Kiteboarding Kitelines
Kiteboarding Kiteline Lengths
Should you change the length of your kite lines? I don't mean the slight adjust you make when lines stretch after initial use and you have to even out the lengths of all the lines. I am referring more to changing the actual lengths of your lines by larger amounts.
People like to tinker with their gear the more they ride but most riders are comfortable just leaving the length of their kite lines at factory lengths that come with the bar/kite. Nowadays many kites are already optimized with a standard line length but as you start trying different boards or riding styles, adjusting the length of your flying lines can have a dramatic effect on how the kite performs and on your riding experience.
Generally longer lines will cause less height on jumps, slower kite reaction/responsiveness, and possibly more difficult trying to water relaunch the kite if winds are lighter. Longer lines can especially be a pain in lighter winds in that they cause more weight and make the kite less responsive making it difficult to crank the kite quickly. Some people point out that a higher kite will allow you to catch higher up winds but I have found too long of lines to make the kite difficult to fly and just fly weird.
Many times riders that do decide to adjust their line lengths are more experienced riders who like the feel of shorter lines for being able to really crank the kite for speed and big jumps in stronger winds. Too short of lines will make the kite fly really "jumpy" but some riders like the quick responsiveness of it.
Overall you can mess with your lines but with how much kites are evolving now they are usually optimized with lines/bars that come with the kite. Back when everyone used C-Shape kites you might see more people mess with the lines because older kites didn't have as large of wind range than newer model kites do, but nowadays it doesn't seem to be as common.
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