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Forums > Kitesurfing General

Eddie, my death-leash is locked-in.

Reply
Created by waveslave > 9 months ago, 28 May 2010
waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
28 May 2010 10:59PM
Thumbs Up

When folks take their big dogs for a walk ...
they most likely use a leash.
It's a safety thing, right ?
Control of the dog from running away is important.
Animals running amok can be dangerous.
Question:
Do these dogwalkers hold the leash freely in their hand ...
or do they hardwire the leash to their person somehow ?
Question:
When jockeys ride horses ...
do they lock-in the reins onto their bodies somehow ?
Question:
Why do kiters think it's ok to tether themselves to a power-kite with a rope ?

If you lock-in your death-leash, the kite becomes a piece of you.

greenleader
QLD, 5283 posts
29 May 2010 1:10AM
Thumbs Up

one trick pony lately.

tgladman
WA, 500 posts
29 May 2010 12:21AM
Thumbs Up

a true warrior is not a threat unless he is one with his sword...

djdojo
VIC, 1610 posts
29 May 2010 2:25AM
Thumbs Up

waveslave said...


Question:
Why do kiters think it's ok to tether themselves to a power-kite with a rope ?



Answer:
Because they can deactivate that tether with a well-designed quick release, and in the meantime they can unhook without fear of losing their kite should they miss a grab.

Question:
Don't you get bored carping on about leashes?

Question:
Why haven't you used your supreme intelligence to design a system that lets people unhook without fear of losing their kite and also allows them to detach from the kite instantly should the need arise? I'm sure the market would love to receive your constructive input (unless they already have such a device).

WillyO
QLD, 263 posts
29 May 2010 8:01AM
Thumbs Up

djdojo said...

waveslave said...


Question:
Why do kiters think it's ok to tether themselves to a power-kite with a rope ?



Answer:
Because they can deactivate that tether with a
well-designed quick release, and in the meantime ....
they can unhook without fear of losing their kite
should they miss a grab. ^^^^^^
lol

Question:
Don't you get bored carping on about leashes?
lol

Question: ^^^^
Why haven't you used your supreme intelligence ...
lol
to design a system that lets people unhook without fear
of losing their kite and also allows them to detach
from the kite instantly should the need arise? I'm sure ...
the market would love to receive your constructive input
lol
(unless they already have such a device). ^^^^^^



now slave can read your post properly.

mattyjee
WA, 575 posts
29 May 2010 9:02AM
Thumbs Up

People don't attach dog leashes to themselves because they don't want to walk around with a ****ing harness on.

kiter77
VIC, 273 posts
29 May 2010 11:39AM
Thumbs Up

Poor Mr Slave such intelligence but such a slow leaner , yes, it's been said, 2 words, yes you can do it , read it slowly , yes it's Quick Release . It means it releases it quickly and safely but most of all it will save you posting repetative attention seeking questions

moons
WA, 349 posts
29 May 2010 9:47AM
Thumbs Up

For the love of God, please give us some WIND!!

LayDownSam
6 posts
29 May 2010 12:50PM
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yeah the leashes in the building industry shouldn't be attached to the users in harnesses either and why are we born with one when we are spat into the world. Slave you have many leash instances to explore don't stop at the dogs. I wear my leash on my wrist. it is a double over the top strap on in fleuro pink, quite fetching really.

djdojo
VIC, 1610 posts
29 May 2010 3:41PM
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WillyO said...


now slave can read your post properly.


awesome, for once i really did laugh out loud!

vader
NSW, 418 posts
29 May 2010 6:47PM
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the slave rant continues.

Abesy
WA, 266 posts
29 May 2010 5:08PM
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i like waveslaves better

flipper4444
VIC, 1214 posts
29 May 2010 7:21PM
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waveslave is a funny dude and very different i might add

getfunky
WA, 4485 posts
29 May 2010 9:01PM
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Has someone been attaching their dog to a kite?? Idongeddit??

Foil hat on - leash discarded - ready for kiting

flipper4444
VIC, 1214 posts
29 May 2010 11:47PM
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hahahahah you boys are all good! priceless wave slave gets alot of thumbs down has he got any friends at all? or a girl friend?

waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
29 May 2010 9:54PM
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djdojo said...
Question:
Don't you get bored carping on about leashes?


