CONTENT

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1. RELEASE OF LIABILITY
2. SAFETY
3. RIGGING OF THE KITE
4. ATTACHING THE LINES
5. KITE TUNING
6. KITE CARE
7. REPAIR OF THE BLADDERS
8. SELF RESCUE
9. WINDRANGE AND KITESIZES
10. TIPPS UND TRICKS FOR THE 5TH ELEMENT BAR
11. WARRANTY POLICY

Warning: Kiteboarding is Dangerous

Always use extreme caution when using this product.
Only use this product if you are in good physical health.
Never act in a careless manner when using this product
You are responsible for your own safety and the safety of others
when using this product.

1. RELEASE OF LIABILITY
By assembling and/or using this North
Kite Product, you agree that you have
read and understood the entire North
Kiteboarding Product Owner's Manual,
including all instructions and warnings
contained in that Manual, prior to using
the North Kiteboarding Product in any
way. You additionally agree that you will
ensure any additional or subsequent user
of your North Kiteboarding Product will
read and understand the entire North
Kiteboarding Product Owner's Manual,
including all instructions and warnings
contained in that Manual, prior to allowing
that person to use your North
Kiteboarding Product.
ASSUMPTION OF RISK: Use of the
North Kiteboarding Product and any of its
components involve certain inherent risks,
dangers, and hazards which can result in
serious personal injury and death to both
the user and to nonuser third parties. In
using the North Kiteboarding Product, you
freely agree to assume and accept any
and all known and unknown risks of injury
to you and to third parties while using this
equipment. The risks inherent in this sport
can be greatly reduced by abiding by the
warning guidelines listed in this owner
manual and by using common sense.

RELEASE AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS:

In consideration of the sale of the North
Kiteboarding product to you, you hereby
agree to the fullest extent permitted by
law, as follows:
TO WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS
that you have or may in the future have
against Boards & More and all related parties resulting from use of the North
Kiteboarding Product and any of its components.
TO RELEASE Boards & More and all
related parties from any and all liability for
any loss, damage, injury or expense that
you or any users of your North
Kiteboarding Product may suffer, or that
your next of kin may suffer, as a result of
the use of the North Kiteboarding Product,
due to any cause whatsoever, including
negligence or breach of contract on the
part of Boards & More and all related parties in the design or manufacture of the
North Kiteboarding Product and any of its
components.
In the event of your death or incapacity, all
provisions contained herein shall be effective and binding upon your heirs, next of
kin, executors, administrators, assigns,
and representatives. Boards & More-related parties have not made and expressly
deny any oral or written representations

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other than what is set forth herein and the
North Kite Product User's Manual.

2. SAFETY
As active kiters and wind fanatics we are
convinced that kiteboarding is one of the
most fascinating adventures in the world.
Kiting is a sport that takes place within the
interplay of the elements. This sport involves great risks and can possibly be very
dangerous. Therefore it is of utmost
importance to assess yourself and your
kiteboarding abilities.
We strongly recommend the following:
If you are not yet able to kite or if you
feel insecure, do attend a licensed kiteboarding school to learn the basics of this
fantastic sport.
Get familiar with the safety precautions,
which are indispensable for safe kiteboarding.
Kiteboarding creates a heavy strain on
your body. You should only go kiteboarding if you are in good physical condition
and suffer from no medical conditions that
may prevent you from kiting.
No risk, no fun ... but: be careful when
practicing this sport. Carefulness always
pays, as you should be able to enjoy the
wind even at a "mature" age.
Dangers when Kiteboarding
When kiting, the extreme powers of the
elements may come into play. In rare
cases, the kite or its lines may cause dangerous situations:

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The canopy can pull you into the air
giving you involuntary "air time". When
landing, there is a high risk of getting injured.
When the kite gets out of control, you
can collide with obstacles and objects on
the water.
In case of improper use, the canopy or
its lines may get caught up with other people. Due to the enormous powers involved, this may lead to life-threatening situations.
People who get caught in the lines of the
kite may suffer from severe gashes or
burns.
Canopies coming down may injure
onlookers.
Risks Caused by the Kiteboard:
If you bang your head against the kiteboard, there is a risk of severe head injuries.
Feet, ankles and legs may also be injured by the board
Never use this kite as a flying object
This list of dangers cannot be complete.
The basic rules for kiteboarding correspond to those of common sense and are
to be applied to all (outdoor) sports:
(1) Never put at risk the safety of onlookers in your surroundings.
(2) Be aware of the risk you are taking
and restrict this to a reasonable residual
risk (according to your skills).

