How often do you break bars? How's warranty?

[ulukaya]

Recently I have local guys in NY, broke Core bars, 2 guys in the same day. Apparently the old generation was weak, that's why they added titanium in latest generation.
Looks like Core replaced the bars for them free.

I've had brand new bars on Cabrinha, snapped depower lines on a 15 knots day, contacted their warranty many times and they simply blamed wear and tear. I'd expect when you are paying $500-600 to bars, they should be really well tested and be replaced right away incase of failure. At the end, your life depends on them. Snapping a steering line maybe a wear tear, but breaking bars into 2 or snapping the whole depower line out of nowhere is definitely a design issue.

At least for the Core, I've seen they put plastic wrap around depower lines in latest generation and titanium inside the bar to strengthen it. Not sure other brands. How's your experience?

[Jbrook]

Good bars dont break been riding same North bars 3 years, been kiting 10 years never broke a bar. When bars get too tech and too light stuff breaks. Depower and stuff like that is different from the bar breaking.

[ulukaya]

In my case, depower line broken from the stitch to the plastic coat, not a normal wear and tear, that would break in half.
https://goo.gl/photos/YKdP35nHWVZqYkUy6
https://goo.gl/photos/T1aHzxahvzuRA8Yf7

[edt]

It's not to hard to break a control bar when you have a big crash on a kiteloop. The forces on something like that, something is going to give you can snap a line, break a spreader hook, tear out bridle attachments or snap a control bar in two. Kite manufacturers in my experience are pretty good about replacing broken bars, no matter what the cause. Broken 2 or 3 control bars on kite loops. I have never snapped a control bar just free riding, that sounds pretty weak. For a manufacturer to claim "wear and tear" when you snap a control bar is not right. They should just replace it. If you break a line of any sort, leader line, depower line, chicken line, they should not have to replace it no matter what, they just get worn out too easily in too many ways, for instance, sometimes you put your bar down on the sand and there's a broken coke bottle you don't see, or some of that evil zebra mussel with the sharp shell poking out, it makes a little nick in the leader, that's all it takes.

I would never ride a core bar, as you can trigger the QR by accident too easily. Twisty = bad.

[ulukaya]

So far, luckily I haven't trigger the QR by accident yet. But when I needed it, it was a little odd to release it to remember twist. More than that, the real problem was reloading, there was no way I could reload it on the water, especially if the kite was trying to power it up. On a Cab bar, you could easily pull it again and push the loop, and it's loaded. For Core, I had to find the right opening, take the metal piece out, try to put the knot in, twist back to normal position. That was almost impossible in the water.
Had to do a self rescue just for that.

[Jonpnw]

I have been using Slingshot bars & lines for 10 years , wakestyle , surf and now foiling. Never broken a bar or line .

[swimmer]

Slingshot bars are definitely very durable and I like how solid they feel compared to lighter bars (like core's) which feel a bit flimsy. The only thing i have broken on a SS bar is the rear lines as they are thinner/weaker than the front lines. Weight savings is great but it needs to carefully account for all the heavy loads that could happen during tricks/loops, with heavier riders and at least some minimal wear and tear.

Cabrinha's center tube system can jam or wear out the lines inside if sand gets in there (which is highly likely in a beach environment).

[FLandOBX]

Interesting comments about Slingshot bars. I agree that Slingshot makes very durable equipment. But, coincidentally, the only bar I've ever broken (in a mega-crash) was a Slingshot. My local Slingshot dealer replaced the bar free under warranty, so I got great customer service. The tip of the bar broke at a seam where one of the steering line leaders attached to the bar. Must have been a weakness in the seam. Otherwise, a good bar. But sent my kite into a death-loop (just like breaking a steering line).

[john a]

Never break bars, boards on the other hand that is another story

[ShaveTheWhales]

Ive had naish and best bars break in different places in the distant past..
one bar broke in half during a medium jump but ended well - it really freaks you out wondering what if Id been way up ?

I saw this switch video and bought the accessory bar to make a custom setup.
It feels very solid and wont budge if you try to bend it with your own weight on it like some others.
It you gives me peace of mind when the weather gets wild and you start going big.
I wish all companies showed a basic bar strength test..

https://youtu.be/QwhTXHKOvXQ