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5th Line 60 % Problem & 40 % Help

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ELLINAS
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5th Line 60 % Problem & 40 % Help

Postby ELLINAS » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:10 pm

So tell me your opinion.

Mine is that a good kite does NOT need a 5th line to be better or safer.
It seems that the 5th line creates more problems than it solves.

Keep it simple.

Aris Evdos

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby Brent4336 » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:59 pm

Undecided.

Have recently gone back to a 5th liner and have had more than one screw up thats for sure. There seems to be a learning curve. Once I let go I have to have the patients to let it flag properly instead of trying to get it back up before it fully flags. Rush it and I can end up with a flipping mess. Riding in boots, its a bit more hassle to swim at the kite so I have resisted setting it up at a 4 line kite. Will give the 5th a little longer, but too many more screw ups and It's gone.

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ELLINAS
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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby ELLINAS » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:12 pm

Here is an old picture of a friend...

Image

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby briansuntrax » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:16 pm

A 5th line does have it's benefits if one looks at it with an open mind, specifically w.r.t safety.

However, it can also lead to safety problems i.s.a. when the kite rolls over on the water, which makes it impossible to relaunch. This can be quite a problem for beginners as this situation happens frequently.

So one has to look at one's situation and then decide realisticly if it works or not.

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby ziik » Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:45 pm

Like every other system it has its pro's and con's.

I'm back on 5line C's from SLE's and will probably never swap again. Never is a strong word. But I'm pretty confident.

It requiers a certain approach when setting up and moving the kite around on land. But once you get the hang of it, it's not worse then any other system.
As always, knowing your kit is key.

I ride them with my leash connected to CL and 5th when riding. Suicide with a backup... when CL is released all power is lost. Useful for solo landings on water or if things turn ugly.
And I just love having the 5th when it comes to relaunching.

I think that many SLE's lack a good option to flag your kite when properly overpowered. Though there is systems doing that these days, like the ids or 5th on sle's like norths. I reckon the bandits have the ability to flip onto it's back to. Right? Never saw that in real life...

Anyways, I like the way C kites work and appreciate the convenience given by the 5th line. And hardly ever have any problems with it these days.
Did have a few f-ups back in 05 when I first tried it though ;)

my two cents.
cheers
//Joel

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby Don Lester » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:08 pm

It's like ziik said there's pros and cons. If you don't sail very far from the beach so it's REAL easy to swim in, than the major con is reduced.................... When it comes to 5th line wrapping it's not "if " it's "when".
I've even been able to unwrap a 5th line and relaunch, but you can't count on being able to do that all the time. The one time you can't relaunch is the time when your a 1/2mile out, tired, cold and ready for the hot tub and now your facing 1-2 hour swim...... not fun.

The rest of the " pros & cons " are insignificant in comparison............

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby Wakeboarder » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:32 pm

Well I don’t have enough money to change my kite every 6 months and the 5th line helps a lot when you are learning kite loops and something gone wrong, I had to release my kite a few times and I still have a kite because of the 5th line, once you get used to it its so simple and necessary but just my point of view.

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby pbmaniac27 » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:39 pm

I reallly love my 5th line kites for the versatility they give me

add in a wave grenade or some way to release it and you have solved the wrapping problem. Release 5th, relaunch, ride back to beach reset.

I ride with boots too and the 5th makes everything easier for me. It takes me a few minutes to get into my boots since they have a complicated lacing system. With the 5th i just sit the kite at the side of the window and pull in a chunk of 5th so that it stays down and there is no pull at all.

The 5th is also a life saver for relaunching. Though its harder for newbies to launch with a 5th compared to SLEs and such these days, when the right hands the 5th is just as fast and actually give you more options. MANY a time I have managed to relaunch my kites when the wind has dropped out a bit while others on supposed easy relaunch kites struggle since standard fly the kite off the water relaunch requires a good amount of wind. Once my kite is in the air i then make it back to the beach body dragging while they drift downwind to a further beach and have to walk back.

I also like having a safety that doesnt get in my way and yet is completely effective when i miss the bar passing or doing a trick. Its nice not having to worry about a further spanking after the original crash.

finally there are the obvious self land and easy drift launch benefits.

5th lines may not be as good for newbs. But if you know how to fly the kite well, they give you a ton of options you wouldnt otherwise have.

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Re: 5th LINE 60 % PROBLEM & 40 % HELP

Postby frankm1960 » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:42 pm

I like my c kites with the 5th line. I think they're worth the hassle.

I also like the 4 line SLE kites as well. However, I find the 5th line ckite gives me more peace of mind than the SLE when it comes to solo launching/landing the kite.

In light winds the 5th line has come in handy relaunching off the water. I don't think I would've gotten my 4line SLE off the water in those cases.

Flagging a 4 line kite is not as convenient as a 5 line kite, especially in deep water, I found it more difficult to get to the bar.

I have had the 5th line wrap around my kite when launching, careless on my part, but none the less it did wrap and caused some anxiety. As mentioned the wave grenade can solve this problem.

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Re: 5th Line 60 % Problem & 40 % Help

Postby kylek » Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:36 pm

there are some nicer looking 4 line leash systems (ie IDS) but for me, there is no substitute for the functionality of the 5th line.

Ellinas, Im curious. do you think your friend's kite in the old picture is in a 'bad' postion? Im guessing so but really that is a testament to the complete flagging of the 5th line.

How do you carry your kite on the beach in high winds? by the leading edge in the center? funny, thats also where the 5th line connects.

I regularly drop the bar while missing unhooked stuff and its easy to correct the kite anytime it flags to the 5th line. just pull an outside line.


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