Considering suicide

[Kamikuza]

If I'm prepared to just completely release the kite should something go wrong, is there any reason i should ride suicide?

Always considered it a free styler thing so never brothered reading up on it.

This is coming from my shit experiences with front line safety lines snapping and causing expensive havoc. Despite checking my QR and routinely running through the motions, I've rarely ever needed to release to safety and the times I've had to, required a full release.

So the mod would be Lark's head the front line safety line onto the bracket and leash onto the main line on the bar...

[Jyoder]

Well, I’ve started riding with just a carabiner and no quick release or safety. Does that count?

[Matteo V]

Mini 5th should be safer than suicide. My main bar is a mini fifth, and it has kept me from losing a kite on (possibly) a broken front line.

[Toby]

If no one can be hurt if you fully release, you should be fine doing so

[edt]

Modern bars let you ride half suicide. The only people who ride full suicide are snow kite gliders where they need to make sure the qr doesn't go off in flight. Full suicide is inconvenient because of where you rig your leash it gets in the way of the control bar. Half suicide is better.

[Kamikuza]

Oh, have I got my terminology wrong? I was thinking of putting the safety leash ahead of the QR untwist knob block thingy on the depower PU tube, so if I release the QR I'm basically leashed to both center lines...

I guess on my Cabrinha kites that's just the same as letting go of the bar. Tend to only do that if I'm really ass over tea kettle and have no idea which way is up or where the kite is. Even that doesn't happen often.

The idea is to replace the *@#%! FLS by attaching both front lines to the "swivel" and so get rid of that stupid weak point at the stopper...

I rigged up a mini-5th today, and got to "test" it on the water for a short foil.

I have two 2018 Cabrinha Recoil bars; one has a trim strap that's about the snap, the other had the broken front line. I put the lower front line from the trim strap bar onto the snapped line bar, lark's headed onto the stopper bracket thingy so that's two front lines with sleeves at the loops now. I used the unsleeved FLS lower front line from the strap bar, attached it to the lower landing/safety line with the bungy in, then lark's headed it to where the lower front line joins (Cab has two-piece front lines). I added a guide ring for my mini-5th at the bracket thing... the left hand part of my picture below...

As expected, it was a tad "short"... so until the front lines were fully loaded the mini-5th took the load. Easily fixed. Self-landed on it, seemed to work fine

Here's an idea (on the right) for the mini-5th to stop it twisting up -- any reason this is a bad idea?

[downunder]

All the way mate. Exactly what I do on FS bar above the release.

Cant be bothered with a safety line, since riding in a closed inlet 99%.

Even on the ocean, it was never an issue.

D.

[Matteo V]

All the way mate. Exactly what I do on FS bar above the release.

Cant be bothered with a safety line, since riding in a closed inlet 99%.

Even on the ocean, it was never an issue.

D.

I dont get it. Safe bay, no hazards like beach goers, or other kiters, no possibility of a sudden weather change??? What is the bother of a safety line? Do you accidentally release 1- 3 times a session or something? Sounds like a paradise beginners spot with no worries? Maybe you need a quick relaunch to avoid coming into rocks?

Mini 5th that I use is great for waves and quick relaunch. Main drawback is that I need clear space on either side of window, not just downwind slightly off to one side (as on a single front). So there are some trade offs, but I do not kite in either super safe, nor super sketch locations. Weather wise, I kite at only one spot with no chance of gnarly unpredicted wind coming up.

[Toby]

not sure Kami about what happens if you twist the lines?

[RomeUtah]

If you ride suicide, I would make sure that you fully sheeted out almost fully kills all kite power. That way if the qr fails, or the chicken loop fails, your kite drops without power and you can have an easy reset instead of going for a swim.