WA
22 posts
I have a 9m Ozone Instinct Sport Plus and am loving learing how to fly it, with how easy it is to depower and realunch, unfortunately because the wind is not always ideal here in tassie and I don't get a lot of practise my kite can end up cartwheeling in the process of crashing then setting up to relaunch.
When this happens the 2 centre lines twist up on each other and the only way I can get rid of the twists is to land the kite and undo the pigtails. It seems as though the lines are chaffing on each other if I leave them twisted and keep flying the kite and it is starting to make them a little furry.
In the interests of looking after my gear I am wondering if it is possible to insert a swivel into the ozone system as I have see on other bar and lines system.
I know I know the best answer would be don't crash the kite which is of course the first solution but failing that I am looking for plan B!
any help would be appreciated.
WA
71 posts
yep, working harder on plan A is obviously the best plan - as a looping kite will very easily overpower you flying downwind into obstacles and is very dangerous, so choose your location well, and be careful.
However, the Ozone bars do have a swivel - it's located just above the chicken loop and below the bar, the plastic bit where the flag out line is connected. The front lines can be manually un-twisted using your hand. Having said that, i don't think it works very well, as untwisting using the swivel usually resulted in the flag-out line and your leash getting wrapped around the chicken loop which means your flag out is now compromised. Unless i was doing it wrong perhaps someone else can advise on how this system is supposed to work. I would modify it by somehow getting the flag-out line to sit outside the plastic swivel piece, but still below the bar, the flag-out line is therefore independent of the swivel and will not get twisted around the chicken loop.
The kite still flies fine with crossed front lines - mine are always crossed and rubbing, and haven't noticed any significant damage to them for 2 years now and surprised yours have frayed. maybe cut some thin tubing to protect the lines might be a good stop-gap?
As for creating a modified swivel - i haven't heard of that before, i wouldn't recommend but maybe someone has done that.
NSW
4382 posts
Hi Sailorpip
Mickeeh is right there is a swivel above the chicken loop, and to make it work without twisting the leash around the top of the chicken loop you need to unclip the leach for a moment and attach it to the ring inside the chicken loop, untwist the lines and then clip you leash back on to the flag out line.
BUT, there is no need to do that unless you have literally dozens of twists in your front lines.
The flag out safety will work fine even with a dozen+ twists, and having twists in your front lines does not wear them out, wear will only happen if you ride around with twists in your front and rear lines (all 4 twisted).
Seriously, don't worry about a few twists.
Work on plan A (get/buy/beg/borrow a trainer kite to help with kite flying skills in between water sessions).
WA
22 posts
Thanks so much MickeeH and Kitepower Aus, I finally got a chance to setup my gear again and as you say there is a swivel below the bar. It is quite difficult to rotate because the lines running through the bar jam up, kinda like a square peg in a round hole. But I am sure with load on that will sort itself out.
As for now practise practise is next on the agenda before a drysuit is required here in Tassie!
Thanks again for the advice.
