I am wondering if I should use kite killers on my handles when I am landboarding. are there any alternative safety mechanisms that are easier to use.

Short, concise question that comes up relatively often, with people falling on both side of the debate (sometimes heated).

Some threads of interest:

• To Kill or not to Kill
  
  
• ? to those who dislike kite killers
  
  
• Kite Killers or a Helmet ?
  
  
• Kite Killers or no??
  
  
• Kite killer didnt work? why?
  
  
• kite killers good or bad
  
  
• Proper placement of kite killers ?

Will be back in a bit to post some personal thoughts. Have to go pick up the troll princess now.

ATB,
Sam

Simply put: USE THEM.

There are not many other options for a safety. My Peter Lynn KKs have never failed. A good pair of KKs will not break if attached correctly. I've seen them break before, but it's better to have them than nothing at all.

Just remember they're there to depower the kite, not to save you if you get lofted :o

they were a necessity for my kiting style which was overpowered kiting--ive toned it down some since then, but i still use them........

I use em cause If the kite gets away and goes over the dunes ,it will be in thickets and brush. It would be ripped to shreds more than likely. I always considered it a "safety" for others and the kite,not for the kiter.

I use to swear by them, but now no longer use them. That is just my preference ... not what is the right or wrong answer. I still recommend most people still wear them.

I mainly only buggy now (no more static flying or jumping) and in a buggy they only get in the way. Plus if you use the correct size kite to your skill level than you should not be in a position to have to let go. One factor to think about with me and my opinion is ... I mainly only fly de-power any more so kite killers are not used at all, but when I do fly a fixed bridle it will be a smaller size for higher wind days. And if things go so bad I need to release the kite than I do not want anything connecting me to it. Another note where I mainly fly there are no by-standers so I am not having to worry about blasting them with a run away kite.

just remember that they aren't there to save you, but to save your kite if you get overpowered and let go. I never used them but my buddy didn't either and i saw him let is kite go on a few occasions and it flew across a busy street and took him forever to get rid of the tangles in his lines

can you imagine driving down the road and all of the sudden you can't see cause a huge kite crashed on the windshield!:o

When I bought a flexifoil blade (with handles) many years ago, they didn't come with kite killers as standard (I guess they do now?), and if memory servers, killers were still in their infancy. I seem to remember reading a post where someone advised either letting go of just one handle or having a kite killer on one handle (and letting go of both handles), so that it would fall out of the sky. I assume the kite would drop with tension on only one line or does it spin a bit first and develop pull? I'm curious, but no so curious that i want to do it with my kite and see what happens.....

For beginners (and others) I think they are brilliant. As a beginner, it's much better to know you can let go of the kite safely if it all goes a bit pear-shaped, rather than hang on and end up hurting yourself more and damaging the kite or letting go and facing the consequences. You can make an argument that people should get themselves in that kind of situation, but i'd be willing to bet EVERYONE on this site has had at least on "oh Sh&%....." moment. Or is it just me?:puzzled:

nope, no one. You must be the only one! :saint::P

I recommend using them. This comes from having to run down a kite that was flying across a street.

DEFINITELY USE THEM.
There arent really any reasons to not use them.
I'm fine with spending an extra $15-$20 in order to save my kite from being taken away with the wind.

I use them. When stuff goes wrong, i let go, the kite dies but stays in reach. Often i already grab the handle and relaunched before me and my board came to a full stop. When i don't use the kitekillers, i stubbornly hold on to the kite because i'm scared of losing it permanently, so i end up endangering myself more then when i'm attached to it.

I've once gone flyboarding without kitekillers, and when i accidentally looped the kite during an emergency powerslide (tried to brake for a huge puddle i noticed too late), i let go of the handles (force of habit since i normally always use them). There was a 32 knot wind and i chased my kite for at least half a mile before giving up on it. I lost sight of it, and had to walk that way for the bus home, totally depressed about losing my favorite kite. About another 2 miles further i found it again. It was stuck on (of all things) a bulldozer, used for moving dunes. Luckily the thing wasn't in use that day, so i just packed the kite up and went home happy that i got it back.