Threats to Onlookers
It is within your responsibility to check
whether uninvolved people or other athletes may be endangered or injured by your
actions or your gear. Spots where onlookers may be injured are taboo for responsible-minded kiters!
Only fly your canopy over unobstructed
water.
When kiting, do not fly over people or
pets.
Ensure that a semi-circle extending 100
meters downwind and to each side of your
flying position is clear of people and
obstructions.
Use a kite leash that allows you to keep
the kite under control.
Avoid flying the kite in the vicinity of
other water users such as swimmers, kayakers, (wind-)surfers and water-skiers as
well as near boats.
If not in use, inflated canopies must be
secured with sand or heavy objects. A
canopy filled with air can fly away at any
time, thus it may injure people and in
extreme cases even kill them.

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Safety of the Kiteboarder
Fly this kite only over unobstructed
water. Never on land.
Fly this kite only if you are a strong
swimmer and are wearing a Coast Guardapproved PFD.
Go no further from land than you're able
to swim back in case of an emergency.
Use only bars with a safety system that
you can open in emergency situations.
Use a quick-release kite leash with
which you can unhook your body from the
gear in case of an unforeseeable emergency.
Avoid power lines, telephone poles, airports, streets, buildings and trees.
If you use a board that is leashed to your
body, wear a helmet!
Take into account the usual risks associated with water sports such as rocks,
waves, sunburn, hypothermia, jellyfish etc.

Threats through Kite Lines

Never touch the kite lines when the kite
is under wind load as these lines can
become dangerously sharp when under
tension.
Never use kite lines with notches, cuts
etc.. They must be changed.
Use only lines that have no knots in
them, as knots can weaken lines by as
much as 50%.
Do not touch the lines of the canopy,
unless the kite has been secured to the

ground. An unsecured kite can relaunch

unexpectedly, putting the lines dangerously
under tension.
Never tie lines around your arms or other
body parts!
Weather-related dangers
Avoid offshore wind.
Be careful with onshore wind.
Get information on tidal and sea current
conditions at your kiting spot!
Get information from both the weather
report and the locals on prevailing weather conditions.
Never use the kite with wind forces so
strong that you are unable to maintain
precise control.

Do not use the kite when wind conditions

are likely to change dramatically.
Never use this kite when thunderstorms
are nearby or when such storms have a
good chance of developing (check the
weather report!).
Leave the water immediately when a
storm is approaching. You are in acute
life-threatening danger since you may be
struck by lightning!
Mixing up the steering and flying lines is
the most common mistake made when
rigging the kite. It is for this reason that
North Kiteboarding developed the "Kookproof Attachment".This system only functions if the original North Kiteboarding 5th
Element bar is used together with a North
kite. Mixing up the lines becomes impossible; however, make sure that the flying
lines are attached to the front of the kite.

3. RIGGING OF THE KITE

Inflating the Canopy
1. Lay the kite out on an even surface
(without hard or sharp objects), e.g. on
sand, grass or a comparable surface.
Although the kite is engineered to withstand the enormous stresses of flying, it
can easily be damaged by rocks, thorns,
wood and other hard objects.
2. Turn the kite with its front tube into the
wind, so that the transverse tubes are
pointing upwards.

c Pinch the valve with your fingers to

prevent air from escaping, then remove
the pumps tip from the valve. If the valve
is pulled in while pumping, the air must be
completely let out again. After letting out
the air, you can pull the valve to the right
position.

d Quickly close the cap on the air valve

and fasten the Velcro fastening over the
top. Do not push the valves into the bladdder after inflating.
3. Place a weight, e.g. sand, gear bag etc.
on the upwind end of the canopy.
4. Inflate the transverse ribs. Start with the
middle transverse rib.
Inflation involves the following steps:
a Grasp the valve with one hand and
insert the pump tip into the valve with the
other hand.
b Pump air into the bladder until it is
firm.

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Inflation Pressure
All Vegas perform well with 6 psi of air
pressure in the leading edges and 10 psi
in the rips.
Turning around and Securing the Kite
on the Beach
If the kite is not in use, it must be secured
on the beach. Turn the kite around as
shown in the illustrations. The leading
edge must always point upwind and be
secured by a sufficient weight. As a general rule, take rather more sand than less,
because if the canopy flies away, it can
become a dangerous flying object. If the
front tube is pointing downwind, the canopy is pushed to the ground by the wind
pressure in addition to its own weight.
When turning the kite around, make sure
that there are no sharp objects lying on
the ground. With changing wind directions,
the canopy should be turned into the prevailing wind direction.

e Finally, inflate the leading edge bladder

(front tube) until the correct pressure is
reached, i.e. when there are no wrinkles in it.
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4. ATTACHING THE LINES

Mixing up the steering and flying lines is
the most common mistake made when
rigging the kite. It is for this reason that
North Kiteboarding developed the "Kookproof Attachment".This system only functions if the original North Kiteboarding 5th
Element bar is used together with a North
kite. Mixing up the lines becomes impossible; however, make sure that the flying
lines are attached to the front of the kite.

