Slingshot Sentry control bar question

[SpaceRacer]

Hi, a friend of mine just got a brand new bar and when we were working together on self rescue I noticed the bar went all the way to the kite. I assume that this is not what one wants? She claims she has a manual with some spare parts. Should there be a stopper of sorts that we have to set up ourselves?

Thanks!

[Herman]

I don’t know the specifics of the bar but it is personal choice on whether to use a stopper ball on a front line flag. Personally I think the benefits of keeping the flying lines clean out weighs the benefits of attaching a stopper but others may disagree. Not using a stopper may mean that you have to retrieve the bar and pull some flagged line back through before classic packing. If you are not confident that you can judge a kite span length it might be wise to mark the line where the stopper would have been.

Imho what I think you have been practicing should be referred to as deep water packdown, which might be useful prior to swimming or sailing in. Packing down in a real rescue situation is rarely, if ever, the way to go imho. However, it is good to see that you are practicing this sort of handling as it is very easy to get legs dangerously tangled, and so always check your knife before packing. Good luck stopper or not.

[SpaceRacer]

Thanks Herman, you got me thinking about a couple of things. First question is do you not fly a bar/lines with a stopper? What happens if you were to breakdown? You wouldn’t “pack” the kite as you call it if you didn’t have to? You would just let the kite gradually take you to the beach while still attached to your bar and lines? And without a stopper what happens if you have to get to your life to swim or sail in? You just go up your flagging line straight to the kite and swim or sail home without packing the kite and just let your bar and lines trail behind you as you head to shore?

[Herman]

I do NOT use stoppers on my fly lines.

If I have dropped the kite and the sea state will not allow a relaunch; I would continue to control where it sat in the window and influence the direction of drift looking for opportunities to relaunch and being prepared to completely release if kite is munched in a wave. For a breakage I would only pack down if I was sure I could do it without a leg tangle. If I have releases because I am being overpowered I am definitely not packing down and let’s hope I have planned for a drift to safety. ( I am definitely not going anywhere near a line that could tangle me in high winds.)

On a nice day with low wind if I wanted to sail/swim in I would attach the board to the bar and go to the kite with lines streaming but you have to organise a board tether that does not troll the board, for TT at a webbing under a fin bolt - footstrap or handle will catch an edge. If pulling in a mate I like the flag and drag principle, ie they flag and keep the board you just slowly drag the combo in but you always have to adapt to the prevailing conditions. If they are just drifting to safety, just watching them in and giving a bit of reassurance is a good option.

[TheJoe]

No there is no stopper on the Slingshot bars. The bar can end up at the kite but that normally does not happen.