Automatic Quick Release

Thanks Jeff for the great help to make buggying safer

I am honored. Hope it keeps you buggying for many years to come

I like the key clip you are using to connect to the wichard, I used the smaller version on one of my prototypes.

Popeye + Jeff, Super nice pics of the setup and process. I have exactly the same setup but use an identical plastic key clip in hopes it will break should I tumble out of the buggy. I'm going to shorten my bungy to about a 3-4 inch lift before engagement.

Just a note....

90% of the time I probably wont even bother using it.....(for me) this is for the very windy day....small kite....the ones that hurt you....no float, just slam dunks on your head and back....these type of days, you dont see many walkers on the beach etc, these are the days you have to have your wits about you.

I am not saying this is the answer to everything, it is for me, to give me a bit of piece of mind, or a day when I want to practice tack turns or the like...or some other turns I am not used to

You can set the hight of release as long or as short as you want....in my case, I have set it to 12" before release, so in the event of an unexpected OBE, I will be raised 12", the kite will auto release, and I will drop 12" back into the comfort of my seat.....the alternative is being lofted to a height I do not want to be, and slam dunked on my back with a possible broken spine or worse.

People have said, well the kite will go down wind un aided....yes it will go by itself down wind, it should be on a leash, (there is nothing stopping you adding a leash) but it will not travel faster than the wind, and will ruffle up and stop after a short while....much the same as what will happen to 99% of people who use a snap block now (they are not using a leash), on the very rear occasion you do get to pull the release, its always after you have been OBE'd dunked and probably hurt....your kite is then left to the wind before the kite ruffles and eventually stops....people forget the kite will be much slower when it is not being flown....but being dragged down the beach with broken bones will not be fun, thats the alternative.

This system probably will not be effective if you turn the handles a lot, personally, I never go more than one twist on the lines after a turn, so it should not bother me too much.

I have made this for my own piece of mind, not trying to enforce it on other people, just showing people what I have done, in case they should want to go down the same route as I have.

Jeff Earls life has been changed forever after a bad OBE and I urge anyone who has not read it to read it HERE or on PKF, I do not want the same to happen to me if I can help it.

Thank you Jeff...

Works as advertised!!!!!!!! I was buggying in the park Sunday 15-30mph exteem gusty behind and between gaps in a treeline. 2.6m PL Viper. Got yanked from the buggy , autoquick release disconnected the kite , the plastic keyclip that I use (not metal like PTW) broke , freeing me from attachment to the buggy. Must have been a marginal OBE because I landed on my feet still in controll of the kite. I'll have to keep a supply of the key clips on the buggy or maybe find something even more simple to replace them as they break. I'll be use the settup more often now that I know how well it works!

You don't know how much it makes me smile to know you are able to write about your OBE from anywhere but a hospital bed.
I have had my kite leave me a few times and have not left the bug, so I would have to say it works also. Can't prove it works, other than I am still going and the kite has not had the last say.
Thanks Snowspider.

I rememeber my legs and feet lifting off the pegs, my next recollection was I'm standing there flying the kite and the pulley is in front of me hanging from the strop which I thought was odd then "jesus ,wow , it worked." No doubt it was a pretty light duty OBE because I still held on to the handles, I've accidently had the quick-release pop loose and BING the handles are ripped from my hands. I shortend the bungie once but I think I may shorten it more to allow quicker engagement of the release.

Forgive me, but I'm not sure I understand how this all works,... Probably because I don't yet fly with a harness,... Is the intent just to keep the kite from taking you away when you are hooked in and OBE, or does it release the kite all together? Are you still using KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s with it?

I'm a big fan of KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s and have really developed that instinctual ability to LET GO when necessary. I cant imagine flying without them.

Really showing my lack of experience here I suppose, but one day I plan to get a harness and use a strop and this looks like an easy safety mod.

you have to use a strop when flying with a harness. the only way to get unhooked from the harness is to unhook physically,or use a QR of some type. Yes it is to seperate you from the kite in the event of a situation you are not able to react to. An unwanted OBE is fun until it gets out of control. 99 times out of 100, things are OK, but it only takes 1 to screw up a good life.
KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s are good for learning and static, but seam to get in the way when in the bug.

Thanks Jeff, the more I looked at it, I was figuring that all out.

I know about the use of a strop, how does it get into this pulley. I know the typical harness pulley is one sided, does the pulley used here open on one side?

Is it a-typical to use a strop/harness and KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s?

I guess I fear losing the kite as much as the safety issues,... for me the big investments are very hard to pay for.

