Wainman Hawaii Kites/Bars
Got a question about you Wainman Hawaii kite? If so post up here, I have been on the kites since the beginning and know every tuning tip from bridle position to single line setup on your 5, 7, and 9. Have a question on your bar or lines? I can help walk you through any problems. Or feel free to post up any gratuitous pics of yourself or homies killing it on a Rabbit kite.
Groups:
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 15:38
#1
I'm finding my Gypsy has more
I'm finding my Gypsy has more bar pressure than I'd like. I have it attached direct to the tab closest to the center strut. I am considering reattaching the bridle.
Also, when I self launch using an anchor, sometimes the kites takes off and flies across the window, ouch! This has happened in heavy wind. This is the only Wainman kite I have, and the only kite that does this, my other kites are Best and they stay down.
Chooch, any thoughts?
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 23:08
#2
Wainman Direct Bar Setup
How about you go over how you connect direct for the single line setup on 9, 7, 5.
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 12:56
#3
it is well explained in the
it is well explained in the card that comes with the kite, and well labeled on the kite. Essentially, you remove the bridle completely, find the single lines that were shipped with your kite, and attach them to the attach points labeled single.
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 23:06
#5
OMG - The Wainman Bar gets
OMG - The Wainman Bar gets the newb feedback but I want to suggest that it was my wifes favorite kite. Becuase I ride suicide (with all bars regardless) I have removed the red line on all my kites. She uses a front line flag direct and the bar flags 100% and until she moves to backrolls it does not matter. Wainman kites are great for newbs and very forgiving. The other bar which I dont want to derail the thread has eaten away enough of my fingers on depower ropes and I am always happy to have plastic coated depower line unhooked.
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 13:45
#6
So since it looks like I am
So since it looks like I am the newb giving feed back!
A couple things,
Agreed, as I posted the center line plastic protection is the shit. Love it and am planning on adding it to my best bar next time I change the lines.
Personally I dont like the feel of the wainman bar in my hands as much as others. But thats all personal preferance nothing more so pointless.
JD, you have given me suggestions on how to get around the jam cleat issue, however again perhaps personal preferance I dont like that style depower. I am a big sailor and also dont like Jam cleats on boats. They either get extremely difficult to un cleat under pressure or do not hold once the line becomes stretched and used. Which is proabably why they have been, for the most part, entirely removed from modern sail boats.
I guess my real question would be what is the down side to a redline safety? Certainly I am not unhooking yet or doing serious tricks but I do back rolls and basic stuff like that. I ride my smoke suicide and have never had issues but also have never had any serious crashes or disconnects.
Anyway just looking for a little education I suppose!
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 14:04
#7
Clam Cleat
Ericf1785 wrote:
So since it looks like I am the newb giving feed back!
A couple things,
Agreed, as I posted the center line plastic protection is the shit. Love it and am planning on adding it to my best bar next time I change the lines.
Personally I dont like the feel of the wainman bar in my hands as much as others. But thats all personal preferance nothing more so pointless.
JD, you have given me suggestions on how to get around the jam cleat issue, however again perhaps personal preferance I dont like that style depower. I am a big sailor and also dont like Jam cleats on boats. They either get extremely difficult to un cleat under pressure or do not hold once the line becomes stretched and used. Which is proabably why they have been, for the most part, entirely removed from modern sail boats.
I guess my real question would be what is the down side to a redline safety? Certainly I am not unhooking yet or doing serious tricks but I do back rolls and basic stuff like that. I ride my smoke suicide and have never had issues but also have never had any serious crashes or disconnects.
Anyway just looking for a little education I suppose!
In the 5+ years of flying kites with clam cleats (not all Wainman's) I have never had a problem with the cleat holding. I do know that some cleats grip better than others, the North and Wainman cleats have always worked really well for me. Otheres I have noticed do slip a bit. If you noticed with you Wainman kite there is a spare clam cleat line in case yours wears or breaks.
As for engaging the clam cleat, you do need to bare down wind just a bit to make it easier. It takes a bit of practice to get it dialed but once you got it figured it works great. The clam cleat allows you to fine tune your depower a lot more than the strap system and it has a lot less components to fail (all part of Wainman's idea of simplicity).
No real downside to a redline safety if you are not unhooking at the moment other than less clutter on the bar.
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 14:16
#8
Cool! Thanks for the
Cool! Thanks for the detailed response. Exactly what I was looking for. I do really love the simplicity of the smoke and the great durability. As a larger rider and it being my smallest kite I get the fewest sessions on it so I will def be working on getting it dialed in better the more I use it.
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 14:28
#9
What is a red line? Straps
What is a red line? Straps are better than cleats - interesting factoid concerning sailboats.
