Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

I do this

Holding the bar lower to the ground can help .
Also pulling the kite round slower when launching helps aswell . Even the position the kites in when launching can affect the line snagging like when the kite drags along the sand then turns up to launch gives the line more chance to snag on the wingtip .
Try launching a bit deeper in the window so the kite turns straight up and doesn't drag along the sand first .
And always be ready to use your safety when launching I have a few years under my belt now and every now and then I use my safety !!

Sell the deadly F One and buy a kite that doesn't get wing tip bridle wraps.

It's all in the lay up, as well. Good prep can keep your lines free. Clear all shells or objects from around kite and downwind a bit for when it rolls. Lay out your lines upwind beside your kite on the side that you will be walking to self launch. Inspect to make sure your bridal is free and place your kite bridal and pigtails running towards rear of kite. Walk around the back of your kite to attach lines so that none are under your kite. ( in other words avoid any lines running under or around leading edge. It should be a straight pull to launch) Next few moves depend on wind strength. Twist your kite so the back tip is just fiiling enough with wind, but won't move kite on sand. Move back ready to tension and check lines. if normal edge of window is 9 o'clock you may need to be 10-11 o'clock. (more upwind) I de power with bar out, tension lines and check they are correct before pulling a rear to roll kite and launch. You may have to adjust your position during launch so it's not too hot or doesn't slide your kite too much.In light conditions you can use the slide of the kite backwards as you tension to help with momentum to roll the kite for launch. Be ready to let go of bar and know your release by instinct. I choose to be hooked in, but I'm comfortable with that. Some kites are more prone to catching a wingtip due to their bridal designs. I avoid these As they are a pain in the surf.

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loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

You may be getting the kite off the ground to early,
wait till the kite has turned with both your steering lines taut.
I quit often see people launching there kite and there standing to far downwind,
and the kite drags along the sand for a long way.
They then try and get the kite in the air without both lines taut,
and that's where you can Catch a wing tip
Just don't rush when self launching its not a race.
Hope this helps.

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loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

I did have a quiver of one particular brand where this happened a few times.
I no longer have them.
What kite are you flying?

loftsofwind,

In my experience self-launching countless different kites, this problem has more to do with the specific kite you are using rather than the technique you are using. Even between sizes kites can behave differently to self-launching.

Long bridles and external pigtails attachments/adjustments on the leading edge are some of the common causes of tangles and snags upon self-launching.

It's very hard to give you the correct advice without having a close look at what's happening and not knowing which kite you are using?

stuntnaz's tips are worth considering, eventually by changing your technique you may end up finding a way to prevent this.

I had a student come to be recently with the same problem on an Airush kite. I taught him to hold tension onto the upwind steering line while the kite is turning and giving it a couple of quick tugs just before the kite rises vertically. This prevented the line snags and we successfully repeated the process many times with no failures. I use the same technique on all the Core kites that I use, as I was having the same problem myself.

Play around with those tips on a low wind day (15 knots or less) you'll eventually find one that works for you without getting pulled around too much.

Christian

Stuntnaz is on the money. Laying out your lines cleanly and keeping your lines taught throughout is the best way to prevent tangles. If the wind is really light I walk upwind almost to where the wind is coming from directly behind me, easing the distal edge of the kite around as I walk the last few metres, and i'm walking backwards as well to keep the lines taught. Once the kite fills with wind keep walking backwards and upwind while keeping tension on the front back line and it will sit up and take off :)

It takes a bit of practice if your kite has long bridles, but it's doable without scraping along the too sand much. Good luck!

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yendor said..

loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

I did have a quiver of one particular brand where this happened a few times.
I no longer have them.
What kite are you flying?

Thanks for the advice guys
And yendor i ride the 2015 fone bandit

I lay the lines behind , then walk towards kite .
when at kite go 90 degrees and pull further-est turn line .
as kite fills and before it blows downwind ,
I run\walk upwind to reduce kite beach drag \ line snag
be ready for a power hit .
Need a bit of clear area

awesome kite!

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loftsofwind said..

yendor said..

loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

I did have a quiver of one particular brand where this happened a few times.
I no longer have them.
What kite are you flying?

Thanks for the advice guys
And yendor i ride the 2015 fone bandit

No, mine were not bandits,

Shouldn't this be in the 'tips & tricks' section?

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loftsofwind said..

yendor said..

loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

I did have a quiver of one particular brand where this happened a few times.
I no longer have them.
What kite are you flying?

Thanks for the advice guys
And yendor i ride the 2015 fone bandit

Well that was a good guess on my behalf. I have no experience with fone. Other than there has been at least 2 cases of people dying due to kites death looping because of bridle wrap around the wing tips.

My advice is to sell up and buy another brand that doesn't have this deadly problem.

Sounds like you're walking directly upwind of your kite when launching. If you are running your lines from behind your kite, simply walk in a wide arc and keep your lines taught as you start to walk upwind of the kite. Your bridles should never wrap this way

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loftsofwind said..
Most times i self launch the bridle of the kite gets wrapped around the wingtip causing the kite to go into the ‘death loop’ all i can do is pull the safety and try again but it keeps happening... what to do?

The primary reason I got done on this (two broken ribs) was because I wasn't pumping up the kite hard enough. So the kite was flexing during the self launch and catching the bridal on the wing tip.

I have had the issue occur half dozen times. Five times I was able to pull bridal clear and the six time and I got dragged up the beach. My mistake on the sixth occasion was not pulling the safety after the second rotation thinking I could save it.

I now pump up harder and pull the safety sooner.

