Hello all,

I have a question I wonder if anyone can help with?

I own a 12m Cabrinha CO2 the first year they made it with the recon system (maybe 2004?)

I recently bought 2 second hand kites whilst away on a weekend in Tarifa as they were a cracking deal second hand at the end of the season last year.

One's a 16.5m CO2 from just pre-recon days (2003?). A big green and beige thing if the colour scheme helps identify the year.

And a 9m Fone (Dream I think it was called). Anyhow a small yellow and white kite for higher wind days when I'm blown out on my 12.

The guy in the shop seemed pretty convinced I could run them both on my existing 12m CO2 bar. He reckoned the width of the bar would be ok, and the connections all ok (so long as I made up some more loops for the kite ends (the recon system has kook-proof loops and knots to save confusing front and back lines). Clearly the Recon system on my current bar will be redundant.

My question is:

Can I?

And what should I do for safety system? Does anyone have any advice.

I'm thinking - obviously I could just pull the complete sever and cut the whole kite if things were really bad (I've never even had to pull the Recon in anger).

Or maybe I could get a safety leash and attach it to the harness, and onto one of the back brake line bobbles? (I don't like the wrist leashes).

If I did that, and then pulled the sever line - the bar would run up the lines, and I'd be left tied to one of the brake lines.

Is this a sensible idea?

Clearly I'm trying to save the cost of two new bars - but would like a decent safety system if possible.

Jeremy

(Kiting ability: kind of average - can just go upwind - teeny jumps / transitions - relatively cautious in the conditions I go out in)

You definitly need a back up to just releasing the kite, that should allways be your last resort as it might get tangled with some one else involving them with your problems.

This is how Silk Gorsdt got killed a few years ago, she ended up connected to two kites with control over neither because the lines were tangled.

Your bar would work with the kite as far as flying is concerned but the recon system would not work because all it does is release the two front lines. On a recon equiped kite the "bullets" then pull out and the back of the kite collapses bringing it down. On a kite that is not recon equiped it would still be trying to fly on just the back lines. Cabrinha actually state that you can not use this bar with other kites in the literature that comes with a new kite.

Your idea of using an extra line attatched to your harness & one brake line should work if you release from the chicken loop. That is the system I had on my air blasts & I preffered it to the recon system I have now. You must get the leash line length spot on though or the kite just continues to fly from the bar which is now attatched by a leash to your harness about 6ft way . I believe the leash should be more than half the span of the kite in length, so that it will tip over but dont trust me on that one, find out from other sources. The leash should also be elasticated to give it some shock absorbing properties.

When ever you change your set all ways try it in light winds first, and make sure you have plenty of room. If the kite dosnt come down sraight away then it is no good because it will be worse in strong wind when it will have more tendancy to carry on flying anyway.

After saying all that I would recomend getting the right bar, its just to dangerous if you get in to real trouble and your life could literally depend on the system you are using working smoothly and reliably.

Good luck