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How I built my own kite surfing bar

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TilmanHH
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby TilmanHH » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:47 am

Anyone know how this velcro works?


https://images.app.goo.gl/gy4qaXoYhdzLs4GCA


It's for keeping the flagout-frontline in place, but I wonder how it releases in emergency case?

merl
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby merl » Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:43 am

I used to add those back in the day where we did not have through-the-bar safety. It should be sewn so that when you pull the leash it pulls along the surface of the velcro so opens with low force. I used only one side of velcro. From the picture I cannot see how it has been done in this case. But you are a handy guy - just make one. You can reuse an oh-shit-handle from an old bar. Or maybe it is just me with a box full of old junk...
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Regis-de-giens
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Weight: 62 kg
Local Beach: France: St Laurent du Var, Cannes, Almanarre
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Gear: Conceptair pulsion 18&15&12S, OR Flite 10m , Airush One 9&6, peak 5M , Rally 6, Elf 11 &7, 19m2 single skin proto.
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby Regis-de-giens » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:39 am

Regis-de-giens wrote:
Mon May 04, 2020 11:35 am
I have not tested it yet on the water
Tested last week. On the beach then 10 minutes on water.
It works fine, so pleasant to have almost no weight in the hands.

-Depower seems ok on the beach

- powering is more difficult: more friction that i thought vs my other custom independant rear line trims.
Actually I need to push the bar while pulling on the power adjustement. But it is just a change in habit: , once I f
Have found the trick it is easy and a way to control exactly your trim stroke. And it allows to keep same power (no AoA change) during the change of setting, why not... then you pull your bar during riding ...

The flexible fair lead seem to do the job. Next time i try to extend the rope length to get even more slack, so more "surf-freedom" style, just for the experience

merl
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby merl » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:56 am

I used mine a few times now. Once the adjuster slipped off got jammed inside (full depower) and I could not get it out so had to land it and find a stick to get it out.

I found the adjustment a bit fiddly.
Now one of the ends broke so it is out of action.

I made other straight bars which I prefer. I also think I prefer the Infexion style back line adjuster which I know you also use. But I might just go back to a splice cleat for bars that I adjust infrequently.

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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby nate76 » Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:43 pm

Hey guys! So after spending year or so of horsing around with different ideas. Realized there might be some other guys out there interested, so figured I'd share what I've converged on as my favorite setup for a lightweight homemade bar.

The main reason I built these was for back-country snowkite touring on foil kites. I've made about 4-5 bars now and have been using them for pretty much everything: foil boarding, snowkiting, twin-tipping, kite boarding and buggying. Actually made my 1st 14'er summit attempts last year using one of these. Frontline flagout works great. Really happy with them so far.

Here's some final pics and a little video run-through:

Image


Image



https://youtu.be/iGP75ARuhTU
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Kitetwin-1
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby Kitetwin-1 » Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:23 am

Your flag out caught my eye, the flag out line can’t pass thru the bar so it’s not a flag out. Why not just attach your leash to a loop immediately above the ring but below the bar.I am riding the KISS bar by Jeff Howard and loving it. I personally ride with no auto flag out, just a grab handle at the V. Your thoughts please

merl
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby merl » Mon Aug 10, 2020 9:29 am

Kitetwin-1 wrote:
Mon Aug 10, 2020 1:23 am
Your flag out caught my eye, the flag out line can’t pass thru the bar so it’s not a flag out. Why not just attach your leash to a loop immediately above the ring but below the bar.I am riding the KISS bar by Jeff Howard and loving it. I personally ride with no auto flag out, just a grab handle at the V. Your thoughts please
No reason why the line can't pass through the bar. The stopper ball stays above the bar, but that is just standard for many releases (e.g. ozone style).

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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby Onda » Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:14 pm

nate76
is the black stopper ball on top of your flag-out line under full front line load during normal operation mode?

Regis-de-giens
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Weight: 62 kg
Local Beach: France: St Laurent du Var, Cannes, Almanarre
Style: 62 kg , light wind, waves
Gear: Conceptair pulsion 18&15&12S, OR Flite 10m , Airush One 9&6, peak 5M , Rally 6, Elf 11 &7, 19m2 single skin proto.
foil Ketos, RCS Supreme, TBK Mana, snowskis, kite-boat
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Re: How I built my own kite surfing bar

Postby Regis-de-giens » Sun May 21, 2023 7:54 am

Regis-de-giens wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:39 am
Tested last week. On the beach then 10 minutes on water.
It works fine, so pleasant to have almost no weight in the hands.

-Depower seems ok on the beach

- powering is more difficult: more friction that i thought vs my other custom independant rear line trims.
Actually I need to push the bar while pulling on the power adjustement. But it is just a change in habit: , once I f
Have found the trick it is easy and a way to control exactly your trim stroke. And it allows to keep same power (no AoA change) during the change of setting, why not... then you pull your bar during riding ...

The flexible fair lead seem to do the job. Next time i try to extend the rope length to get even more slack, so more "surf-freedom" style, just for the experience
Some additional feed back after month of use:
-The friction is too high for comfort, so I have replaced the synchronized trim by 2 independent rear trims left and right
- the adjustable fair lead , when released to give more degree of liberty , is indeed a wire but very interesting feeling; your body is decoupled and even your body balance need some minutes to comply with it and the absence of the unconscious support that the tensioned depower rope gives to you arms; Nice experience
- but ... it is harder to rotate the bar to untangle (as expected), you need the two hands like on BRM control bar ; ok, just an habit
- "even more " but: the lateral movement of the bar can lead to passing the bar behind the from lines , which is not dangerous but very uncomfortable so you need to redo the same movement reversely to come back to normal position ; i did not like that
- so in the end I have replaced by a fair lead based on a fixed stainless "D ring" 3 secured by rope and glue below the bar.
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