5th line is the best and that is what I use.

My experience caught in a squall on 4-line kite (it was and stayed sunny, but wind picked up 15-20kn without warning).

Depower and unhook. Stick butt in the water and body drag to shore with board on my feet (i can let go in a microsecond if I need to)

On beach, release kite to safety leash, detach leash (in case kite tangles and powers up while it's flopping and smashing in the wind, you don;t want it attached to you), attach to footstrap, sit on board and with hands now free bury the board real deep in sand.

Run to kite and deflate.

5th lines will kill the power enough for you to be safe but in high winds it is certainly not a doddle!!

Trying to pull the kite in on the skinny 5th line when it is flapping about in mental winds is very hard, unless you can tie the 5th line off to something the only way I have found I to use your bar as a lever end over end or use your harnwss hook to pull against.

I find easiest way to self land in high winds is to depower kite, sit it on sand and let go of the bar, remive chicken loop (easy as kite is depowered) and tie it off to an object.

I must be doing something different because everytime I've been caught out in really overpowered situations, I have found it a doddle.

Kiting to where I want to land, well that part ain't fun or a doddle (if we're talking about being properly caught out, properly overpowered and just trying to get home...while trying to avoid being tea bagged whilst edging at some ridiculous angle upwind while your kite is vibrating and doing all sorts of weird shit).

But once I get there, I know all I need to do is release the iron heart and I'm clear.

I don't know why you'd want to climb the whole way along the 5th to get to the kite...all that is required post release is to wrap the 5th a few times round the bar, then wind all lines to the bar to get to the kite...

Again, I'm talking about landing when you're having a mare, not when all is good and under comtrol....and in these situations, I'm not going to be wandering around a beach looking for something to attach my chicken loop to....I'm going to be focused on getting my kite down in the quickest, safest way possible.

Reading the OP, I think he'd be a lot better off trying this than standing around panicking and overpowered, not knowing what to do.

Am I missing something here. You are all banging on about fifth line north kites. I'm sure he didn't mention this. If you have a north fifth line then follow their lead it is correct, had them in the past. Be careful though if it say the Vegas, the c kites will keep trying to fly, pull that fifth line in real fast, arm over arm.

I use Airush now, the smart bar is my answer to this situation, infancy only did this a week ago in a similar situation in winter squalls. Just quick release with kite overhead and it gently yes gently falls to the ground, rolling over onto its leading edge. I too have to self land a lot, and it has been a god send.

I know the fifth line technique works though, but I always had my heart in my mouth when overpowered like that.

any single center line is equally as effective as a 5th line. North kites fly perfectly fine without the 5th line, its unnecessary. it is also ironic that North hammered single center line safety for ages (the 5th line) and then issued bars that disable onto both centerlines on their 4 line kites, instead of onto a single centerline.


[ this should get interesting, bring it. ]

Actually the best plan, the only plan, is to learn to use and understand your gear and safety systems. Practice heaps and don't panic.

vegas and rebels need the 5th line it's tensioned and the rebel barely flies without tension, it's their version of a bridle you should know that bnthere. The evo dont need the 5th line, but I would still recommend a north bar because of the high Y.

when north made the fuse i was pretty excited to see north come out not with that kite but with the quad trust control bar, I love the mechanism of the iron heart a real quality bar, the north trim lines, all real clean, but then they screw up their bar by making it flag on both center lines, I dont need another version of the best redline.

ME and the Kite , we have an understanding :

" if the Shit hit's the fan ,it's ---- sorry kite but You can be replaced ; so
off the QR goes to flag the kite on one of it's top-line's".

I try to place the kite where it has the best odds to be survivable for
the impending crash ; so-far it's worked out fine for the kite, i got it in 2008.
I've hardly touched my 2010 13M Edge, and most of its use has bin with the
surfboard in lighter winds. The older 13M has seen gusts to 35mph, i "think"
the older Edge is faster than the new one !

Bille

Bin listening a bunch on the 5th line thing ; the 2008 Edge is a 5-line, and
the 2010 Edge is a 4-line. I might should be scarred of that ?

Heavy strong wind because it picked up and the kite now is too big for conditions?

Or heavy strong wind while you are rigging up anticipating that you would self land in same wind?

I always rig the size kite that i can confidently self land without using QR (one of my best trick )

I have 3 kites for heavy strong .............8M....6M..5M......

Picking the correct size i guarantees me a save self land no matter what

I ride strapped surfboard and usually use 1 to 2 meter smaller sizes than TT riders in ocean

Smaller sizes....especially newer Rebels make me feel safe no matter what the wind does

No stakes....no assistant...just me and the chosen kite

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Here's advice that's about as useful as 5th line advice on a 4-line kite....

Whip out your kite knife and set it free!!