I should also point out, I use a captive system, yes if I had to, I could utilise the quick release and let the kite go, thankfully, I have never had to do that

Using a captive system and a strop, makes using the killers very awkward especially when un twisting the lines after a few down turns on the move, yes I know you could loop the kite back, but sometimes, that would generate too much power when you don't want it.

If I have to land the kite quickly for what ever reason, I just grab a hand full of break lines, taking the power straight out of the kite.....but I have to say experience counts for an awful lot, knowing what you can and can't handle......but we all know mother nature has little surprises for us occasionally.

Like has been said though, there is a use and need for killers, for some people and situations

I've hit soft sand (still running skinny tires) and been stopped almost immediately, at which point the handles were ripped out of my hands. Killers prevented a long walk. When I start to buggy with my harness more, I may reconsider kS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s, but with the set up I am using, they are really not in the way. I do get tangles if I have to use them, but at that point I am just glad I didn't smear myself all over the ground again.:D

I used kite killers once on a 6m in gusty winds, anyway a big gust came along, I let go, the HQ killers bungie broke on the rightside and snapped me in the eye. No permanent damage done but I did go to the er to have it checked out. There was a scratch on the lens. So 480.00 later I would rather untangle some lines and buy another kite with the $

Can't trust em

Quote:

Originally posted by Big Earl I used kite killers once on a 6m in gusty winds, anyway a big gust came along, I let go, the HQ killers bungie broke on the rightside and snapped me in the eye. No permanent damage done but I did go to the er to have it checked out. There was a scratch on the lens. So 480.00 later I would rather untangle some lines and buy another kite with the $ Can't trust em

Here is another example of what can happen. Killers may fail to collapse the kite and leave you tethered to fully powered up kite.
S

Try to imagine using a strop, but no kite killers. If you let go of the kite, the handles are most likely gonna get dragged on the ground... that strop can get hooked to something or SOMEONE and next the kite will power up... what now? A naive bystander will not even understand that you let go of the kite on purpose... one might even think he's doing you a favor and would run into the problem by grabbing the handles or the strop line. If the power of the kite was too much for the experienced kiter who had to bail out, imagine what would happen to the nice guy (that was just trying to help) holding the strop with a bare hand.
I prefer using kk.

Quote:

Originally posted by Big Earl I used kite killers once on a 6m in gusty winds, anyway a big gust came along, I let go, the HQ killers bungie broke on the rightside and snapped me in the eye. No permanent damage done but I did go to the er to have it checked out. There was a scratch on the lens. So 480.00 later I would rather untangle some lines and buy another kite with the $ Can't trust em

Wear glasses!!! Lots of things like lines can snap and get you in the eye, so don't blame the KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s

Here's where KKs could have come in handy....