I do Knot enjoy setting up the lines on my kite

[Jimmychunga]

"Longer strings, or more-flexible strings, tended to knot more often." Really?!?!

When I read this article I first thought of my stupid ear buds always being knotted up and then I thought of the times I've spent on the lake making sure there were no tangles in my lines. Not ever as bad but annoying.

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071222/bob11.asp

There was a discussion this weekend at Swede regarding techniques for quickly setting up the lines for a kite. Anyone have any tricks or devices that get them out riding quickly?

[Mike W]

The best trick I know of is to keep your lines attached to your kite. If you roll up you kite with the excess line inside, you should be able to avoid most tangles. It is standard procedure on foils. No reason not to do it with inflatables.

[Chris B]

Yes, as a matter of fact there is a way for you to roll out your lines and not have the tangle at the ends. All you have to do is remove you lines nicely and connect them to a line organizer. I know all new slingshot bars come with them but most people take them off and throw them away. All it is a plastic piece about 4 inches long with spots for all 4 or 5 lines to connect too. If you use it your setup time will be much faster. All you would have to do is layout the lines and spin CW or CCW. The lines will not be braided at the ends. Its not how you setup, its how you tear down that makes the process go faster.

[Chris B]

If you do keep your bar attached just makes sure the bar is in the center of the kite or the hard ends and sharp pieces of the bar will rub holes in your kite.

[drknap]

Mike W, was the death spiral launch the other day part of the trick of keeping your lines attached?

I've personally not be able to come up with any time savings in keeping my lines attached because I invariably develop a problems with bar looping and so forth. It generally only takes a few minutes to run and attach lines. I suppose if one was more meticulous it would be less of an issue. Although, I do always keep my foil line attached. hmm.

[Nathan B]

I weight down my bar alot so I can really put tensoin on the lines that gets the tagles and twist out of the lines as you run them away from the bar .

[Mike W]

I got lazy and did not bother to check my lines that day. Always check them just to make sure before launching.

Chris, I store my bar outside of the kite bag with lines attached, so no worries about rubbing the kite.

[JRN]

I agree, Jimmy. I just dumped my last bridled foil, 'cause I was always getting the lines crossed up, or the bridle twisted. So the much ballyhooed
ease of foil set-up was wasted on me. I flew my inflato the other day and even without 1-pump, it seemed much easier for me & I didn't even need an ice anchor. I guess I'm not careful enough to put it away, just so, but know others who nail it EVERY
time. I now pump, then weight the kite with a sandbag(nose to the wind), run the lines out the back(down wind), grab the bar and walk to the nose of the kite and remove the weight, walk up wind 'til the line are taught, then pull on a back line and GO! You can also get a device called a TURBO LAUNCHER which organizes your lines, and even allows launches from boats. Check out the video on their web-site.

[Micky]

Does Chasta fly his Instinct Edge or his manta in the French Alps?......Figure it out!

[Tom L]

As usual I think like Mike. If you can afford a bar with every kite, keeping the lines attached to the kite can really simplify setting up. You just have to take a little extra care when packing the bar & the kite. I've been doing it with foils & tubes for years. Just make sure the lines exit your kite at the center and always fold towards that area. That way your lines aren't getting wound up as you fold.

[Stroh]

I have two systems....

if you take you lines off the kite,
pull the lines straight (down wind) and get all twists out and wrap them up as you walk twards the kite. (do all of this before you detach your lines) if you put your lines away with less twists they will come out beter.

I normaly leave my lines hooked up,
doo the same as above.... I fold my kite in half and put all the bridal crap in the center. then I wrap my lines to close to the wingtips then set my bar on the top of the wing tip. I set my chicken loop and leash going twards the center of the kite so it rools up after the bar ( to prevent wrap-throughs). kinda hard to explain.. find me on the lake it's alot easier shown than told...

as long as it's not blowing 30 I will drift launch my kite without checking my lines.. I rarely have problems... I also keep my kites on 4 lines so if there is a tangle I can get it out after I have drifted my kite out.. (however it is not the smartest thing I doo and I DO NOT reccomend going out with out checking your lines.. I'm just lazy)


Jon

[Chris B]

Do we live in the French Alps?

[champlin]

I do the same thing Stroh talks about, when I get ready to pack it in for the day I take my bar and lines down wind of the kite and get the twists out if there are any and wrap my bar and lines up as I walk twords the kite, I should make one of the kite line buddies and when I disconnect just put them in order on the buddy so when I take it all out again I can just hook up to the kite and be done with it. I still walk my lines ones or twice just to make sure they are connected right. One other thing I'll mention and that is in the summer time when you kite is on the beach please wind up your lines and put them under your kite don't leave them stretched out across the beach this is just bad line management and they get in the way of anyone else coming in or setting up. Remember no one person owns the beach or a spot on the beach kites are always in constant rotation in the summer going out and coming in, and if everyone just wound up there lines, it only takes 30 seconds to do it would sure help in using the beach space.