I have a hydra 3.5 which I have been practice with for the past few weeks. I am pretty comfortable with it now so I am starting to practice riding on a board with it.

I would like to find some way to hook in to the kite so my arms won't get tire so quickly plus I would like to simulate control for a larger depower kite. Has any one done this before? The Peter Lynn harness line with quick release

Seems like it might do it but no one sells it in the US plus I can't figure out how long it is.

Any other ways of getting what I need? Also I remember hearing that some one rig the hydra so that it could be depower, is there way I can do this?

I have - it works fine but without a chicken loop it works just like the quick loop on handle kites.

I thought I saw a velcro on chicken loop somewhere - I found my quickloop at a surf shop for windsurfing.

HQ makes a link line with safety which is available here.

As for making the Hydra into a depower, John at sells them modded here, but I don't know if you can get instructions to mod your own. You probably could mail it to him to be modded though.

I have it in stock in the US...

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/servlet/the-631/Control-bar...

about 24"

Thanks for the link Maven, I'll email John and see if he's willing to sell me the parts and instructions for modding the Hydra.

Wouldn't mind just finding a d-loop that works since with a 3.5 m kite I am usually underpowered already.

The HQ line looks nice but I notice that they are all pretty short looking, I think maybe 12" ? I would be more comfortable if the bar is about 12"-24" away from my waist which means the line will need to be 24"-48" long? Does that sound reasonable?

I've got the HQ one, I'm currently using it as a strop, but only on my 2M Beamer. I'll run out and measure it.

The HQ and PL version are near identical except for color. In fact the picture on Kent's site is actually the Peter Lynn product. HQ's is white dyneema inside clear vinyl tube & PL is black

they are both 24"

Since it's hooked to handles, I'd have to estimate, but with the ends of the loop close together at the center of the handle, the loop is 10 - 12" long, maybe a little longer stretched tight. Add another 2 - 4" for your harness/spreader/hook,(or in my case D-ring and 'biner)and you have 16-20"? I find the distance O.K. for the strop use, but any assistance is appreciated when the wind is blastin' enough to use the 2M!:roll:

Here is a new picture of HQ latest version...

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/servlet/the-178/HQ-Harness-...

Thanks Angus, that was very helpful! very happy with the quick response and will be ordering one =)

If you plan on having your Hydra modded to a depower, than the controll bar strap will become moot.

ATB,
Sam

Well I am scratching off the thought of rigging it to be depowered. There's just not enough wind most of time, plus I am trying to get a few friends to pick up kiteboarding by having them learn on the hydra and the depowering rig might make it a bit more complicated for them.
almost ready to step up to a bigger kite too, as soon as I see something I can afford in the used market!

Fair enough.

Hmmm.... it looks like they have changed the HQ Strap a bit. The release used to be a red webbing loop. Looks like they have gone over to a red stopper ball. Kind of like that. A bit more glove friendly in full on "oh no, is that a flock of geese?" flail mode. :o

I expect you'll see more deals come up as the new model year gets into full swing.

ATB,
Sam

Here's a link to an ozone megatron chicken loop that is built onto a one foot amsteel or whatever material that your larks headknot onto a two or three-line bar. I'm meaning to get one of these eventually so that I can use it with my imp 3.5 three-line trainer. If I do this I might try to find one that uses the chicken loop from ozone's tubies where there is a hole for a safety line to pass through. I will disconnect my wrist leash and put on a stopper ball once the relaunch line is passed through the chicken loop hole and rig the line to accept a leash for my harness. This way I can more or less imitate being strapped into a depower and not have the comfort of not wearing a wrist leash. No real reason for me to do this other than pure interest and something to toy with.

http://www.atbshop.co.uk/productdetails.php?id=3550&cat=...