I just got a 12 m Synergy yesterday, and winds have been either downright dangerous 35-40 mph or zero, but today looks good and I want to get out. I've been flying HQ crossfires on handles for 3 years. a 4m and 6.5. so I'm used to getting snatched hard and fast upon launch. Last season I flew an older 10m Frenzy. My owners manual for the Syn states "never launch tied into a harness" I launched the Frenzy while attached and had no problems, and seems like without bieng tied in the depower harness loop would be up to the bar and locked in to full power.
Clue me in.

Dig around here a bit. Carl the Bullet has posted a great launching vid.

If you get a good solid prefill you should be OK but I'd definitely suggest you wait for a 10MPH day - not 35-40

By virtue of the way you launch them, you are automatically at the edge of the window so the forces shouldn't be that great. I used to launch unhooked but now that I'm confortable with them I don't. When I did I would just pull the depower rope all the way back (as if I had the bar sheeted out fully) and then tug on the front lines. It was only few a few seconds too - as soon as I saw that the kite had peeled off the ground OK and was seeming like it's be stable I'd hook in. Usually almost right away.

Seems like no matter what you do you are pulling, by hand, on the center lines anyway. I do anyway. The thing is, if you don't get a good prefill the kite will want to drift into the powerzone which is where you have to hook in and start waving it back and forth through the window to get it to fully inflate. In this case it's a delicate balance between pulling the center lines to keep it flying forward and not stalling back but then letting go and pulling in on the bar to prevent the tips from clapping (the back of the tips). There's definitely a learning curve to it but once you get it it'll be super natural and easier than debating whether to hot launch your foils or not ; )

!! Note - when launching unhooked I'd attach the leash to my harness. !!

awesome vid!

I think the PL Video shows them launching unhooked and I have heard a few people on this forum who launch unhooked as well.

I tried this a few times and just felt too powered up even though my depower strap was completely pulled in (max depower).

I always launch hooked in and my instructors do as well...I've actually never seen anyone launch a PL unhooked....

Just my .02....

i hook in, and with the arcs... i'm usually pulling on the center line... my monty... i'm hooked in and i pull the bar back enough to "stall" some power out of the kite

carl's video is priceless! watch it till you cant stand it any more!!

I've never launched an arc unhooked. I feel it gives me a more secure launch. If things go south, I have a release right there. Never released during a launch though. For that matter, I've never released an arc but to self land (not under duress) or test the safety.

The video is good. When I launch, I found in lighter winds just walk back a little while grabbing that center line and it will move up slowly. Remember the adjustment strap on the middle line as well. It will change how it behaves.

Also inside the kite are some adjustment straps.

+ 1 more for hooked in. They say unhooked in case you misjudged the wind and have to drop it (and yes, the leash to the harness, not the chicken loop.) But like Macboy said, by the time you are launched and discover the winds are more than you thought, you are already at the edge of the window (or just about). One more reason I love ARCs

It's true that the manual says unhooked but I too prefer hooked in.

i would launch c-kites unhooked , trimmed in, launch and fly to apex and then hook in. it immediately told you if you had the right kite and inline with the golden rule ,if things didn't feel so good, like anything in life, "just let go".

depower rigs are design to be hooked in for launch. safety release is still right there. ???right? sure you could trim the kite down and launch unhooked but a weakly inflated arc with the bar in.....never done it can't imagine why in the first place. resetting sucks and that sounds like a future rest.

conditions selection, safety reflexes and equipment orientation are primary safety steps.

high wind solo launch-- solid pre inflate , CONTROL easy and slow kite is not so smart under inflated.