Do I need to mod my SS bar?

railgrab · Since 29 Mar 2005 177 Posts Seattle, WA Stoked

I have a SS bar with one of those red quick release knobs on the chicken loop and the stock leash which came with the bar. At Stevenson, I had 2 different failures and would like to know if I was just unlucky or if I need to modify something before I lose my kite again.

Situation 1: While unhooked, the kite got ripped out of my hands while looping and my safety leash released, separating me from my kite. Admittedly, I did not check the leash before this, but now I am nervous about this happening again in a less ideal setting. (Also, when a jet skier helped me retrieve my kite, I tried to relaunch, but found that the CL release knob had deployed as well when it hit the water).

Situation 2: While hooked in, kite looped under heavy load and the chicken loop errantly deployed, flagging my kite. After some extensive body dragging, I was able to put the loop back together and relaunch. I'm concerned that this happened when I crashed and the impact with the water pulled on the red quick release knob. Has this happened to anyone else? Can I somehow make the release pin tighter or do I need a different style CL?

BTW, when hooking back in, my CL usually seems to flip 180 degrees, placing my quick release on the opposite side from where it started. Not sure if there's any fix for that, though. I love my bar, just want to be 100 percent confident in it, thanks.

Ethan

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3754 Posts PDX-LA Videographer

A couple things...

I've lost my kite so many times for the same reason, but the main problem is the black chicken loop, inner core rope stretching a bit. That in turn makes the black loop ~1/4" longer and will make the safety release with the slightest pull of the knob.

In order to compensate for this, unscrew the little black band (on the chicken loop - on the safety side), and carefully slide it up (isopropyl alcohol helps here) until your quick release metal pin is completely pulled into the red knob, then reinstall the screw. This ensures that you have to pull the knob all the way for the kite to release.

If you want to test it first, hold the lock-n-load above, push the black loop up on the safety side and see how much play there is. If there's a decent amount, the pin will move halfway out of the knob, making the slightest little tap release it.

Hope that makes sense, but it's probably what you have going on.

P.S. - If you're planning on hooking up suicide, then clip your leash around the entire chicken loop rope above the lock-load. Otherwsie, stay on the safety and you won't lose the kite!