Nope. ^^^
I carp on about death-leashes cause they need to be exposed for what they truly are.
They are a second-rate tethering system that can hurt or even kill you.
The INDUSTRY and its faithful place the death-leash high on a pedestal,
It's meant to represent kiter-responsibility and awareness for public safety,
It's revered like some kind of sacred-cow by organisations such as WAKSA,
When in fact it's a pig of a system and a curly-tail tangle waiting-to-wrap.
Death-leashes wrap stuff.
Bars, trimmers, hooks, your-neck-in-the-surf ...
Death-leashes snap in two at the worst time.
Death-leashes unlock themselves (by mistake).
Runaway kites are more common now than ever.
Apparently at KITESTOCK there were numerous reports of runaways.
What's going on there ?
WAKSA is addicted to death-leashes.

But unhooked flatwater bandits need death-leashes, I guess.
Only 10% of all handlepasses attempted are ever successful.

tgladman
WA, 500 posts
30 May 2010 3:08PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote





But unhooked flatwater bandits need death-leashes, I guess.
Only 10% of all handlepasses attempted are ever successful.




you just answered your own ques slave. for a kiter trying to progress in a wakestyle direction, using a leash is a no brainer. unless of course such rider had a spare few thousand hours to spare chasing his/her kite around after each attempt.

flipper4444
VIC, 1214 posts
30 May 2010 6:06PM
Thumbs Up

you need a buddy waveslave looks like no one likes ya dude..

getfunky
WA, 4485 posts
31 May 2010 11:35AM
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Have to agree with WS on one point and that is some leashes open up by themselves.

I had 2 slightly diff model Airush leashes that were kn hopeless if you did bail to them. They had a double velcro fold over that fkd up 3 out of 4 times! Hopeless and made using it virtually redundant.

Yep - happened to me at KS (09). Combined with the demoed kite's dodgy chicken finger dropping out (and mashing my finger between the loop and the bar in the process), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing.

I now use a sliding style final release leash and no dramas with accidental release so far. Had to completely release the kite when caught inside a big set once and the slide release was easy as. Recomended.

I'd still rather have a leash and have the occasional stuff up than bail on a kite (with a hazardous bar swinging arounf waiting to KO somebody) every time.

Give it up Slave. You have your opinion. We know what it is. Now move on.

wishy
WA, 1501 posts
31 May 2010 12:01PM
Thumbs Up

mattyjee said...

People don't attach dog leashes to themselves because they don't want to walk around with a ****ing harness on.


in my local area many people use harnesses to walk their dogs...

djdojo
VIC, 1610 posts
31 May 2010 3:23PM
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Re getfunky, yeah I don't think velcro has any place on release mechanisms, be they leashes or chickenloops. A well-designed mechanical system with durable components that can easily be inspected for wear and obstruction should be easily designable and fool-proof.

I use a simple, unmodified cabrinha leash. I have connected it to my garage roof and hung my body-weight from it and bounced about a bit without the leash, clip, or QR showing any signs of strain. I check the mechanism regularly and have never had a problem.

Still, if there are real safety concerns about particular leash designs, I'd be glad to be informed.

lostinlondon
VIC, 1159 posts
31 May 2010 3:31PM
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DJ - I have to agree with you, I use a Naish leash and the secondary release is very simple to use, I don't know how it would seize up, and I don't know how it would accidentally release either. Because it attaches to a loop on my spreader bar, I think it would be easy to release in tangle events (sits right next to the hook).

I used to have an old school naish chickenloop with the velcro and that was alright, but since I was learning and used it a lot, the velcro started to wear and I did release it by accident a couple of times. (More of a hand/arm position thing) The new Naish QR, being more mechanical is a lot more reliable (only needed to use it once)

au_rick
WA, 752 posts
31 May 2010 2:37PM
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FYI,
the Airush velcro release is not the "safety" release, it is the secondary release, for when you have alreay acitvated your safety release and want to completely ditch your kite.
The actual "satefy" release on the Airush chicken loop is one of the more robust, failsafe, and reliable release systems that I've seen or used.

Also, there is a big difference between a "death leash" and a safety leash, although WS still refuses to see the distinction, which is odd because he does have a safetly system on his kite which flags it out to one line and this is exactly is what most "safety" leash system do.

getfunky
WA, 4485 posts
31 May 2010 3:16PM
Thumbs Up

Yeh, just to clarify, Rick is correct the Airush leashes final release were velcro. Unfortunately they had a very bad habit of releasing the kite - wether you wanted to or not! Not good design, as the act of deliberately opening it up was far more awkward than a slider or simila,r but much more prone to unintentional release! Double bad design really. Dunno if they have changed this aspect or not? Slider releases (or at least non-velcro) are the go I reckon.

niall barrett
WA, 248 posts
31 May 2010 3:37PM
Thumbs Up

Have to agree with wave slave on this one. I never wear a kite-leash. [except for WAKSA comps!]. the things are a heath hazard and in the tumbling seconds of a wave wipe out i think the less you have to wrap yourself around the better

I have yet to lose my kite unintentionally. The only time i have released, my kite has been downed in waves. Inevitably it washes up on the beach unharmed and pinned down by water and sand, posing less of a hazard than the dozens of loose boards that pop around these days from strapless riders.

