Hay people,
I’m hoping someone can help me out, I have a BWS noise 2013 10m and changed the front lines yesterday (with the help of a kite instructor),
When I got the kite out on the beach its flying in the air ok but soon as I got out on the board and started to track out the kite stalled and hit the water(every time) I couldn't lock it in, I have adjusted the lengths of the front lines from the pigtail, and played with the depower but no joy, same problem.
There are P-lines on the Bws kite too.(if that makes a difference)

The winds were great and lots of kites out on the water, I felt like a beginner again.
Is there something simple I’m missing?

Front lines are to long

Select to expand quote

scubaste said..
Front lines are to long

Awh man,
so are they just the wrong lines or Can I add extra length to my back lines to make up for this or just buy another set of front lines?

Find an anchor point, to attach your lines to and with the bar pulled in all the way the lines should be equal length. If not you will see which lines need adjusting. You should be able to buy some pig tails or something, maybe bring it to your local shop and they will probably have something to get you sorted.

just tie another not in your front lines

keithybu,

This is perfectly normal even if you got the same lines from the same brand. Over time, lines are actually shrinking (contrary to popular belief that they are stretching). Now that you put new lines, they are longer than the old ones and probably by a long shot it seems...perhaps as much as the ones in my picture comparison below.

Anyone replacing lines should always tune the bar before flying, I'm surprised this hasn't been done since you had an instructor to help.

It would make more sense to replace all your lines all at once as you wouldn't have problems with length difference, but if you really want to keep your old back lines you'll have to lengthen them either by adding extensions or trying to stretch them (some wouldn't recommend that).


Good luck,

Christian

hello keithybu
First up Hay is horse food, but ill forgive you as ur from Vic

Agree, front lines too long or back lines too short (same result/outcome)
Agree all lines should be same length, when fully powered up but a mix of bridles, attachment points, pig tails etc can change.

Now this is what I do (putting on flame suit now as i type) after checking all line lengths / bar and then check your QR is working.

On a non cranking wind day but plenty of wind to keep kite in the sky.
Set up kite in a big open space on the beach (or the moon)
Fly kite at 12 o’clock (note, flying kite at 12 o’clock this can be done at any time of the day)
Carefully / slowly power up the kite, if it starts to back stall, land kite and lengthen back lines about 5cm and repeat.
Once the kite doesn’t back stall when fully powered get a mate to equally pull down on back lines about 5cm while you are holding bar fully powered, this is in effect adding more power to the kite. (Back tips of kite will be closer to bar / therefore more likely to stall)
The trick here is to find the point where the kite is stalling and set lines with about 5 cm longer than that.

I have set up my kite and friends kites like this and it works for me, Im heavy on the bar and often hold full power to gain balance, i know the kite wont stall.
IMO if a kite is stalling backing it is over powered in all aspects of it flying, therefore you may not be getting the correct de power or you may have to use excessive depower.

My 2 cents worth :) PS, I have set up my brand new kites (new out of the box) that didn’t back stall. I shortened the back pigtails about 15 cm then tested theory, so I reset them at 10 cm. (on cranking days I go back to standard lengths)

First of all, and you have to remember to push the bar out when the kite starts to backstall, the early BWS 6m had back stall built in if the wind got gusty or was a bit light. you have to push the bar out.
A lot of guys instinctivly do this wrong and pull the bar in when the kite starts to drop.
Next just pull in the depower to find out if this corrects the issue, cause too long front lines is just like fully powerd and you are shortening them by depowering the kite. There were also extensions on some p-lines (front lines) take them out

Yet more proof that rears shrink. Your fronts are the right length. Another vote for tune the bar and if you can't replace the rears.

Thanks for all the help, I got 20cm extensions on my rear lines, I measured everything up again it seems to be even.
If only the winds picked up a little here in Vic I could test it out.
Good to see that there's a lot of help out there.
Best of luck