Can anyone tell me the difference between the 3 line depower bar and the Pro depower bar?

Myself and Jason have the 3 line depower bar. When un hooked the full force of the kite is on your arms and the 3rd line stays hooked. As you let the bar out, it pulls the nose in and you have variable depower. I only use the depower as a safety and remain hooked in. The pro depower splits the load between the outsid and center line so it functions more like a traditional depower. John h uses it fixed so all power is on the harness and uses it more as a safety. Using it like that makes it function similar to the much less expensive 3 line depower which is why I opted for that. He has a good video explaining it and I'm sure he will chime in with a better description but that's the way I understand it.

The 3 line depower also has a ball you can grab to activate the depower without hitting the safety. I haven't been using that option but I have been meaning to practice using it more because it would be somewhat more convenient than having to reset the safety.

There is also another option for the NS kites. I have the "streetkite" version with the "S.I.A" (not sure what the initials stand for) allowing the adjustment of the 3rd line which can lock in more nose compression to reduce the power of the kite. To me, its more like "tuning" the kite, rather than an "on the fly" adjustment. I also use it as a safety, though I could "tune down" the kite in stronger winds somewhat. Most of the time I have used short lines with my 5.5. (This has worked pretty well on pavement, but not so well on grass.) I don't know how much range the 3rd line/nose adjustment gives on NS2 as compared to a traditional depower kite. I don't use a harness. Since I got my 4.0 from Susan, I like 4 line control a lot better, and probably will be changing the 5.5 to the 4 line set up so that my 4.0 and 5.5 will be using the same setup. BTW, I have found there is a tremendous difference between the amount of power I can handle with 15 or 25 foot lines as compared to 60 ft. I've flown the 5.5 right off the bar, but haven't found that as useful as 15 foot lines.

So is there an advantage to using the pro depower bar? or is it just a fancier version of the same thing?

John Holgate will have to answer that question. He is the only one that I'm aware of that has used both. When I asked him before I bought my set up, he told me that the pro depower is nice but not necessary. If I remember correctly from watching his video, it looked like the pro depower set up was a little bit more complicated set up wise and I was worried it would be more hassle than it was worth. I could be wrong about that and I would like to try one.

Good info, thanks Sean...

John? Whatcha say? Is it worth the additional cost?

I'm also really fond of the 3 line bar. Extremely simple to operate. I picked up one on my first NS order to share between the 2.5, 4, and 5.5. I picked up another 3 line bar with my recent 7m order. I want to keep a bar rtf for the 5.5 and 7m mostly. One week of hunting season left, then I can concentrate on kiting again. I'll be posting more of my experiences as well.

I have also kicked around the idea of building a swivel loop and a trim strap too for the 3rd line. Very similar to the home brew bar I got from Markite for my venom. Where strap is below the bar, close to the chicken loop. This would minimize drag on the third line as well. This would also give me a solid depowered bar position to run down wind without unhooking from the spreader bar to depower the kite. Then a quick trim adjustment for max power coming back up wind. This of course for the looong beach runs. Not the quick jibes at the soccer fields. It would give you the ability to park and ride with one hand in a constant depowered state if needed while still being hooked to the spreader. Yeah, because I'm lazy like that. Lol. Hope I'm not confusing things here. The 3 line bare is great as it is, but us kiters constantly fix what ain't never broke. Lol

Thanks guys... I'm planning to wait til mid February to start to reconfigure my quiver... That will give me plenty of time to heal the heel and get new stuff in time for JIBE

Good ideas Jason. I will use the 3 line depower bar unhooked on landboard but I don't care for it unhooked in the buggy. Holding all the power on a bar in the buggy really twists your body, much worse than handles. Last time I did that I pulled a muscle in my abdomen that felt almost like having a cracked rib. It had me goofed up for a week.

Agree Sean. Liked we were talking about on the phone awhile ago. It would give you the option to fly depowered while being hooked in if needed. Plus, I like to kite loop and down turn. The swivel loop would let you do this by spinning the bar. Basically you set your trim like an arc or dp foil. The bar would operate like any other PD bar with the exception of a 3rd line mod down at the chicken loop.
Its just an idea anyway. Might not work. As long as it doesn't create drag on the center line, it "should" work.

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I like to kite loop and down turn. The swivel loop would let you do this by spinning the bar.