Quote:

Originally posted by soliver Thanks Jeff, the more I looked at it, I was figuring that all out. I know about the use of a strop, how does it get into this pulley. I know the typical harness pulley is one sided, does the pulley used here open on one side? Is it a-typical to use a strop/harness and KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s? I guess I fear losing the kite as much as the safety issues,... for me the big investments are very hard to pay for.

Good question

You can briefly see how I fit the strop in the snap block here
VIDEO
although on this ocassion I am not using the Auto QR, and get a better view at the end when I remove the strop.
As you guessed, yes it does open on one side.

It it not usual to use both KK and a captive system

this is the captive system I use MY CAPTIVE SYSTEM

Dont worry about losing your kite, even on the windiest of days your kite would roll along the ground until it wraps itself around itself and stops

Where do you find some of the equipment used in the make up( quick release, 'floating' roller, etc, ) for purchase if I want to make such a set up?

Okay...Just checked out your captive system link after i posted...so I think I found where to get at least the quick release... some of the other parts..not so sure.

Was thinking about quick release for when your not in buggy(on board , Ice skates, etc.) and this seems to cover it, Thanks.

Not Automatic like the buggy set up.. but still might help if your reflexes(and luck) are good in a bad situation and can't pull back to get stroop line off roller or even hammerhead hook.

AHA! thanks Popeye,...

I have heard people say that they prefer (when using a harness) to ride hooked when moving upwind, and unhooked downwind for more freedom of movement. I assume that the "captive" aspect of this set up does not allow for this.

Once you get used to being hooked in, you will never buggy without it....

Quote:

Originally posted by skimtwashington Where do you find some of the equipment..... some of the other parts..not so sure.

try these,

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductD...

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductD...

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductD...

West Marine is expensive but they price match,so find exact item on line, print it, bring it down, & they'll match it.
That's what I did when I bought my quick release & pulley. :singing:

.....although the Holt Dingy Block- by it's name- may have been more elusive under a search for 'pulleys'?

Wichard QR Shackle is WAY expensive..ouch!Surprised. I'd look for better price( they will match..yes)

Wichard Snapshackle is a little better priced ?...(depending on size) ..don't know if as responsive or as well suited as the QR model above?

Holt Dingy Block(independent roller/pulley) very reasonable price!

But at what price is safety worth...(rhetorical)?

Thanks Jeff.......Good heath and good winds to you.
..thanks to CrazymanmeN2 also

I have used each and every model in every way possible, and found for me the Snap Shackle and the 40mm block works the best. I did modify the block by enlarging the area where the shackle goes through to allow for NO hangup upon release, and I installed a larger, heavier ring on the shackle to pull from.
The QR Shackle was to sensitive for me, I like a bit more pressure to open it. Your coat zipper would be enough to release it.
The Snap Shackle also comes in a variety of attaching possibilities.

I know I'm a little slow as of late but it took me a long time to figure this out!! But I did and it looks pretty cool.

i tried this with my buggy a few years back but after a comment from bbrex, who has the opposite setup. kite tied to buggy, QR release ties to him; don't want to get into the pros and cons of this.

My issues is the length of from the harness to the QR... I've got short arms so that extra +6" of space really hampers the kite movement. Anyone have a good solution to this?

I struggled with the reach issue for a while. Instead of my usual carabener on my harness I substituted a small (1") clevice (same as in PTW pics) and I had to shorten my strops to the bare minimum , pretty short on the vipers because at speed they turn easy on brakes allone. My big Pansh requires more push-pull and gobs of brake to turn , so it continues to be a bit unhandy with this setup in the buggy.

Quote:

Originally posted by arkay My issues is the length of from the harness to the QR... I've got short arms so that extra +6" of space really hampers the kite movement. Anyone have a good solution to this?

This is what I use in addition to the other 2 parts.

Quote:

Originally posted by snowspider I struggled with the reach issue for a while. Instead of my usual carabener on my harness I substituted a small (1") clevice (same as in PTW pics) and I had to shorten my strops to the bare minimum , pretty short on the vipers because at speed they turn easy on brakes allone. My big Pansh requires more push-pull and gobs of brake to turn , so it continues to be a bit unhandy with this setup in the buggy.

Most kites need to be flown up to there limit, as you stated the Vipers work well with brake input for turning.
The pansh is another animal, and needs to be dealt with that way. Try using power rings and a different QR, or better yet another big kite.

If you are having issues reaching, you can always make up a shorter strop. Only down side with shorting up the whole mess is that it can get harder to use the brakes on larger kites/handles as the handles end up hitting you/buggy more. For this I switched to shorter handles and the JEllis brake pully system.