Anybody have any experience with these? I am planning on purchasing these to use with my new P4. The video on HQ's web site sold me. It shows how the kite killer straps immediate dump all air out of the kite if you drop the handles (accidently or intentionally). This seems like a great safety feature. I'd love to hear from someone who owns these.

Thanks,
Dblcrona:ticking:

They are all like that with the killer now. I prefer Ozone handles, very comfortable and the ones I use all the time.
Cheers

HQ, Flexifoil and Ozone all make kite killers and they are standard on most kites that include lines & handles.

What is unique about the new HQ Ultras are two things. The hooked top allows the pull-point to be in the normal spot between index and middle fingers without actaully having the kines run between your fingers. It's weird at first and takes getting used to (only because itr is different) but effective. Not as big a deal for me since I always fly with sailing gloves for protection.

The second is that the brake leaders are not fixed to the bottoms of the handles but can slide through, retained by stopper balls on both ends. This means you can attach the leashes *behind* the handles since, on deployment, the handles will slide up the brake leaders to the front stopper ball, kind of like a conntol bar with a leash. the benefit of this is that the leashes can be shorter as they do not have to reach to the front of the brake leaders as with others. Thus they are argueably not as likely to tangle or get in the way.

There are no stake loops in the brake leaders, but with this arrangement you could use the cuffs themselves.

Otherwise, the handles are fiberglass and light weight with decent foam padding where you need it. They have leaders out the back for attaching a strop, if you want.

They are pretty nice.

I almost always fly with kite killers, as I often have newbies flying my kites and it is comforting for me and them to know they can safely drop the kite. The other unplanned benefit is that when I put away the kite, I wrap the cuffs around the middle of the handles and they give me a bulky shape around which to wrap my lines in a figure-eight.

Only downside is the tendancy for them to get in the way and get wraped up when un-doing a twist in the lines,

Angus - no parapacking for you?

Heh heh. Sometimes, but usually only when chased off the beach in a hurry, like a by a sqaull line or something.
Parapacking works well for me but often I have the need to unpack the kite between sessions, either for display of maybe photo-ops or something, and for that I like them wound so I do not have to stretch out the lines.

Winding takes an extra minute or so, but I find if don with just a little care, they come off the handles straight and true as railroad tracks.

BTW, I have the Mystic Harnesses now including the Aviator, Force Sheild and Warrior both waist and seat-waist versions. Real nice equipment. I know you do not need them for the bug anymore but wiould be great on the board or water.

You're gonna take all my money Angus... sent you another u2u.
~Joe

i was just givin a pair of the hq ultra handles and will be using them within the next couple days ill let u know what i think i will post a review