I took my kite out today, not too sure what the wind speed was, but it was pretty strong. I have a Symphony 1.4, and after launching the kite it was in the air for about 10 seconds, nearly pulled me over and then the lines snapped .... was a bit gutted as the kite was moving like a kite possessed.

My question is what weight of replacement lines should I go for, it comes with 100lb (45kg) lines. As these don't seem strong enough, is it worth getting heaver ones... what weight can this size of kite accommodate , I don't want them snapping again but neither do I want them too heavy for the kite in slower winds.. plus what length would be good, I don't know what it came with, so don't have any clue what length to get.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul,
I won't be a lot of help, but here's what I can tell you:
I have a 2.2 Symphony that came new with 220 lb lines.
Not sure of the length, they’re longer than my 3.6 Beamer, which has 65’ lines, so I'd guess the 2.2 lines are about 80'.
The suggested wind rating listed on the kite bag is from 2-5 Bf or 4-24 mph.
Good luck with the new lines!

Wow, that must have been a good breeze to snap those lines with a 1.4. Those Symphony kites are fun, aren't they?

The Symphony 1.4 comes with "blendline" 45kg x 65' . It's an inexpensive synthetic which normally should be OK for 1.4.

HQ sells a 75 kg x 80' Dyneema set for about $20 that will be no heavier and will hold up better. It will also have little stretch. You old lines will feel like rubber bands comapred to this stuff. Pound for pound, Dyneema is 15 times the strength of steel.

The Symphony 2.2 comes with 115' Dyneema lines

Contact me off list if you need help getting it.

angus@coastalwindsports.com

I just got my first kite, a Beamer 3.6. It came with (I think) aftermarket lines. I was wondering if there are ideal line lengths, manufacturers, weights, etc. The lines on it appear about 60~ft, and when it's flying I'd say they are rubbery. I put tension on a taut line and it dosen't visually deform the kite until i pull a good distance. But I don't know if that's how it's supposed to feel. I have nothing to compare to. Any input would be nice.





Skymeat

Where did you get the Beamer and was it "new"?. All legit new HQ kites starting with the larger 2-line Symphonies come with Dyneema lines. All their 4-line kites come with pre-stretched Dyneema bridles and lines.

The currrent Beamer II's come with 20m (65') 220/100 kg (485/220 lb) Dyneema line sets.

Most kites come with 65- 85' line sets and I think 85' (25m) is more common. You can put longer sets on to get it up in to cleaner, less turbulent air, but then you slow the kite down a bit.

Dyneema is a Dutch brand of UHMWPE, or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber. The similar American brand is Spectra. Pound for pound it is up to 15 times stronger than steel, is very abrasion resistant (more than carbon steel) and resistant to UV.

Next to Dacron, Dyneema does not stretch mutch at all and Dacron would feel like rubber compared to steel wire.

My favorite line sets are from Flexifoil, mainly because the main lines are color coded the entire length (not just the sleeves at the loops), making it easier to sort a tangle. Also they have those handy little fabric tabs around the loops that both mark the line set size and weight and make the larks head knots easy to pull apart. The Flexifoil sets a are a bit pricier, though.

Good luck with the Beamer; it's a great kite and is a teriffic choice for a first kite. I recently had my Beamer II 2.5 up in 20+ mph winds and "rubbery" was the last adjective that came to mind ;-).

Hope this helps.

Is it possible you had a knot in the line? A knot will seriously comprimise the strength of the line !:bird:

I didn't have any knots. nothing broke. I got the kite second hand. But speaking of knots...I've been tying the lines to the handles and bridles with clove hitches, instead of girth hitching (larS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s head)them. I know the the clove hitch is about 20% stronger than a girth, less radical bends of the line. It works that way with climbing gear anyway. It's just as easy to tie and should add reliability to the setup. Anybody else trying this?

The larks head is sufficient and easier.