I was doing a search for different FB handles and came across the Ozone Pro line handles which come in 3 different length. Are there any advantages in one over the other.

You want the handle long enough to be able to cover the range of control with your brake lines for a particular kite. I like my lines to be adjusted so when I'm cruising, the handles are even top to bottom relative to the kite. Then I have room to back off further on brake tension or add enough to stall the kite and land it. The bigger the kite, the longer the handle has to be to cover this range. Too long a handle can get in your way unnecessarily.

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

Too long a handle can get in your way unnecessarily.

so a large kite with long handles get in the way? Please explain.
most of the guys who race in Europe use the same size handles on all of their quiver from 2m to 15m, which are the large size.
I personally use the medium PKD handles on any and all 134 of my fb kites, including the NPWs.

A handle with a length appropriate for the kite isn't too long. Long handles take up more space and reduce your leverage on the brakes, so I don't use really long handles on 2 and 3 m kites.

I am not the strongest kiter out there. For me , long handles are a big advantage with large kites. Even with them I need to move my hands down to get the power required to back a big kite down when the wind picks up.

Long handles can be too much with small foils but if I only had 1 set and at least 1 large kite I would need long and have to adjust my style using them on small kites. I only personally have medium and long. Only wish I had the need to match up a set and small kite !

..was once asked," how long should a man's power kite handles be?"

He replied, " Long enough to wrap the line around."

BTW Jeff...134 kites:o!?:wow:

134 ..... good number ....

.... I can't imagine flying my 15m FB on anything smaller then Large handles ..... but yes , sometimes I touch my rear wheel with those and would change to smaller in a minute if that would be an option .....

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

A handle with a length appropriate for the kite isn't too long. Long handles take up more space and reduce your leverage on the brakes, so I don't use really long handles on 2 and 3 m kites.

I thought it was a leverage thing.

Thanks

The reason power handles were created was for use when flying big foils in a pl buggy. I know the guy who holds the patent on them. He is very interested in the larger buggies and the handles have changed over the years. He is into landsailing now but we talk all the time.
if you use 1 type, size of handles, you become much better at flying the kite. The reason is that all things remain the same except the size of kite. And that makes you better at control, and execution of the ability of the kite to race or just play.
It is a leverage thing, the longer the lever the better the control. You can make very small precise movements with longer handles than with short ones. A 2m race kite, on short handles in 25mph wind? No thanks, make it the large handles and its a peice of cake.

Sorry about the miss count of 134 kites, the correct number is 146. Got the new quiver of Zebras the other day and have yet to open them.

I don't pretend to have ever been in a race before but I've been pretty fast with handles and I've been my fastest with the shortest handles I've ever seen. For me, the short handles mean more leverage and smaller inputs to the kite. The long lever of the larger handles magnifies the amount of line I move with an input to the handles. The long handles also divide my power to be able to put pressure on the brake lines.
With the apparent wind that hits a kite as speeds increase, it doesn't take large inputs to control most kites. If you are flying in lighter winds with larger kites, then you wouldn't be able to control the kite without the long lever the large handles provide.

So for me, many things are different between flying a 2.5m kite and a 10.5m kite. The winds are much higher, the speeds are much faster and the inputs required by the kite are much less (due in large part to apparent wind) when flying the 2.5m kite. For my personal preference, these factors are why I prefer the handle length to go up with the size of the kite. But I wouldn't tell the racing veterans in Europe or anyone else that their preference is wrong. Everyone has to use what suits them best.

Interestingly enough, Stephan Van Bommel, the current Dutch Kite Buggy Champion, recently set out to make some really strong handles that were his own design to solve what he considered design weaknesses in commercially available handles. He made the handles in 3 different lengths.

As for Stephan and his handle work, correct. Americans for the most part still fly with the power end of the handles, while those that race use the brake end to fly the kite.
I have found that if I am in a small bug as the PL, and use large handles and fly by using the power end, the brake end of the handles hit the rear tire.
If I use the same setup and fly with the brakes only, I dont have the problem with the handles touching the tires.
Another part of this equation is how the kite is powered up. Are we using the max size of kite for the wind or the max wind for the kite? Are we trying to buggy with a to small a kite for the wind, or to much wind for the kite?
A nascar driver will go faster in the long strait areas and slow for the turns, thats the best for control. Same with racing in a buggy, nobuddy can make aturn without slowing down. Thats why we fly with the brakes and not the power. If you need more power for the strait runs, you go up a size I the kite. That way you are at your peak, you slow down for the turn and full power for the strait.
We are not equal with the racers and still buggy with the power and only use the brakes to stop, for the most part. There is a fine line between racing and overpowered wipeout.
If you want to use Stephan as an example, he flys a 5m at Ivanpah while the rest of us are flying a 2m or 3m. Last time he was at nabx the 5m was the only one he flew, while the 4.2 wasnt taken out of the bag. The 6m was used a few times but the 5m was the goto for the event.