Hello everybody!!!
I have a question that needs some answers. Is there an equipment for easy wrapping and unwrapping the kite lines without needing to un tangle them or placing them in the correct order to launch the kite? (i've seen the kite lobster and the kitelauncher).
Thanks in advance for ur help.

If you have a bar for each of your kites just keep them connected and roll your bar up in your kite.. then simply roll them out when going for your next kite and launch. and..."bob's your uncle"

Thx for ur immediate respont, well im a product design student and i'm doing a research coz i have a project of designing an easy way to wrap and unwrapp in the correct order the kite lines avoiding any tangle or waste of time. So i need some info if such a product would be usefull. I used to kite for two years and i had faced the problem. So
guys i would be gratefull for any info on this.
P.S Pls excuse me for any mistakes on my English

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ELIJAH said...
Thx for ur immediate respont, well im a product design student and i'm doing a research coz i have a project of designing an easy way to wrap and unwrapp in the correct order the kite lines avoiding any tangle or waste of time. So i need some info if such a product would be usefull. I used to kite for two years and i had faced the problem. So
guys i would be gratefull for any info on this.
P.S Pls excuse me for any mistakes on my English

The are ways to aid , a piece of foam with 4 or 5 slits dependant on quantity of lines if you put line ends into these prior to bar wrapping it aids slightly , however makes you lazy checking , my old wipikas used to come with a similar system, but brands tend not to bother now, for an easier way always run out lines downwind, it amazes me watching people running out upwind, even for tethered or assisted launch

Utube the process how paragliders pack their wing up. Do it exactly the same way and you'll never have a issue and you'll be out on the water first every time

When removin the lines, attach the left steering to the left power pigtail. Wrap as normal, unwrap as normal, walk out as normal. Tangles are minimal and quickly sorted. I have used the lobster things and they actually take more time.... And they've been done to death.

Keeping your lines attached to the kite will end up in a tangle 95% of the time unless you have some kite of Velcro/strap to secure your bar to the kite. Yes you can untangle them without detaching the lines but it's still a pain and takes time.

I notice people take more time to setup because of their kite and lines packing methods. If you wrap your lines carefully and tightly around the bar ends you should be able to run them out very quickly in a matter of 20 seconds for 4 lines and a bit longer for 5 lines.

I can setup a 9m kite from scratch until ready to launch in less than 4 minutes without even rushing at all... I don't understand how experienced kiters take 10 minutes or more... but I reckon technique helps. Just need a good pump and large inflation valves so you can pump a kite in less than a minute with minimal effort.

So basically I find any of these methods or gadgets designed to save you time are rather pointless if you have a good technique for wrapping/unwrapping lines and folding a kite well so you can pump it straight away out of the bag with no bridle tangles or bladder twists...

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Kamikuza said..
When removin the lines, attach the left steering to the left power pigtail. Wrap as normal, unwrap as normal, walk out as normal. Tangles are minimal and quickly sorted. I have used the lobster things and they actually take more time.... And they've been done to death.

Nice idea, why didn't I think of this.


I keep the left lines seperated from the right by keeping my finger between them as I wind them onto the bar. That way the line only has a possiblity to get twisted around one other line and not 3. Been doing it for a couple of weeks now. Seem to work well.

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cbulota said..
...So basically I find any of these methods or gadgets designed to save you time are rather pointless if you have a good technique for wrapping/unwrapping lines and folding a kite well so you can pump it straight away out of the bag with no bridle tangles or bladder twists...

Agreed. I put these gadgets in the "a poor workman blames his tools" category. If you have the right technique then you don't need the gadgets.

Having said that, lots don't so therein lies the opportunity to develop something.

Another way to do it.

The 'Fo' method is my favourite, cannot go wrong and is simple and easy. no gadgets needed
When you have pumped up just attach the two front lines only and then unwind the bar laying the bar down the correct way up. walk back to the kite and run your hands thru the lines as normal. Having the front lines already attached makes it easier to untangle and the steering lines pull thru any twists easily.
Hook them up and launch, any twists in the front lines can be un twisted after launching.
Works great every time.
Named after the famous 'Fo" from kiteforum.com many times banned, only good idea he ever came up with....

I'm with Kamakuza roll your lines up to the kite, disconnect, join left front to left steering same on the right and complete the wind up.