In sizable waves kite leashes are a definite health hazard. Around Christmas I was riding a sizey [8-10'] day at Margs when my mate Scottie dropped his kite in front of the set of the day. He threw his quick release on the chicken loop but was towed under by his safety leash for nearly a 100m under water. I was on the wave behind and when he did finally break the surface he was a nice shade of purpley/blue. Facing another dragging from the wave i was on, I yelled 'ditch the leash', which he did, and his kite came in without a scratch when i towed it ashore. The trouble is that he knew he should get away from his kite but when you are being towed at 10kts plus underwater you cant actually get a hand against the water pressure to release anything.

gruezi
WA, 3464 posts
31 May 2010 4:04PM
Thumbs Up

From what I read, seems like best thing to do is just unclip the leash once you are out among the monsters. I have yet to be on one, but if ever......seems like a plan.

CarlBevo
NSW, 609 posts
31 May 2010 8:52PM
Thumbs Up

I think its a nonsense argument what about the other 4-5 lines attached to your bar? I would much rather a safety leash wrapped around me than an actual kite line.

On any wave where you stuff up your just as likely to get thrown well into the middle of the main lines and have four of them around you thats a risk you take when you kite

A saftey leash is a good way of stopping runaway kites, I saw at the gero nats a 12 mtr runaway kite tangle and pull to the ground a mother carrying an infant worse scenario possible cant remember if the kite was leashed but it was loose and gives you an example of the benefits of a leash - its a backup

Not using a leash makes you more likely in the event of a unintentional unhook chicken rope snap whatever to loose your kite and injure someone else through your own action - thats a little selfish in my view



professor
QLD, 277 posts
31 May 2010 10:13PM
Thumbs Up

Would chuck Norris' kite without a leash
dare to fly away. Would it dare!
And I ask you, if it did what would waveslave say to chuck?

waveslave
WA, 4263 posts
31 May 2010 8:17PM
Thumbs Up

niall barrett said...

Have to agree with wave slave on this one. I never wear a kite-leash. [except for WAKSA comps!].



Cheers Niall. ^^^
It's a shame and a scandal when kiters have to compromise themselves in order to enter a WAKSA comp.
WAKSA should be pro-choice when it comes to the use of death-leashes.
A ticket to a WAKSA event reads:
'NO DEATH-LEASH - NO ENTRY to COMP'
Insisting that competitors lock into a death-leash is an ill-conceived policy.
It could backfire on WAKSA one day.
It's your funeral, WAKSA.

Charl dv
WA, 2485 posts
31 May 2010 9:07PM
Thumbs Up

getfunky said...

Have to agree with WS on one point and that is some leashes open up by themselves.

I had 2 slightly diff model Airush leashes that were kn hopeless if you did bail to them. They had a double velcro fold over that fkd up 3 out of 4 times! Hopeless and made using it virtually redundant.

Yep - happened to me at KS (09). Combined with the demoed kite's dodgy chicken finger dropping out (and mashing my finger between the loop and the bar in the process), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing.

I now use a sliding style final release leash and no dramas with accidental release so far. Had to completely release the kite when caught inside a big set once and the slide release was easy as. Recomended.

I'd still rather have a leash and have the occasional stuff up than bail on a kite (with a hazardous bar swinging arounf waiting to KO somebody) every time.

Give it up Slave. You have your opinion. We know what it is. Now move on.


are you serious? damn thats actually the first leash i ever found to never accidentally release. mine has lasted me for 3 seasons now (touch wood) without ONCE unintentionally releasing due to the velcro, i had this big F off metal clip bend and release before the Velcro did and another time the leash actually snap. before that i had a naish, best and LF leash and they all released on be a couple of times so I had to electric tape it a couple of wraps so it was still able to be released when pulled hard but wouldnt accidentally undo itself.

i dont see how you cant release your kite when getting dragged by waves either, I have been able to pull myself around, make my way up to the bar and undo the mess when a leash has pinned a line against the bar causing my kite to deathloop uncontrollably. and also been able to find and pull my release when getting pulled under in the surf and not being able to get my boots off while getting dragged around.

greenleader
QLD, 5283 posts
31 May 2010 11:34PM
Thumbs Up

i feel safe with my leash on.



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"Eddie, my death-leash is locked-in." started by waveslave