Flying with no sleeving

[Flintfootfilly]

At a recent clinic, JB said he doesn't use lineset sleeving on his indoor kite, and I thought he said he never uses sleeving (but I could be wrong). Does anyone not use sleeving on outdoor kites successfully?

 

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[riffclown]

I don't think @Paul LaMasters sleeves his lines.. IIRC He uses the stopper knot to alleviate the friction point. 

The train of thought is extra bulk and extra knots give you additional places where lines can bind or hang.

I have a mix of sleeved and non sleeved in my line bag..

[mwp]

I don't use sleeving on some line sets, it is easier to adjust that way. I do however check these carefully in higher winds as it can be cut through under a lot of stress. 

[makatakam]

I have sleeved and non-sleeved sets in my bag also. The ones I purchased came sleeved at both ends. The ones I made are sleeveless at both ends. When I cut old worn lines down to shorter lengths, I use the sleeved ends at the handles and the unsleeved ends at the kite/bridle. I like the speed with which unequal/stretched lines can be adjusted to match the others simply by tying knots into the loop.

I make the loops about 8" long and use two figure-eight knots at the base to form the loop and one at the distal end to form a tab I can grab easily to remove it from the bridle when breaking down. The three figure-eight knots eliminate slippage in the slick spectra line. I use overhand or figure-eight knots near the base of the loop, depending on how much the line needs to be shortened, to adjust line length. I can equalize a stretched line in ten seconds. I have never had any problems with the line cutting others, cutting itself, the bridle, or the handle leaders any more than a sleeved line would in the same conditions.

I do like sleeving at the handle ends of the line for ease of handling when adjusting the amount of brake and as something to grab when doing catch and throw, but the pull-tabs I tie in the ends of the loops and the very long leaders I use on the handles, as much as 14", render the sleeving a preference, not a necessity.

I believe that the cleaner and simpler solution is the better one. The less junk attached, the less problems and maintenance will be encountered. No sleeving at the kite end also reduces weight and drag, and even though it is just a gram or two, if you're really into low or no wind flying, every little bit adds up in the long run. 

In the end, whatever you feel comfortable with will work for you. There is no absolute method, and what floats your boat is what you should use. As materials and understanding of their use get better with time all this will change. Heck, Revolution used to attach metal clips to the bridle to hook your lines to. Those kites are now ancient collectors' items. Experiment as much as you care to, and keep the community informed of any techniques or modifications you have made that look, feel or perform better than the original. I have made so many modifications to my kites that some of them have become very noticeably different. Some people will like a certain modification, some won't. You should be aware of all the possibilities, try those that you find interesting, and use those that make you a better pilot and give you more satisfaction.

Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe.

[Flintfootfilly]

Thanks for the great replies! [emoji3]

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[Swimdad67]

Can you post some pictures


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[John Barresi]

I use sleeving on my regular length lines, it's only my 30' and indoor (10.5') that that I don't sleeve.

[makatakam]

On 9/21/2017 at 5:44 PM, Swimdad67 said:

Can you post some pictures


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It looks just like the sleeved lines, only imagine two figure-eight knots instead of two overhand at the base of the loop, and a loop that's two inches longer, and no sleeving. You can tie one more figure-eight knot in the distal end of the loop so there is something you can grab easily to undo the larkshead when breaking down the kite.