There's no way i'm EVER flyboarding without kitekillers again.

I am all for using them. Honestly there are times I don't, but when ever I teach or do a trainer clinic or demo i absolutely use them. It is a safety system that is there for a good reason, honestly there is no downside to using them (except maybe a bit of hubris).

Quote:

Originally posted by flash I am all for using them. Honestly there are times I don't, but when ever I teach or do a trainer clinic or demo i absolutely use them. It is a safety system that is there for a good reason, honestly there is no downside to using them (except maybe a bit of hubris).

I agree that killers are valuable to beginers.
I feel that they are something that you should strive to grow out of though. There are many ways to quickly kill the power in your kite that don't involve letting go of both handles. If the kite is getting yanked away then it's too big.

I will have to look up the proper meaning of Hubris but if that means Royal pain in the butt then I agree!

A few downsides I see :

Having to undo one to untangle lines .
One more set of lines to get caught up on anything they can grab.
Letting go when out of control but still hooked in is even more dangerous.
You should always have ample space downwind for your kite to get away because you can also get tossed that far!

Kite killers have their place. I don't think it is black and white. If you wonder if you should or shouldn't wear them you should probably still be wearing them !

When looking at my gear and trying to shed unneeded weight / space for NABX leaving the killers behind was a simple choice ( for me )

personally, if I feel overpowered I just let go of one handle and hold onto the other, usually the kite gets a little twisted but whatever.

I use them for two reasons, like others have said, first so I don't have to chase down my kite. Second, so that I don't put others in any danger if I have to let go of the handles. IMHO I don't think letting go of one handle to kill the power is a safe option, if there are others standing by. I have only had to let go a hand full of times, but it is nice when the handles only go 5 feet in front of you and not all the way across the field.

Always good to see this topic revisited! Good or bad.

3:28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR5S7bi9KZE

Use kite killers. Yes those are power lines downwind ... what was I thinking?!?

try to remember to put them on especially when it is gusty, which it always seems to be the case around here lately.

Especially when what Chinook said ... BTW welcome Mr. Posts: 1

Kite killers...

Okay. Here's how I see it. All beginners should use them for every reason ever thought of. Everyone else should use them for the safety of their kite and the safety of others mostly, but it's still good to know that if you get in serious trouble and have to let go, you can.

They are not perfect. Do not fly a strong, lifty kite like a Blade or Twister with a strop line and kite killers without a strop release. You will hurt yourself. I did... several months ago. My wrist is still only at about 70%. For buggy guys flying with a strop and a low lift kite with no killers it isn't such a bad thing (unless they OBE in nuking winds I guess), but if you're flying a death machine on a landboard with a strop and you eat it hard... letting go will not do anything, with or without killers. And since the kite is still powered up, you won't be able to pull the strop out of your harness. This is how I mangled my wrist.

If you are overpowered and have to let go, that means that the wind is more than likely very strong, and the kite will flail around and flutter like mad. It will probably end up crashing, reverse launching, and could possibly power back up, in which case you'd be screwed. If it doesn't power back up, it will be upside-down tea bagging itself to no end; but at least you're alive.

Kite killers break. If they are old, damaged, attached improperly, used improperly, or just made badly, you put yourself at risk. So just don't do any of the above. Make sure they are a good, quality brand and nothing should go wrong.

Uhh, if you suddenly find yourself 50 yards down wind from where you were 5 seconds ago, and there are power lines, letting go while wearing kite killers would result in you being fried. You should never fly near those things anyways. If you think you're far enough away, you aren't.

HOWEVER. Kite killers are designed to do one thing and one thing only: Provide an instant elimination of power while preventing the kite from flying away. They do this very well. I highly recommend just wearing them. For landboarding and static flying, they don't really get in the way or tangle. And if they do... Well, it won't be hard to undo it. Just the price to pay for something that could save your life.

If you hook them up, test them out in a variety of wind conditions so that you see how the kite reacts and you can deploy them safely. My closed cell fixed bridle kites and my ProFoil don't want to stay on the ground.