Adam''KiteRepair said..
Imo, downwind method isn't even usable for self launching. Not any way, Iv ever seen. To address the disagreement with the cross wind line walk, I think most people would agree that they have seen alot of mayhem over the years because a person has dragged their lines over some object that snags and or locks two lines together and won't free up. Crossword method is a must in alot of places, definetly places that I kite.as far as the comment about the twisted front lines and if you should free them before releasing. My first argument is, if a saftey system won't release when the front line are twisted, it is not a saftey system. Common accurance would be for a kite to death loop several times before a kiter can pull his QR. In saying that, for arguments sake, perhaps it wouldn't hurt. But most people turn their below bar swivel right after a twist. After all the swivel isn't there the help a kite fly safe as such, it's their to stop lines rubbing and wearing prematurely aswell as the point of the Y from not being were it shouldn't.
Additional note: in order to counter some attack that I'm a pimp.
1: I hate the connect two front line thing. Steve always tells me to do it, and I tell him to leave me alone(useally not that nicely). But IV given it a go before and it does work. Def works when your helping to straiten your mates lines on the beach when he has fully released in the waves. As I tested the other day. Was kinda cross that Steve was right. Lol
2: I don't use my saftey when landing, I reach up to grab my top line and land the kite, not advisable for beginners or none experienced flyers though.
The only difference between downwind and crosswind is the direction you lay the lines out. Any detritus (or weeds, in our spots) that would grab your lines dragging them from down- to side-wind would also grab them during sidewind set up. We've got some real gems here.
The benefit of downwind rigging is that you can visually inspect the steering lines once rigged to ensure that they are not twisted around the center lines, with the kite still on the ground.
Safety systems rely on being able to lengthen the relative differences between the safety line and the others. Wraps around the safety may bind when loaded, or shorten the relative lengths enough to negate the safety. Can't blame the designs for friction.
I'm starting to form the opinion that "safety systems" are, like depower, misnamed and people put too much faith in them, expecting perfect safety when they throw the QR. Kites still death loop when the QR has been pulled and properly deployed. The only truly "safed" kite is one that's been completely released.
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When you wrap your lines up, attach the LH steering line to the LH center line, and vice versa. Next session, you walk the lines out with the centers between your legs -- the lines looped around your thighs keep them tidy -- attach the lines one side at a time. There is literally no way that you can balls up and wrap the steering lines around the centers, and the twists in the center lines are almost zero. Works for any direction of rigging.
I still prefer downwind rigging because of the secondary visual check. Thought I should be less lazy about dragging the kite around into position I guess, but if the wind is up it reduces the odds that the kite will get blown out of position.
I land like you do too (in strong wind) and when I launch, the opposite: with the kite balanced on the tip, I can do a final check on the lines before walking into the wind the last couple of steps.
Self-launching is really no different than relaunching on the water, the addition of the danger of being on land. I don't think it's *that* much of an intermediate technique.
