea when it happens