I occasionally miss not being able to spin the std 3 line bar. Having said that, I have a lot of fun downturning the kite (which, unlike a foil, doesn't seem to produce anymore power than an upturn) then looping it back the other way to untwist - steer the buggy a bit towards the kite when you do this so it doesn't get behind you. Gives a bit of extra ooomph to get you going back the way you came.

This is great stuff for to read for a sport kite flier who is entering the power kite world. Remember, we're out here listening....

So I had an extra hour or so this afternoon. I loaded up my buggy and headed to my local field. I really wanted to fly my new 7m NS2, but the wind speed was a little too much for it. Up went the 5.5m. This was my first ever flight in a buggy with the Nasa Star. All I can say is WOW :o :o :o!!!It was as fun and amazing as I had imagined it would be. The kite never did anything that "I" didn't ask it to. I got lifted out of the seat once, but only because I lost some speed coming out of a turn, and sent the kite up a little too high in the janky gust I think. I wasnt lifted up high. Only enough to stand me on my feet. It has the least amount of lift of any kite I've ever flown, but there is the potential in a strong gust. I really wanted to mention that for the people that may think the Nasa Star is an end all safe kite. It is still a power kite. like all, they demand respect too!!!

I'm very pleased with my experience today in the buggy finally. It was perfect conditions to see what the kite could, and could not do. Shifty, and gusty. I was able to buggy, so that right there says a lot! In a lull, I would lose traction and kinda roll to a stop. The kite never fell out of the sky, I would just keep it moving a little until the wind got up again. With a foil, it would have folded up and fell, causing me to get out of the buggy and untangle with a relaunch to follow. The Nasa Star is light enough in a lull (at least what I experienced today) to just stay afloat with a little movement until the wind came back.

Now. I'm 210 pounds. My VTT weighs at least a 100 if I had to guess. My ground today was a little boggy. Not wet and swampy, but still wasn't dried out from the rain the other day. I had the 5.5m up in my best guess was like 10-12mph. my on the fly wind map said 3-5 but I KNOW that wasn't right.There were a couple strong gust as well. Not quite sure of the strength, but like I said, one pulled me up and over my rail, so it must have been a 15+.

I cant wait to try my other sizes out. I'm REALLY looking forward to clean ocean air so I can park and ride. Today, it pulled me like a freakin' diesel truck!. HUGE low end with these NS2! I do run PL extra wides, but the Nasa pulled me through damp soil with no problem!! If you are on the fence about trying one, Just do it. Especially if you suffer from stubborn wind. I wish I was able to get some footage today, but it didn't happen.

Awesome... Good info on the lift Jason... I've been wondering that, but if all you got was just up over the rail, that's still WAY better than 10-15 ft :o

Did you have your Garmin running to clock speeds?

That's right Spencer. I went over the rail onto my knees actually, then pulled up to my feet. I think that qualifies me for my first ever OBE. Lmao. By the time I was being pulled up to my feet, I pulled the yellow depower ball and stalled the kite out. I wasn't able to process the ejection fast enough for the main safety. Like I said, it wasn't a violent lift. Just a little up and over.

I didn't bring my Garmin either today. Yeah I suck...

Sounds like fun Jason

I haven't explored using the yellow ball yet, but I've gotten pretty good at being quick to hit the main safety. I haven't been lifted up and out yet but I have tipped and been pulled sideways. Even then I had enough time to hit my main safety before being dragged. They are forgiving but you have to be careful about poking the bear too much. I usually have hit my safety when I'm starting to feel out of control or I'm about to run out of room before I can negotiate a maneuver to get out of trouble. So far, I have had enough time to react and it's more of a matter of deciding if I should pull the safety or ride it out. Also, I have been practicing steering fast downwind then hard upwind to scrub speed and absorb power.

I like this thread! Good to see more rag flappers out there. Don't forget our own kitemaker4 if you are looking for a custom colored NASA wing in your wanted size! Quality build and great price, too! Flying these wings as 4-line on handles can be quite productive, satisfying and exhilarating, too.
Spent the day after Christmas at the parking lot of Long Point State Park, Chautauqua Lake. Buggied for about 4 hours, just zipping back and forth on the asphalt. Wind was off the lake, but shifty and maybe 4-5mph in the lulls and gusting to around 12mph. I used the 7M NPW9 on 35 foot lines, and was easily able to hit 20mph+ on the not so long parking lot. Several hikers/dog walkers commented on how much fun I looked like I was having, one cyclist said it was the coolest thing he had seen in a while, and several people in cars stopped to watch. I had a blast, and had to take a nap when I got home!(It's been a while since I've rode all afternoon)

I agree Bobalooie, there can never be enough people flying nasa wings.

