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bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:01 pm
by TomW
I have a Ozone Hyperlink UL and a Flysurfer Sonic 2.
The bridle lines are different.
Are the Ozone one sheathed and the Flysurfer not ? Is that what it is ?

What´s the advantage/disadvantages of each ? ( i like the feeling of the Ozone ones- they seem more robust)

Do all (closed cell)Ozone kites have the same ones as the Hyperlink UL and do all (closed cell) Flysurfer kites have the same bridles as the Sonic 2 ?

They both are flying fine- just curious.

Re: bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 6:47 pm
by kitexpert
Unsheated: thinner, loops can be spliced, less drag, less durable against abrasion

Sheated: thicker, loops must be sewed, more drag, more durable

Race kites have thin unsheated lines for as low drag as possible. Freeride kites like HL compromise lowest possible drag to better handling and durability.

Re: bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:26 pm
by tomtom
Flysurfer are very good in tangling to itself :)
But really - sheated lines imo cannot be sleeved and FS bridle are sleeved for less drag.

From practical POV sheathed are more tangle resistant and quicker to set-up

Re: bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:55 pm
by airsail
I don't have proof but I would guess the thinner bridle lines have less shrinkage over time than the thicker lines, and if they did shrink would tend to stretch back to nominal setting during use. This would mean a flysurfer would maintain its tune better than an ozone.

Re: bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 2:45 am
by foilholio
Sheathed lines are meant to have lower drag, because they are more round and uniform. The unsheathed line are flat and have twists and vibrate more. That is the theory anyway. Personally I think the unsheathed have less drag because they are thinner. There may be something that the very thinnest lines are only available in unsheathed, manufacturing such thin lines could not be easy with a sheath.


Benefits of Sheath are, less tangles because they are stiffer. Sheath gives a graceful failure and protects the core. The sheath can fail but line still functions. Negatives are thicker, get kinks in the sheath which appears to damage or shorten them. They can't be spliced either, which is stronger and less likely to tangle. Sewn loops in bridles can easily get damaged at the loose end when catching another line.

Re: bridle line types: Ozone -Flysurfer

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:42 am
by jakemoore
At the same diameter, double braid lines are much weaker. Thus increased diameter and drag.

The double braid are more stiff and less likely to loop into tangles. The splices in single braid are less likely to tangle and catch than sewn double braid loops. Equal trade off in my mind.

Double braid is much more durable.
My bias is that double braid shrinks less based on the experience of owning ably a handful of kites. The exception is a tightly woven jacket on a double braid like q-power will shrink a lot if run over a pulley.

I liked the FS kites that had single braid in the upper bridle and double braid risers.