Kite Surfing Gear - Safety Release Systems
There are safety release systems available which correspond to the type of kite and control device you have or use. Generally, there are two kinds of safety release system. These are the inflatable and the foil safety release systems which can only be operated when the Kite Surfer is conscious. There is also a dead-man safety release system that automatically activates when the Kite Surfer loses consciousness.
The inflatable safety release system uses one line from either the front or the back lines to put the kite out of action if you have discontinued grabbing the control bar. The foil safety release system, on the other hand, drags the brake lines for the kite to fail and gently brings it down.
Both inflatable and foil safety release systems use a safety leash appended to the left wrist or harness, allowing you to retrieve the control bar when you have accidentally let it go.
Inflatable safety release systems
The inflatable safety release system is still classified into two. These are the 2 line and the 4 line inflatable safety release system. The 2 line inflatable kite safety system uses one line that measures 1-kite span longer than the other line. Having one line longer than the other enables you to put the kite out of action when you have stopped grabbing the control bar. This safety release system enables one to grab again the control bar by having the safety leash attached to your left wrist or harness.
The 4 line inflatable kite safety system, on the other hand, has one line either from the front or the back lines that measure 1-kite span longer than the other lines. This line disables the kite completely if you have discontinued grabbing the control bar. Like the 2 line kite inflatable release, this also has a safety leash attached to your left wrist or harness. A spin leash is also used to unspin the lines without difficulty after performing a spin jump.
Foil safety release systems
The 3 line foil safety release system has a Velcro tape wrist or harness band that can be attached to the center leader lines of the bar. You can create a spin safety leash by passing the safety release line through the harness loop. However, this can only be possible when your safety leash is attached to your harness. This enables you to untangle the line by just spinning the bar.
The 4 line foil safety release system, meanwhile, also makes use of a Velcro tape wrist or harness band attached to the left wrist or harness of the kite surfer. From the wrist or harness band, there are two lines that measure 500 lb kite line at the least. Each line is attached to the left and the right brake leader line just like the brake lines. The Kite surfer can simply disable the kite by dropping the handles.
Dead-man safety release systems
While the safety release systems above can only be operated when a kite surfer is conscious, the dead-man safety release system enables the kite surfer to render the kite inoperative even if he becomes unconscious. It automatically turns on when it senses that you discontinued doing something like holding the control bar or handles. Then, it lets the air out of your wing. This release system is more favorable than the manual safety release systems because it disables your kite completely once you become unconscious therefore, preventing you from being dragged in the sea or slamming you into land.
Safety release systems used in Kite Surfing vary. Safety release systems available in the market today correspond to the type of kite you use or control device you have. As a Kite Surfing enthusiast, learn in detail the different safety release systems available. Be familiar with their uses, features, as well as how to use them.
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