u cant beat the simplicity of 4lines but 5th is basically a safety necessity-o and what the f~k happened to the wind--sik 1 bom

NOT sure if I agree with your last point GALAH - I use the 5th line system and use the same bar and lines for kites sized 10m , 14m and 18m and system works OK for me ( except for the occassional Saturday arvo teabagging sessions at Kurnell when my IRON HEART fails me. )

The fifth line will only tear your kite in half if it bow ties around the kite and this usually happens if the kite falls out of the sky the lines go slack and the kite rolls over a few times , this will result in a bow tie.If you pull on the fifth line and a wave hits you, you will have 2 kites for the price of one a tear straight down the middle.

Or if your in the surf and you are attempting to relaunch the kite via the fifth line and a wave sneaks up and hits the kite, your kite will tear at the leading edge all the way up the center as all the load is where the fifth line is attached.if your in the surf and you drop your kite let it go and swim in if you cant relaunch it fast enough.Personally I love the fifth line and would never go back to four lines.

Dustin,

By now there will be some well priced 5th line SS's on the S/H market.

The time and effort in adding a strong enough 5th line attachment.
Or the best option ADD 2. maybe more time consuming and costly than
upgrading.

Explore your Options.