Downloops and roll tacks wear out lines

[cglazier]

Any move that results in your lines twisted will cause abrasion on your back (steering) lines. I had just noticed excessive wear on my lines (that I have used well over a hundred sessions) and I ordered a new set of lines.. but as fate would have it a rear line broke later that day (while I was downlooping). And it broke right where the lines twist together.

So just a reminder that if you downloop every jibe as I do (or do roll tacks as I sometimes do), your lines get twisted and get a lot of extra wear where they twist together. This is usually very near the bar. Obviously you should unspin your bar to untwist them as soon as possible to avoid even more wear.

Anyway it's a good idea to inspect them.

[I'm not suggesting that you give up downlooping ]

CG

[FLandOBX]

Good reminder. Thanks. I'll be inspecting my lines before my next session.

[windmaker]

I use race lines (thinner) on my fol kites and wear where the lines cross every time I tack/jibe is an issue. My first solution was to flip the lines (top to bottom) to make the set last longer but recently I just cut the worn area off and replace it (3m from the bar) with a spliced new peace. Now whenever their is wear I only need to replace those 3m lines.

[kitelife]

Any move that results in your lines twisted will cause abrasion on your back (steering) lines. I had just noticed excessive wear on my lines (that I have used well over a hundred sessions) and I ordered a new set of lines.. but as fate would have it a rear line broke later that day (while I was downlooping). And it broke right where the lines twist together.

So just a reminder that if you downloop every jibe as I do (or do roll tacks as I sometimes do), your lines get twisted and get a lot of extra wear where they twist together. This is usually very near the bar. Obviously you should unspin your bar to untwist them as soon as possible to avoid even more wear.

Anyway it's a good idea to inspect them.

[I'm not suggesting that you give up downlooping ]

CG

What bar couldn’t handle your down loop abuse? You need a slingshot bar. Harness will break before the slingshot lines ever do. Still abusing a slingshot bar from 2013 with original lines.

[evan]

Racing: riding powered and tacking/gybing often on short lines is the worst for your lines out of all kiting disciplines.

I am going through multiple sets a year just to prevent them snapping while taking preventive measures like recoating them and rotating them 180deg.

Riding longer lines on smaller kites isn't nearly as abrasive for your lines as the lines cross way less aggressive.

[Foil]

yes this is a problem that I have only noticed recently, just over 2 meters up from the bar, shocking abrasion on all four lines, but much worse on the thinner steering lines,(when the lines are bone dry and you close inspect them in strong sunlight against a section of lines from higher up it makes you go arghh)
replaced the full set the week before lockdown with a new set which should last the rest of this year,
but I will be making 3mtr lengths out of my old lines, which are like new apart from where the lines cross when the kite is looped, and i will only use the thicker 500kg centerlines to replace the abraded lower 2mtr parts of my 23mtr lines,
that will give me 5 or 6 spare replacement spinning lower sections, and lots of splicing practice.
but as insurance against disaster whilst away for long periods I bought yet another new set of lines to keep in the car.

[Peter_Frank]

Racing: riding powered and tacking/gybing often on short lines is the worst for your lines out of all kiting disciplines.

I am going through multiple sets a year just to prevent them snapping while taking preventive measures like recoating them and rotating them 180deg.

Riding longer lines on smaller kites isn't nearly as abrasive for your lines as the lines cross way less aggressive.

This is so true, I have never had any issues at all, but ride strapless with longer lines and very low powered kite sizes.

Seems to be an issue for race kiters or those riding shorter lines and loads of power yes, makes sense

When we surf waves on waveboards (not foils) we also loop the kite around a lot sometimes, but no issues here either, as we are not powered that much going down the line, and the loop is usually to be able to ride DTL in low winds, otherwise not needed.

It is not used as much though, compared to some foilers I think, as many downloop in most of their jibes, and in all tacks the lines get crossed.

Peter

[Regis-de-giens]

For my very thin lines, my 3-4 first meters are made of a thicker line to support this abrasion.
What i also do is twisting the bar before turning. And i recommend this for waterstarts (beginners or not) . That way is more precise at the end of the loop and less abrassion as the kite pulls harder when it crosses the window. While just before the loop it pulls almost nothing hence less abrasion. And then you have your mind free of thinking to untwist rapidly, specially in linght winds.

Sometimes i turn the bar during the loop in the jibe (snow kite usual practice to sequence several loops in a raw to climb a slope).

[JakeFarley]

I am not a hydrofoiler, but I do downloops on transitions with my twintip and surfboard. Prior to the downloop I orient the bar with the kite attachment points and to initiate the downloop I grab the lower part of the bar with the opposite hand and pull to initiate the downloop. The lines do not cross and when I finish the transition the bar is in the normal riding position, no need to spin the bar. Probably unorthodox/wierd, but that's the way I learned (by myself back in the early 2000's on C kites).

[FLandOBX]

.... I grab the lower part of the bar with the opposite hand and pull to initiate the downloop. The lines do not cross and when I finish the transition the bar is in the normal riding position, no need to spin the bar....

Very interesting. I'd like to see that move in action.

I have tried a trick that requires that hand-crossover, and my brain and muscle memory haven't yet allowed me to do it. I'm so used to controlling the kite with left hand on left (or center) and right hand on right (or center) that I lose all perspective when I put my left hand on the right side of the bar and try to loop. It ain't pretty!!