Can I use a single control bar for all my kites?

[Peter_Frank]

As the OP indicated, his quiver of kites are all the same brand/model. If you have a mixed quiver like I do, a single bar might not work as some kites need a high Y or a low V configuration.

Are you sure?

Or is it just what they tell you

I have never felt any difference on any of my different kites, whether I use a high Y (really high 7-10 meter up) or a low one at the bar, meaning the difference can be really small or not present in reality.
And in some occasions IF a difference, it might work better with the opposite Y as the brand delivers standard

Some will say the opposite though, but I think it sometimes is because we as humans tend to believe what we expect to see, instead of objectively what we feel as if we could do a blind test
Also, a few kites might be really sensitive to this, and for most others it doesnt matter (is my guess) - that could be another explanation.

Peter

[pākihiroa]

Thanks for pointing out something I need to be more clear on, and please re-read my origional post as I have made a correction. Understand that because I was a snowkiter first, I forget that many kiters have virtually no experience with land/snowkiting - other than launching and landing. And in almost all beginner through intermediate land/snowkiting, the kiter can (and almost always does) use a smaller kite by sometimes 4-5m, than they would use on the water in that same wind speed.
...
And for you, pākihiroa, there is an even safer way for you to simulate a fast turning small kite in high winds with almost zero risk. I discovered this while giving trainer kite lessons when I first was moving down to a 7m kite. In those trainer kite lessons, I found that while demonstrating to students looping in medium winds, I was not extremely accurate with re-directing the kite more than about 80% of the time. Realizing this, I decided to train myself with the trainer once again, but with a different focus. That focus was higher winds and not looking at the kite. Sometimes I would even cause my self to be disoriented to practice recovery. With this practice, I quickly increased my control of my 7 and 5m kites in winds that did justify their use on the water with my 100kg weight.

Thanks for the diplomatic response. I kinda hesitated hitting send on my post but thought something needed to be said.

I see where you are coming from and totally agree with all your points. It is indeed a bit of a shock to recalibrate yourself on the speed a trainer after having flown a 10 or a 12 for a while. My smallest kite is a 6 and my largest is a 12. The issue I still occasionally have is when I am on my 6 one day and my 12 the next, I am always dropping my 12 in the water. I have to remind myself that I need to start turning the 12 back up about 1/4 the way down. There is simply no pulling out that monster at the last possible moment (and yes I know that could be taken as a double or even triple entendre ).

Conversely, the issue I have if I am on my 12 one day and my 6 the next is reminding myself to concentrate on actively flying it the whole time. A moments lapse in concentration could see it taking off on its own to the other side of the wind window as if it is possessed. And since I would normally be flying the 6 in high winds that can make for some 'exciting', albeit brief, moments.

[Matteo V]

I kinda hesitated hitting send on my post but thought something needed to be said.

The best discussion comes from forum users that don't self censor. This forum is a discussion about our individual vs group approach to kiteboarding. Whether you have your take on things shot down, corrected, or agreed with, you can still learn. But no one can learn if they are afraid to speak up because they think they are being too straight forward or may be wrong.

And thanks again for calling me out on that mistake. I really thought I had put "4m" in my initial response.

[grigorib]

As the OP indicated, his quiver of kites are all the same brand/model. If you have a mixed quiver like I do, a single bar might not work as some kites need a high Y or a low V configuration.

Are you sure?

Or is it just what they tell you
...
Peter

I recall North guys used to swear by their high-Y. Core guys are more chilled.
whole high-Y idea is a bit troublesome - you can't pull/flag on any of front lines - just on one, and depending on wind direction that might not be the right one for self launching/landing. What's even worse - any kite inverts, which are easily solved on the bar end on low-V setup are trouble with high-Y. Buying/making replacement lines for high-Y is also an adventure - it's much easier to get same length for all four.

Not sure if North really needs high-Y - any other kites I flew, Core included behave just perfectly fine on standard 50cm low-V bar.

Now, foiling on smaller sizes, when 9m feels "big" I'm debating move to 45cm.

[edt]

There are definitely kites that need the high Y, that's for sure. If they don't get the additional tension from the pinching of the Y, they never have full power. And of course, because of this you can't add extensions to kites like this! Why? Because adding extensions changes how high the Y is up relative to kite length. If you add extensions to a kite with a high Y and suddenly feel the kite lose power it's a sign that it's a kite that requires a high Y and won't fly well on a V. These kites are kind of rare though and it's not something the kite manufacturers talk about because they never "cross dress" that is north enginers only used to fly their north kites with north control bars, the naish engineers only fly their naish torches with naish control bars so they don't even know if it works on a V or not. Naish and North are two kites I know had a couple of kite models that were pretty sensitive to the high Y.

Short story: You gotta go out and try it, maybe it works maybe it doesn't, this isn't in the published specs of the kite.

Most kites can go from Y to V. That opens up the kite a bit and a lot of times they actually fly a little bit better. If you take a kite designed for a V and put it on a Y that also usually works but you might notice a little bit of loss of power. The rarest kind of kite is one that loses power going from a Y to a V and when it happens you'll notice it, it's like your 12 meter kite now has the power of a 7, not good.

[cor]

I have never felt any difference on any of my different kites, whether I use a high Y (really high 7-10 meter up) or a low one at the bar, meaning the difference can be really small or not present in reality.

Are we talking about LEIs only here? Try to fly a high aspect foil kite like a Sonic with a high Y for example. You are going to feel a difference, believe me! It has way less depower.

Also, a few kites might be really sensitive to this, and for most others it doesnt matter (is my guess) - that could be another explanation.

That is the case. Some kites are designed for high Y, some need a low V and for other kites it does not matter that much. As edt already pointed out, you need to try it.

[Matteo V]

Are we talking about LEIs only here? Try to fly a high aspect foil kite like a Sonic with a high Y for example. You are going to feel a difference, believe me! It has way less depower.

Distortion of a kite by "Y" distance or "line length" is only concentrated in the leading edge with an inflatable.

Distortion of a kite by "Y" distance or "line length" is distributed directly to the entire canopy of a foil kite because it is fully supported front to back across the foil cross-section with the bridle connections.

So yes, it is much more important with a foil kite than a SLE.

[dejavu]

I Like 22m line lengths.
44cm bar with 8m and 10m
52cm bar for 11m and 12m
60cm bar for 15m, 17m and 19m.

[JakeFarley]

As the OP indicated, his quiver of kites are all the same brand/model. If you have a mixed quiver like I do, a single bar might not work as some kites need a high Y or a low V configuration.

Are you sure?

Or is it just what they tell you

I have never felt any difference on any of my different kites, whether I use a high Y (really high 7-10 meter up) or a low one at the bar, meaning the difference can be really small or not present in reality.
And in some occasions IF a difference, it might work better with the opposite Y as the brand delivers standard

Some will say the opposite though, but I think it sometimes is because we as humans tend to believe what we expect to see, instead of objectively what we feel as if we could do a blind test
Also, a few kites might be really sensitive to this, and for most others it doesnt matter (is my guess) - that could be another explanation.

Peter

Pretty much just what I've read on this forum. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2396922&start=10
I should gave stated might not work as well. I have not tried switching my high Y bars with my low V bars, so I cannot say from experience.