Bar, depower & safety systems

1 Learn

1

The parts of the bar

Control bar — you hold it; its ends steer the kite.
Chicken loop — hooks into your harness so your body takes the pull, not your arms.
Quick release — on the chicken loop. Fire it and the kite lets go of you.
Safety leash — from your harness to the kite’s safety line, so the kite stays with you after a release.
Depower line and trim — the bar slides on it; the trim strap sets the overall power.

2

Sheeting: bar in, bar out

Pull the bar toward you (sheet in) and the kite takes more power. Push it away (sheet out) and it loses power.

Let go of the bar completely and it slides away from you: the kite loses most of its power. That’s the first and fastest safety reaction.

3

Too much power? Three steps

Bar out — push it away or let go. Do this the moment you feel a gust.
Quick release — if you are still overpowered or in danger, fire the release on the chicken loop. The kite flags out on one line, with almost no power, still on your leash.
Leash release — last resort, if you are tangled or the kite is still dragging you. Now you’re free of the kite completely.

4

Check before you fly

Before every launch: lines untangled and on the right sides, bar the right way up, chicken loop hooked in with the leash attached, quick release working and re-assembled correctly. Every quick release is a little different — learn yours on land.

2 Try it in the simulator

Complete the missions in order. Each one ends with the same move to try on the beach.

The simulator needs JavaScript. The missions are listed below.

Gust! Push the bar away — Fly the kite down into the window. A strong gust will hit: push the bar away from you at once, then fly back up to 12.

Squall: pull the quick release — Hold the kite at 12. A squall will knock it into the power zone — when the alarm shows, pull the quick release within 2.5 seconds.

3 On the beach

On the beach

Now do it for real

You need: A 4-line kite and bar with your instructor, harness, and a kite parked or held on land.

With the kite on the ground or held by your instructor, find each part: bar, chicken loop, quick release, leash, trim.
Hook the chicken loop into your harness and attach the leash. Your instructor checks it.
Fire the quick release. Re-assemble it. Five times, then five more with your eyes closed.
Find your leash release and practise opening it.
With the kite flying at 12 and the instructor beside you: sheet out and in slowly and feel the power change.
When the instructor calls “gust!”, push the bar away at once. Practise until you don’t have to think about it.

Tick each step after you’ve done it with your instructor.