I am new to kitesurfing and have been using a 2011 Cabrinha IDS bar with a Griffin Argonaught 2012 kite.

I have deployed the dual line safety system a couple of time and lets just say it didn't exactly make me feel safe.

I have a couple of questions:

1. what is a mini 5th line ? does that mean that after the swivel I should make one of my front lines slightly shorter then the other ? (currently they are exactly the same length as I thought being a different length would affect how the kit fly's)

2. would it be worth setting up a 5th safety line and where do you attach this safety line is it the center of the kite? does anyone have a link to a good instructional on how to set this up?

Ideally if I had the money I would just get a new single line flag out set up but any information you can provide on making my current setup as safe as possible would be great.

Hi Mat,

The mini fifth line simply is the additional line (usually red in color) that connects from your safety leash to both your front lines. Not be confused with an actual fifth line safety system.

If you shorten one of your front lines, the kite will turn more on one side, so don't do that!

Your kite is not setup to accommodate a fifth line setup, so you can't do that modification either.

It is possible to modify your current setup to a single front line safety system, but this requires some knowledge, skills and the right spare parts, so I wouldn't recommend this either. Kite shops and instructors wouldn't modify it either for liability reasons...

If you're that worried about your overall safety and your safety system, just book a 1h practical lesson so we can go over ways of flagging your kite and deep water rescue without modifying your setup.

You won't learn practical safety skills from a forum and you'll put yourself at risk trying to modify your safety system yourself as a beginner.

Christian

Awesome thanks for that makes sense now.

Where do you do lessons ? it would be great to spend an hour and use the safety system and also practice self landing under instruction.

What is an hour worth ?

Cheers

This speaks volumes! So, don't just trust a mini5th. Go for a full 5 line setup

I dont believe you will ever 100% feel safe on a twin flag system. Mini 5th or 5th def the go.

Select to expand quote

Loftywinds said..
This speaks volumes! So, don't just trust a mini5th. Go for a full 5 line setup

Oh North, you went full retard yet again.

All safety systems need enough length in the safety line/bridle system to flag the kite out, which is kite on water either on its back (smiley face or turtle) or leading edge down (like parked on the beach).



Double front safety often has a high V to accommodate the long safety line to allow the kite to flag, and people moan it doesn't do 100% depower when released. See 2011 and earlier Cabrinha bars.

Single front line uses an actual front line as the safety line, and probably needs a stopper ball to stop the bar going all the way to the kite. More depowered when released b can make a tangle of your lines. Ozone bars.

Fifth line is simply an extra line to your four flying lines (geddit?) that goes straight to the kite, usually attached to the center of the leading edge. Can be unpleasant when released to safety, and is more "complicated" but does offer the most depower.

Mini-fifth is an extra line set up like he fifth Lin e, but it terminates at (is spliced into) a flying line, some way from the end of the line. Advantage is engineering at the QR is simpler and you get the benefits of a single front safety, but the disadvantages are the same and you have to buy special lines.



Your kite needs what kind of system? My guess is single front, and it has short bridles so when you hit safety, it's not all the way turtled. It will still pull even if you have a long enough safety, though. You could mod the bar to do that, but it would be a little tricky. Buy a Switch bar for $275...