Simple short line extensions - is a figure-8 knot ok?

[merl]

Generally the idea is fine. The specific line you bought is 1.8mm sleeved line, so the actual load bearing dyneema core is maybe 1mm which is going to be much weaker than the lines on either side. It might be fine, but as mentioned it would have been better to get unsleeved dyneema.

[wavy navy]

We are foiling not megalooping. No problem sir.

[edt]

That's west marine spider line 350 pound strength doubled it's 700 pounds but because it's sleeved it should loose less than 10 percent on a figure 8 knot so take takes it to around 600 pounds or 275 kg or so. I take back what I said about it being above spec 600 pound line is fine but it's not over spec. Should still be fine I think because the sleeving means the knots don't reduce breaking strength too much. You have to make perfect knots tho you probably already know that don't make sloppy knots

[mister-z]

I'd just slide the metal ring up the rear bridle to double it up and and then tie a fiqure 8 in it.

Tried this just now but the line is spliced and stitched, so it's pretty stiff. Feels cleaner to just use extensions

[knot_moving]

That's west marine spider line 350 pound strength doubled it's 700 pounds but because it's sleeved it should loose less than 10 percent on a figure 8 knot so take takes it to around 600 pounds or 275 kg or so. I take back what I said about it being above spec 600 pound line is fine but it's not over spec. Should still be fine I think because the sleeving means the knots don't reduce breaking strength too much. You have to make perfect knots tho you probably already know that don't make sloppy knots

Spyderline I used to make bridal replacement parts has a braided core. Probably doesn’t change your conclusion tho. Knot is past the larks head too, so that likely takes some more load off the knot

[mrandrewandrade]

I have done this before with a simple looped overhand hand knot and it's been working fine. I have done this on bridles and as short line extensions.

[Trent hink]

Are you sure that your bar and lines are tuned correctly? It seems strange to me that it would work properly on other kites but not provide enough backstall on the peak 4.

Also, the normal tendency is for the front lines to stretch over time relative to the back lines. Is everything brand new?

[evan]

Also, the normal tendency is for the front lines to stretch over time relative to the back lines. Is everything brand new?

Correction: All 4 lines shrink over time, but the unloaded back lines shrink more.

This gives the same effect, but the cause is fundamentally different.


A simple solution to add more backstall: tie some more knot into the leader lines of your bar or into the pigtails of the kite. Much safer than fiddling with the power lines as backlines are barely loaded and it doesn't add extra stuff to your setup.

[Trent hink]

Double post

[Trent hink]

I tried to make it simple which is why I used the word "relative"

I am pretty sure that the leader lines on the peak 4 are oversized to the point where a simple figure 8 on the rear lines should work just fine, the only question is if the resulting knot would be large enough to keep the lark's head from slipping off.

Of course you could add some sleeving to bulk up the knot, but the metal ring might make that difficult.

If you have any spare line left over from your extensions, take a short bit and pull out the core, then see if it is possible to compress the outer braid enough to slip it on over the metal ring... It might work.