Power Kite Forum

Prism kites color codes !

SaS - 15-10-2013 at 06:32 AM

Hi All,

Just out of curiosity... :)

Since many decades, the kite industry has adopted the same color code as defined by the international conventions from the marine navigation lights. Translated in kite language, it means red lines, wrist strap, handle are always on the left hand side.

Does anyone know why Prism Kites mount all their kites the other way round (red on the right hand side) ??? :puzzled:
I asked them but no reply to my email...

Thanks

markite - 15-10-2013 at 07:02 AM

I wouldn't say the kite industry has adopted the same red on left for many decades - kite surfing has not been around that long and before kite surfing going back when two line kites were all the rage (and then moving to 4 line but still before depowerable and surfing) it was almost always red/right. So when you picked up stunt kite straps or handles with 2 lines you knew red/right (sometimes there were all sorts of other colours used as well which made it tougher for some to remember what was what).Then when 4 lines came around often colour tracers were added to sleeving and you often found red with a black tracer for the thinner brake line and people remember red/right - black/bottom using alliteration was a a good way to remember. Perhaps Prism still follows this since they are not producing water kites?

SaS - 15-10-2013 at 07:11 AM

thank you for the interesting piece of kite history

zero gee - 15-10-2013 at 09:51 AM

There really is no international industry standard for colors for water kites either other than one side should be a different color than the other. For example, my Core kites are yellow (left) and white (right). Steering lines are colored the same way while the front lines are both grey. The left side has red pigtails while the right has grey. :rolleyes:

Even with the "Kook Proof" connections some companies are opposite others. :rolleyes:

riffclown - 15-10-2013 at 12:55 PM

I re-bridled my old Snapshot 2.5 to make it "correct"

indigo_wolf - 15-10-2013 at 03:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by riffclown  
I re-bridled my old Snapshot 2.5 to make it "correct"


Probably more grief than I would go through.

It was probably more important to me to swap out the brakes on a bicycle so that it's "motorcycle correct" and the front brake is on the right hand side.

ATB,
Sam

Demoknight - 15-10-2013 at 03:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf  
Quote: Originally posted by riffclown  
I re-bridled my old Snapshot 2.5 to make it "correct"


Probably more grief than I would go through.

It was probably more important to me to swap out the brakes on a bicycle so that it's "motorcycle correct" and the front brake is on the right hand side.

ATB,
Sam


I still remember my first time on a dirtbike, having never ridden a motorcycle before. I got going and when I tried to stop I nearly came over the handlebars... No harm done, just startled me.

If you really wanted to make it motorcycle correct, you would put a foot brake on there for the back wheel :P

B-Roc - 15-10-2013 at 03:48 PM

Markite is correct. In the days when dual line sport kites ruled (and Prism was/is a major player in that space) it was Red = Right and bLack = Left (R=R, L=L). That too was not universal but a good rule of thumb.

shortlineflyer - 16-10-2013 at 07:19 PM

dual line sport kites still rule, they just dont get as much press. When I started Kiting I did dual lines and red is always on the right. Be careful, I am a person who will argue just for the sake of it. R is right, and anything else is left, including green.:evil:

Smeagol - 16-10-2013 at 09:40 PM

:thumbup: Yup, I'm with you guys.

I started out flying Revs/duals 25+ years ago... Red was always right, Black/green/yellow/whatever was always left. Just kind of made sense.

then I got more and more into power kiting and I remember thinking "what the heck is up with this red on the left, black on the right silliness?" ;)

riffclown - 20-10-2013 at 07:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf  
Quote: Originally posted by riffclown  
I re-bridled my old Snapshot 2.5 to make it "correct"


Probably more grief than I would go through.

It was probably more important to me to swap out the brakes on a bicycle so that it's "motorcycle correct" and the front brake is on the right hand side.

ATB,
Sam


I just wanted all of my kites to match and the Prism was the odd man out IMO. It was of course a personal choice and every time I work on my bridles, I learn something new. So for me, it was worth it.

Coldsnap - 24-10-2013 at 04:45 AM

I'm accustomed to red/right from my Prism kites, and it really messes things up when flying larger LEI kites that are coloured the other way around. I'm trying to relearn it by always connecting red-to-blue when rigging the Prism kites, but "red/right" is hard to get out of my head. :P

soulflyr - 12-11-2013 at 09:56 AM

I always learned that red on right and have been flying for over 25 years.

But I have succumbed to peer pressure and on all my power kites now have red on left so if someone asks to try one of my kites I don’t have to worry that I forgot to tell them red is right. If I still have sleeving on my sport kites then red is on right, but really the best thing to do is check before you launch.