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Big eeeZeee said..
Sounds like you're walking directly upwind of your kite when launching. If you are running your lines from behind your kite, simply walk in a wide arc and keep your lines taught as you start to walk upwind of the kite. Your bridles should never wrap this way

That's exactly what I do, I find self launching very easy to be honest. Although I don't try it in strong winds. Also make sure you depower the kite before self-launching.
I find it very safe to do and am astounded to see some people trying to self launch their kites with the kite directly downwind of them. So the kite has to go right through the middle of the power zone...

This is the technique I use, which is also what Big Eze describes.

If I'm self landing on a deserted beach I use the technique of attaching my chicken loop to a post , steering my kite down to the sand, unhooking and casually walking up to the kite to lay it down.
You can use this in reverse to launch in sketchy conditions or with a kite you don't trust.
Do you have a post you can attach to?
Or even take a sand bag with you ( empty- then fill it on site)
Simply attach you chicken loop to your anchor point, walk down and " launch " your kite ,which will just sit there on its wing tip while you walk up, hook in, unhook your anchor rope then steer the kite upwards
Super easy, not as fiddly as it sounds and 100% safe
If anything goes wrong your sand bag cops a thumpin'

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Kajo said..

Big eeeZeee said..
Sounds like you're walking directly upwind of your kite when launching. If you are running your lines from behind your kite, simply walk in a wide arc and keep your lines taught as you start to walk upwind of the kite. Your bridles should never wrap this way

That's exactly what I do, I find self launching very easy to be honest. Although I don't try it in strong winds. Also make sure you depower the kite before self-launching.
I find it very safe to do and am astounded to see some people trying to self launch their kites with the kite directly downwind of them. So the kite has to go right through the middle of the power zone...

This is the technique I use, which is also what Big Eze describes.

That is exactly how i do it but you can se at 3.15 the tip of the wingtip on the right side gets caught up in the wind which (If using my kite) makes the bridle get hooked around the wingtip

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loftsofwind said..

Kajo said..

Big eeeZeee said..
Sounds like you're walking directly upwind of your kite when launching. If you are running your lines from behind your kite, simply walk in a wide arc and keep your lines taught as you start to walk upwind of the kite. Your bridles should never wrap this way

That's exactly what I do, I find self launching very easy to be honest. Although I don't try it in strong winds. Also make sure you depower the kite before self-launching.
I find it very safe to do and am astounded to see some people trying to self launch their kites with the kite directly downwind of them. So the kite has to go right through the middle of the power zone...

This is the technique I use, which is also what Big Eze describes.

That is exactly how i do it but you can se at 3.15 the tip of the wingtip on the right side gets caught up in the wind which (If using my kite) makes the bridle get hooked around the wingtip

I think this must be specific to your kite design, or as bigtone mentioned, is your kite pumped up hard enough?
I know bridle design can vary a fair bit so this might be the reason...

When launching have your safety already pulled then when the lines take tension there will be no threat of it death looping, to relaunch simply put back together your safety system and relaunch how you normally would when the kite is down-wind of you. Works like a dream when self launching but also works on land too. I hope this helps...

Anchor launch with a very large and strong bag full of sand and a second large bag of sand connected to the flag out line.

Many will not be prepared to go to the trouble.

If you have a spot with a suitable rock, you can anchor to the rock. You could drill the rock and put an eyebolt into it.

www.dlightcanarias.net/crossbowlaunch/crossbowlaunch.htm

Would pulling the centre line (that usually get wrapped around wingtip) downwards before the kite turns around so it has tension and its below the wingtip so it won’t get caught. would this work?

If you need an anchor point when there is nothing around, dig a hole 1m deep and chuck your kite bag full of sand in there, attach a rope that goes out the top of the hole and fill the hole back in.

Works everytime for me but takes about an hour to get the bag back out. Also remember to leave a flag on top. I lost my brand new Best Waroo bag off the shores of bribee Island using this method.

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flyingcab said...
If you need an anchor point when there is nothing around, dig a hole 1m deep and chuck your kite bag full of sand in there, attach a rope that goes out the top of the hole and fill the hole back in.

Works everytime for me but takes about an hour to get the bag back out. Also remember to leave a flag on top. I lost my brand new Best Waroo bag off the shores of bribee Island using this method.

Shame the kite wasn't inside it

Put sand on the 1 wing tip and them launch me kite

I think this is what others have said.
I don't mind setting up either way - running lines up wind or down wind.
But
This problem could be remedied by setting up.with running out your lines down wind.
When you walk up wind for the relaunch take a wide sweeping angle to keep some tension in the lines. This will keep the bridal from catching.

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kitcho207 said..
I think this is what others have said.
I don't mind setting up either way - running lines up wind or down wind.
But
This problem could be remedied by setting up.with running out your lines down wind.
When you walk up wind for the relaunch take a wide sweeping angle to keep some tension in the lines. This will keep the bridal from catching.

It really depends on the kite and bride length and angle of the tips of the leading edge (some more flat, some sweep up) Taking a wide sweeping angle with tension on my lines with my TS results in the bridle being pulled out tight near the wing tip and could catch the wing tip as you walk around to the side of the kite. As well as a lot of unnecessary sliding on the sand

I find what works for me is setting up downwind, as i'm walking around to the side of the kite i'm making sure before I start putting pressure on the lines and moving the kite that i'm at an angle that the bridle pulls through under the wing tip closest to you, now applying pressure and walking to the correct position, resulting in the opposite side of the kite slowly filling with air and providing your in the right position the kite slowly sits up as if someone has just rolled it over to launch you. Ive had other kites with different bridles where I'll just set up walk around to the side and launch with out having to worry about anything being caught.

As a beginner I learnt from this same video and use the technique with my Switchblades, have not had this wrapping issue so far (around 20 self launches) with this make and model and the above technique.