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 08:12
#10
redline is retarded
The redline is on some of the newer best bars. The problem is that when your center line or chicken loop needs to be replaced the redline must be cut because it has a ring on both ends and can't be removed. I think it is supposed to be some stupid safety thing but it doesn't do shit. I think they have been discontinued.
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 08:43
#11
The wainman bars also come
The wainman bars also come with the redline attachment as an option. It flags out your center lines if you release your chicken loop and completely depowers the kite(at least on the best bar, have not hooked it up on my wainman)
Does anyone know the down side of this? Is it just that if you mess up an unhooked trick you dont want to flag out just pull your leash in and hook back in?
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 14:05
#12
Redline
Thats about it.
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 20:50
#13
If I were to use the wainman
If I were to use the wainman bar on a best kite, I would bring the stopper in close
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 21:12
#14
You mean the best bar on the
You mean the best bar on the Wainman?
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 12:53
#15
right
right
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 08:26
#16
TO Jeans point. I have both
TO Jeans point. I have both best and Wainman. I much prefer the best bar. Mainly because I hate the depower jam cleat on the wainman I find it difficult and always seems to get jammed when I really need it not to be. DO I need to make any adjustments if I want to use my best bar on my 9m smoke?
That being said I love that Wainman takes the extra $2 to add the hard plastic protection to the center line to avoid ware...I wish one company would combine all the best bar features into one super bar that worked on every kite.
Soft grip, adjustable size, easy and safe depower, protected center line, easy redline safety...
I should qualify I mean all of the Best bar features from each company, not copy best cause they have plenty of issues
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 13:00
#17
I use both Best and Wainman,
I use both Best and Wainman, I would use a Best bar on a Wainman, but not the other way around, coz the Wainman bars have very little throw.
Mon, 03/21/2011 - 20:29
#18
Will wainman line set work with my Best bar
I want to buy a wainman set because it comes in 17m w/ 7m extensions and sheaper than other set. Will it work with my best setup? I don't see why not unless there is something funky about them...
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 12:44
#19
Yes they work on a Best bar.
Yes they work on a Best bar. All Best kites require all 4 lines to have a larks head so you should be all set! Great line set at a great price.
Tue, 03/22/2011 - 12:50
#20
Thanks for the confirmation
Thanks for the confirmation Brian!
Mon, 03/21/2011 - 21:45
#21
Not 100% sure if it will swap
Not 100% sure if it will swap out with a Best bar. The problem your going to run into is the length of the leader lines and depower line leader...if they are equal length you should be set.
Also Wainman lines have all larks head knots at the ends, I believe that Best has 2 larks heads and 2 monkey fist knots so you will need to figure something out with your bridal connections.
Fri, 03/18/2011 - 22:42
#22
2011 Rabbit Gang
Keep an eye out here for the latest info on the new Rabbit kites due out this spring. Same great rabbit kites with some fresh new graphics and a few new sizes added to the gang so you can customize your quiver around your riding style and local conditions.
Sat, 03/19/2011 - 09:08
#23
Any plans for C kites????
Any plans for C kites????
Sat, 03/19/2011 - 12:15
#24
Nothing official yet.....the
Nothing official yet.....the crew has been working hard all winter on the new sizes in the Rabbit Gang. The C kite is always being worked on but no one knows if or when it will ever be released. C kites are a tough market these days. If you have a C kite in your lineup it costs 2x as much to make due to the low volume of production kites the factory in China is going to make, you get a much bigger profit margin with the high volume of SLE kites, this is really what holds back the C kite market. Hopefully someday the C kites will regain popularity.
I will go over the two differnt attachment points on the single line setting.
Tab closest to the Center strut:
The kite will sit a bit more forward in the window (still deeper compared to the bridle), the bar pressure will be lighter (heavier than with the bridle) , and the kite will turn a bit faster.
This is with the single line set attached to the single line tab closest to the center strut (with the front lines connected to the knot at the bottom of the single line)
I usually fly them like this when riding strapless, like the quicker turning in the waves.
Tab closest to the trailing edge:
The kite sit's deepest in the window out of any other setting, heaviest bar pressure, and slowest turing.
This is with the single line attached to the tab closest to the trailing edge anf the front line larks head attached to the knot closest to the leading edge.
Love this setting for wakestyle riding,.
Been riding single line on the kites for the last 2.5 years, can't go back to the bridles after riding the single line. Also knot that the single line has a weight limit, bigger guys (200 lbs+) put more stress on the leading edge, causing it to fly a bit off when on single line. So if your a bigger rider I suggest sticking with the bridle.
Lets go over some common kite flying characteristics (same for every brand).
As the front line and back line attachment points get closer to each other the bar pressure will increase.
As the back line attachment points get closer to the trailing edge the kite will turn faster.