Susan (npw goddess)

I'm in complete agreement with @bobalooie57 - another happy owner of a @kitemaker4 NASA 4.0 meter.

Yes, NPW are great, I am on making my 9th one. Each one from the 1M2 to the 9 M2 is great fun.
renny:alien:

he he he... ragflappers... i like that :D

I contacted Steffan this weekend... thinking seriously about taking the plunge.., even had an offer on a couple of my RIIs

Oh yeah I forgot. One time the kite got too far behind me and slammed nose first into the ground. This would have spelled certain disaster for a foil. Not the Nasa. It just compressed flat. A quick tug on the bar and she inflated, took off backwards, righted herself and shot back up in the zone .
I also found it easiest to swap out kites after you fly it to the edge of the window, let it settle on the ground, and stake it off like in Steffans video. I also pack up at the edge of the window too. Pretty sure that's the best way?? John already mentioned that's his preferred method. Any other unpack/pack up ideas? I didn't care for pulling the stopper ball and letting it flop like a dead chicken on the ground until I could run out to the kite and sand bag it. The edge of the window seemed easiest.

Also worth noting. I was 100% hooked in yesterday. I could have easily had the same flying results if I flew unhooked as well. Still have the depower line attached to the spreader, but bare the pull on my upper body vs. the harness. Just like flying FB. I think my ejection wouldn't have happened then. Just like flying Popeye style FB, a rogue gust would have just ripped the bar right out of my hands like a FB would have done. Pretty ingenious depower setup if you ask me. You can either rely on cat like reflexes and pull the chicken loop safety, or just strong arm the bar and let the wind deploy the safety for you (as long as you let go of the bar lmao).

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Oh yeah I forgot. One time the kite got too far behind me and slammed nose first into the ground. This would have spelled certain disaster for a foil. Not the Nasa. It just compressed flat. A quick tug on the bar and she inflated, took off backwards, righted herself and shot back up in the zone .

Yep, you don't have to get up much or at all once seated. I'm pretty sure I've gained weight since owning them from complete lack of exorcise while kiting :D. I don't have to get up with the peak either and the twister has been collecting dust because it feels way too much like work now.

Spencer, join the brotherhood within the brotherhood :P

Sometimes people stop and ask me what I'm doing and where to get them and it's just information overload when I try to explain what I'm doing and that the kites I'm using are unusual in an even more unusual activity for my area.

LOL. There was a lady walking her dog around the edge of the field when I was deployed over the rail. I'm pretty sure se saw me do it. It was however all done in one fluid motion, so as an onlooker who doesn't know what kite buggy is, it looked like I knew what I was doing :D :D :D

I looked for a bag similar to yours at DicS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s and gander mountain for the ns2's but couldn't find one. I had an old baseball bag that wasn't being used that I was able to put all the ns2's in and the harness and both bars. The smaller baseball bag, I found at Walmart for $5. It was a return that the packaging was messed up on but the funny thing was the original price was only $11. I have the Peak in the smaller of the 2.

I love how small they pack up. I was able to fit all four kites and their bags, both bars, and my harness into the big backpack. Still not sure why my 7m came in a black bag when the others came in the orange bag. My kite OCD is having a hard time coping LOL.

It was very refreshing walking onto the field with only one pack.

If you don't mind, let me know what brand your bag is. I didn't find anything similar and I still would prefer to have a backpack one like yours for the ns2's.

Its made by Compackteam. I just pulled everything out to find a UPC, tag,etc. I don't see one.





I did a quick web search and didn't find much. Probably why it was on clearance at DicS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s. Lots of similar ones on ebay and Amazon I see. Keywords camping/mountaineering backpack/rucksack.

Thanks, I checked as well. That is an elusive piece of merchandise. I'll have to make do with the baseball bags for awhile.

Of course I've been all over the Born website,... it looks like the bags are a separate piece of merchandise from the kites, did your kites come with the bags or did you have to pay for them separately?