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Shorten kite lines ?

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Benicia Wind
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Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Benicia Wind » Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:19 pm

Is there a way to shorten kite lines? My 6M kite has 25M lines. I'd like to cut this down to 20M. Any ideas?

Guigassa
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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Guigassa » Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:58 pm

Easy!
Stretch at same tension, mark, cut and splice...
Make sure that the loop and the buried tail is the same at all the lines.
Search on YouTube how to make the splice. I make the brummel splice to avoid the need of glue.

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby knotwindy » Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:02 pm

And you can splice the line you cut out to make extensions for practice.

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Guigassa » Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:06 pm

But ensure that the lines are spliceable.

Benicia Wind
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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Benicia Wind » Tue Jun 09, 2020 10:28 pm

Guigassa wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:06 pm
But ensure that the lines are spliceable.
How do I ensure they are spliceable?
Are there different kinds of kiteline?

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Kitetwin-1 » Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:07 am

I have used a kite line sleeving kit for $8 at fixmykite.com to shorten lines

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby bragnouff » Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:23 am

Making a loop with figure eight knot is also a decent option. Not as tidy as splicing, but definitely faster!

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Breze » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:46 am

bragnouff wrote:
Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:23 am
Making a loop with figure eight knot is also a decent option. Not as tidy as splicing, but definitely faster!
Don`t do this! unless you have q-powerlines. Don`t know why bragnouff gives you such an advice, as a longterm kiter he should know better.
Normal kite lines are unsafe with a knot or knotted figure eight loop. Breaking force is drastical reduced with a knot.


selflocking solice


This shows the principal of a normal splice. The stiching on kitelines is a bit different , just 5cm stiching with a poly or nylon thread
You can use a steel wire, guitar string E or some other unflexable thin wire.Or from the fishing shop :https://www.ebay.de/p/2255615308?iid=30 ... gJ8GPD_BwE
Every hollow single braided 12 strain (& less) kiteline is spliceable

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bragnouff
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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby bragnouff » Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:42 am

The reason I said it is because the strength isn't crazily reduced by a figure eight loop (but it is indeed well reduced with a simple knot on the line). And I've done it quite a bit over the years, and I'm still there to tell the tale.
If you were using super thin race lines, rated for the minimum load you can afford, sure, I'd abstain. But for quality standard lines in the 300kg realm, I don't think it is an issue. Never was for me.

Edit: Apparently figure eight would retain 75-80% of rope breaking strength

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Re: Shorten kite lines ?

Postby Benicia Wind » Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:55 pm

bragnouff wrote:
Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:42 am
The reason I said it is because the strength isn't crazily reduced by a figure eight loop (but it is indeed well reduced with a simple knot on the line). And I've done it quite a bit over the years, and I'm still there to tell the tale.
If you were using super thin race lines, rated for the minimum load you can afford, sure, I'd abstain. But for quality standard lines in the 300kg realm, I don't think it is an issue. Never was for me.

Edit: Apparently figure eight would retain 75-80% of rope breaking strength
I was temped to use a figure 8 knot. I'm sure it would fine for a 6M kite that I only use for foiling. But thanks for all the input. I shortened them with a brummel splice. A bit of a pain but at least it looks good.


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