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Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

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Toby
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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby Toby » Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:58 pm

badgp, this is a good setup !

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby Beardytello » Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:50 pm

Actually, now you've explained it and I've thought about it I can see why this would be potentially disasterous, when I've practised the leash comes round to the side....but that's because the kite depowers and I'm stood up (i.e I am the anchor)

I'm ordering myself a short leash now!

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby Toby » Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:43 pm

I was riding for years with a longer leash, but attached to the side.
Didn't realize that a short leash is much better...now happily using it!
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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:26 pm

Toby, are you right- or left-handed? Your picture shows that your leash is on your left side, which would work if you are left-handed, but if right-handed it should be on your right side so you automatically go for it with your dominant hand.

I personally secure my short Best leash to the bar on my harness (not the hook in case the hook comes off, as happened on my last harness).

I was amazed at main beach in Langebaan in South Africa to watch all the instructors using long leashes attached to the side of their student's harnesses. I asked some of them about it, and they said it was IKO setup. If the instructors can't get this right, it is no surprise that many people end up riding that way, or even worse, copy the hotshots in videos and attach at the back of their harness. When I kite at Shark Bay at Langebaan I regularly help beginners, for example riding their kites back upwind for them, and try to get them to move their leash at least to their side and preferably to the front.

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby Toby » Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:45 pm

Right handed...you are right, I wonder myself why it's on the left...

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby deniska » Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:47 pm

rogue_kiteboarder wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:13 am
deniska wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:02 am
Should not they make leashes that break away or detach at twice the body weight?
Who's body weight? Mine, yours or that twig of a bastard that weighs 90lbs soaking wet?
All you need is just a few small extension loops, made out of ropes with different breaking strength.
Hardly adds anything to the leash price, and can be sold separately.
If your leash starts treating you like a rag doll you might as well let in autorelease. - it will save you a second or 2 trying to do the same thing while eating water or sand..

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby SENDIT! » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:06 pm

jeromeL wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:50 am
Bushflyr wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:38 pm
SENDIT! wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:24 pm
Those tube covered lines on the back of our harnesses STARTED as handles for someone to hold onto when you were overpowered or when launching the kite
Ummm, no, they didn't. I was there at the beginning and your statement is patently false. Also, there was never a time when we launched in the power zone. People have known for the last century or so how to launch on the side of the window.
I think in the movie "kiteboarding launch of a sport" they explain how in Hawaii at beginning of the sport they would launch kite straight in power Zone downwind and people would hold them while they ran downwind until kite made it to 12, there are a few videos.
I don't think the handle in the back are for that but they seemed to launch kite straight downwind at beginning of the sport from what I saw in documentary.
Thanks, JeromeL. I already knew about the video, not to mention lived a certain amount of it myself. :thumb:

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby SENDIT! » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:09 pm

Tone wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:18 am
Bushflyr wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:38 pm
SENDIT! wrote:
Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:24 pm
Those tube covered lines on the back of our harnesses STARTED as handles for someone to hold onto when you were overpowered or when launching the kite
Ummm, no, they didn't. I was there at the beginning and your statement is patently false. Also, there was never a time when we launched in the power zone. People have known for the last century or so how to launch on the side of the window.
No disrespect, but you were not there from the start @ 1999. The sport is older than that. Aside from that, older kites had a huge amount of pull even at the edge of the window, and it was commonplace to be held down when launching. Before inflatable kites there were the Flexifoil foil kites which were nearly always launched downwind. The Blade for example and before that the Skytiger. There is plenty of vids of guys being held down by a rope on the back of their harness yet they still didn't ride with leashes. When we went through that disaster period of tiny, narrow boards (which I was also a fool to follow that trend) You had to be so hideously overpowered just to even get going on them, I would nearly always ask for someone to hold onto the back of me while launching.

So in this instance we know that the chicken did indeed come before the egg.
Yep. One of the guys that was learning to kite at the same time I was had a Blade 4.9, and that was EXACTLY how we launched it. It was simultaneously fun and scary launching it on snow!

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby KYLakeKiter » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:33 pm

deniska wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:47 pm
rogue_kiteboarder wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:13 am
deniska wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:02 am
Should not they make leashes that break away or detach at twice the body weight?
Who's body weight? Mine, yours or that twig of a bastard that weighs 90lbs soaking wet?
All you need is just a few small extension loops, made out of ropes with different breaking strength.
Hardly adds anything to the leash price, and can be sold separately.
If your leash starts treating you like a rag doll you might as well let in autorelease. - it will save you a second or 2 trying to do the same thing while eating water or sand..
Wow! This is a great idea. :thumb: I'm sure it will be easy to make something like this. I intend to start experimenting with some different cord strengths to find a breakaway that I like. It would also be a great idea for a company with some resources to make some breakaway pigtails certified for specific weights. Too easy to add to a standard tube release leash.

Stuff like this is one of the best reasons to peruse Kiteforum. :D

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Re: Why suicide leash isn't a good idea

Postby knotwindy » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:38 pm

We used to use different thickness zip ties in the old days, sometimes had to double them up.


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