Many kites ship with multiple options for where you should connect your safety leash, but it’s not always completely clear which attachment is the best for you. Here are the most common places to connect your kite leash:
Leash Option 1:
Most control systems come with attachments to hook your leash up to a center or outside line. If you connect your leash this way, make sure you connect it to the ring that pulls a line through the other ring, not the ring that the line passes through. When you release onto this leash, the bar will slide up one line and the kite will be waving like a flag at the end of the line. This type of leash has been around since almost the beginning of kiteboarding and has been proven to be a very reliable safety.
Pro: Time tested and very safe leash connection point, will definitely allow for complete depower on virtually every kite ever made.
Con: Does not allow the rider to easily spin the bar and releasing on this type of leash can easily lead to tangled lines.
Leash Option 2:
If your harness loop has a metal ring such as the one shown here, this is probably where the manufacturer intends you to put the leash. This ring is usually either attached to the fifth line (if the kite has one) or pulls on one or both of the center lines.
Pro: Allows for the rider to easily unspin the bar while riding and usually allows for complete depower if you release the kite onto this leash.
Con: Every manufacturer’s system works differently, so you cannot simply hook your leash up here and assume it will act the same as the last kite you rode.
Leash Option 3:
This is what is known as a suicide leach, where the leash is connected directly to the harness loop. On most kites, this connection is for advanced riders only who understand the risks of such a leash.
Pro: By not depowering the kite to 100%, crashes can be much quicker to recover from; in fact the kite might even stay flying when using this leash.
Con: On many kites, this connection does not allow for complete depower. Check with your kite’s manufacturer to check if you think this is the proper connection for you, but are unsure.