He's trying to develop a device, so line organisation without isn't going to work, for his project I'd say, really carnt see any major advantages compared to standard, paying no attention to your lines IMHO isn't the best,

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cauncy said..
He's trying to develop a device, so line organisation without isn't going to work, for his project I'd say, really carnt see any major advantages compared to standard, paying no attention to your lines IMHO isn't the best,

You lazy b*stards.. It takes 3 mins if not less, to lay your lines out. You can also check to see if there is any wearing of the lines or any knots in the line itself.

weird I never seem to have a problem .......
unroll lines and bar
start at bar runf ront lines between legs
steering lines each side of body
left hand holds all four lines in front of body and feeds the chooks
right hand acts as a back up and line puller/spreader
walk towards the kite and in the time it takes to walk lines are out and untangled

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cbulota said..
Keeping your lines attached to the kite will end up in a tangle 95% of the time unless you have some kite of Velcro/strap to secure your bar to the kite.

Nah it won't. I leave the bars on my foils and the worse I have is putting the bar through the lines accidentally when I'm tying them to the bar.

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Freddofrog said..

Kamikuza said..
When removin the lines, attach the left steering to the left power pigtail. Wrap as normal, unwrap as normal, walk out as normal. Tangles are minimal and quickly sorted. I have used the lobster things and they actually take more time.... And they've been done to death.

Nice idea, why didn't I think of this.


I keep the left lines seperated from the right by keeping my finger between them as I wind them onto the bar. That way the line only has a possiblity to get twisted around one other line and not 3. Been doing it for a couple of weeks now. Seem to work well.

Don't even bother with that. When you walk them out, keep the center lines between you legs, the steering lines on the outside and use a hand to keep the lines in front of you. You'll get a couple of minor tangles at the pig tails, but with each side connected to itself, it won't be a knot and will just jiggle apart.

I keep the pigtails in my hands and attach them one side at a time so there's no risk of dropping them and looping them around each other.

5-line kites need that other technique...

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Kamikuza said..

Freddofrog said..

Kamikuza said..
When removin the lines, attach the left steering to the left power pigtail. Wrap as normal, unwrap as normal, walk out as normal. Tangles are minimal and quickly sorted. I have used the lobster things and they actually take more time.... And they've been done to death.

Nice idea, why didn't I think of this.


I keep the left lines seperated from the right by keeping my finger between them as I wind them onto the bar. That way the line only has a possiblity to get twisted around one other line and not 3. Been doing it for a couple of weeks now. Seem to work well.

Don't even bother with that. When you walk them out, keep the center lines between you legs, the steering lines on the outside and use a hand to keep the lines in front of you. You'll get a couple of minor tangles at the pig tails, but with each side connected to itself, it won't be a knot and will just jiggle apart.

I keep the pigtails in my hands and attach them one side at a time so there's no risk of dropping them and looping them around each other.

5-line kites need that other technique...

Don't knock something before you've even tried it.

And doesn't everyone run the centre lines between their legs and steering lines on the outside? Is there another (better) way? Happy to give another method a go. Never know if you don't give it a go....

Have tried, just adds time for no appreciable benefit.

The locals don't run it between thier legs, they walk it out in their hands. Twice. Then fight with knots at the pigtails. That is Japan - "I was told to do it this way so I'll do it exactly this way forever no matter how much it sucks."

My apologies for another stupid comment (dogh), but all the above techniques don't consider the possibility of the lines twisted around middle connectors like Y connectors or other rings, etc that some bar systems have about 1/3 or 3/4 of the way up the lines.
The above assumes that all these "middle" contraptions do not tangle lines or get them caught up on something.

I personally think, it's better to be safe than in a hurry. Walk the lines normally. Like it's said above, you can then see for sure if anything has caught or if there is damage to the lines along the way.

The only true benefit of the above techniques is to launch from a boat or where there is very little room to walk the lines.

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NickT said..
I'm with Kamakuza roll your lines up to the kite, disconnect, join left front to left steering same on the right and complete the wind up.

+1 easiest and quickest, also helps nice winding on the bar.

Have also tried a technique where you put the two front lines through the left steering and then the right steering on top of that, then you re-connect in the same order. I think there is a vid from cabrinha that shows how this is done. Stuff up rate for me is around 50% usually because I am in a hurry and if you do stuff it you end up having to walk out more than once so more time wasted.

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Kamikuza said..I have used the lobster things and they actually take more time.... And they've been done to death.

There was some guy flogging a "line manager" a few years back did Cabrinha buy/steal the idea? Either way I don't see many around Did these end up in the bin with the manual, stickers and screwdriver? Ok maybe keep the screwdriver cant have too many of those.

The fact that that video took longer to explain it, than it takes to run out and wind up your lines (and pump your kite), is saying something about the apparent efficiency