Do you want a releasable spreader bar?

YouTube · Postby **Toby** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:54 am

Just yesterday I saw a nice system to close a spreader bar on your harness.
It works easy and I thought: why not having this release on both sides, so it will be an additional release of the spreader bar, if things go wrong?

As we all know, everything can happen...I think we just a posting about an accident where the lines tangled around the hook? And there was an instructor with me, also just having the scenario that lines completely tangled around the harness hook and since the student had a seat harness, he had to get out of the harness to detach from the kite...

And since I use a seat harness as well, I would love to have a spreader bar, or harness hook, which can be released...

My question now is, what do you think about this and would you get a releasable spreader bar as well?

TilmanHH · Postby **TilmanHH** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:34 pm

I think the idea of an completely releasable spreader bar is nice. Sounds very safe. But it has to be a good working system. The quick release by prolimit for example releases by itself from time to time.

YouTube · Postby **Toby** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:55 pm

sure, a system that works and is reliable.

tomatkins · Postby **tomatkins** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:07 pm

A "3 ring circus" style release would be the most reliable type of release, but a simple "pull-pin" style release might be most practical, and take up less room on the bar.

Has any "tinkerer" already done this?

Also, in this thread you are referring to 2 completely different items:

(1) A release which completely frees the spreader bar from the kiter's harness.

(2) A spreader bar HOOK release, which allows the chicken loop to escape from the spreader bar, while the bar itself stays on the harness.

YouTube · Postby **Toby** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:43 pm

both would do the job I think.
But the complete spreader bar with hook would be best, no?

Clew In · Postby **Clew In** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:33 pm

Hey,

I think that is a great idea. It could be a better safety system than the ones on the kites. If they had the safety built in the harness why would you need to have on on the kite? Maybe that would bring the cost of the kites down.

I think this would be a safer system and no chance of lines getting tangled in the hook. Great idea.

Clew In

abel · Postby **abel** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:38 pm

Yep !
mmmm.......
As long as it is more reliable than the regular QR, with no additional drawbacks.

eldadgold · Postby **eldadgold** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:26 pm

no.
if the QR will work properly then no need to put more weight, handles, pins etc. KISS

YouTube · Postby **Toby** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:09 am

the question is not to replace the QR on the loops.
The QR on the loop will be our primarily release!
The release on the spreader bar will be an additional release, if e.g. the lines tangle around the hook, which can happen and already happened several times.

tomatkins · Postby **tomatkins** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:53 am

Of course, one could design a harness, which would, itself, completely release from the kiters body.

This is not a far fetched idea, and serious windsurfing wave riders have cut off buckles and extra straps, so that there complete waist harness can be freed from their body in case their harness line, or the hook of the spreader bar gets stuck on the boom, during a violent churning in the surf. The windsurfer can then swim out from under the sail, thereby, avoiding drowning.