Despite our recommendation that all lines

be the same distance from the control bar,
this however does not mean that, even if
the lines are the same length, every kite is
perfectly tuned for all kiteboarders and
wind conditions. Every kiteboarder, every
kite and all spot conditions differ from
each other, thus the recommendations
can only be guidelines.
The kiteboarder must adjust the length of
the lines before every flight, but also
during the flight, using the "North Flight
Control System" (or comparable systems).
E.g, Sit-harnesses require a longer basic
depower setting than waist-harnesses.

Make a lark's head knot with the loop at

the end of the line and/or the canopy. Slip
the lark's head knot over the knotted end
at the corner of the kite or the lines. Pull
the lark's head knot tight at the end. Then
tie the blue center line to the string that is
attached to the center of the front tube in
the same way. Kites without a center line
cannot be used in connection with the 5th
Element bar.
Adjusting the line length has an impact on
the performance of the kite. See chapter
"Tuning and Response Rate".
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5. KITE TUNING
Response Rate
The speed at which a kite responds to
control input its response rate varies
with the amount of tension on the kite
lines. The greater the tension, the quicker the response will be. The tension
on the lines varies in turn with the size
and skill of the boarder. For example, a
kite used by a lightweight boarder in
light wind will have low line tension and
will respond relatively slowly, while the
same kite used by a heavyweight boarder in strong wind will have high line
tension and will turn quickly. This means
that the construction and the design of
the kite control the response rate only to
some extent and that there is no canopy
that suits boarders of all different
weights and skill levels.
The response rate of the canopy can
also be varied by the two different width
adjustments of the bar. With a wide bar,
the canopy reacts and turns faster than
with a narrow bar adjustment. North
Kiteboarding recommends flying the 18
and 20m2 using the wide adjustment
and using the smaller Rhinos (sizes 9m2
to 16m2) with the narrower adjustment.

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In order to trim the kite quickly, please turn
to the illustrations below. These show an
optimally trimmed kite

The kite is equipped with several attachment points and can thus be tuned in
terms of its turning ability and depowering
qualities. The hare symbol stands for a
fast turning canopy whereas the tortoise
indicates a slower turning of the kite. The
designation Max. and/or Min. Power
characterize the depowering qualities of
the canopy which can be trimmed by
means of the front attachment points.

and over-taut adjustment.

6. KITE CARE
General Remarks and Tips
Avoid bringing the kite into contact with
sharp-edged rocks, thorns, wood and
other objects that may damage, puncture
or tear the cloth.
It often happens that the canopy is
damaged in a way that is not obvious until
the kite fails while flying. Careless handling on the ground usually causes such
damages; for example, when a rock is placed on the canopy to secure the kite stays
in place.
The sun is one of the worst enemies of
every canopy. Thus, keep your kite out of
intensive sunrays as much as possible.
Deflate the bladders if the kite is to be
left unattended for any length of time.
If your kite lies trimmed on the beach,
small wind movements may quickly cause
wear and tear to the cloth. Thus, pack up
the canopy as soon as you do not want to
use the kite anymore.
Try to pack the kite into the kite-bag with
as few wrinkles as possible avoiding
creases that may damage the cloth material.
To carry a kite, turn it so that the leading
edge is upwind and the underside faces
upward. Grab the center of the leading
edge tube. If the wind is blowing, it will
hold the kite clear off the ground. Be sure
not to drag the tips of the kite across the
ground.
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A coating that results from using the kite
in salt water will not damage the kite.
However, rinsing in fresh water and drying
cant hurt.
Let the kite dry away from sun and wind.
Failure to dry the kite after use, or rinsing in fresh water can cause mildew,
which is unsightly but will not affect the
performance of the canopy.
Be sure to prevent water, dirt and sand
from entering the bladders when using or
rinsing the kite.
Failure to dry the kite after use or rinsing
can cause bleeding of dye from one panel
of cloth to another. Such bleeding is not
covered under the North warranty.
Keep sand and water out of the air
pump.
Make sure to remove the deflators
from the valves after use!

7. REPAIR OF THE BLADDERS

Lay the kite out flat with the ribs facing
up. Loose lines should be removed and all
the ribs deflated.
Tie a reinstall line to the bladders. You
will need to use this line to pull the bladdder back into the tube after the repair has
been completed. If you are repairing the
air bladders of a transverse tube, the line
should be tied to thered rope at the end of
the rip between the fusion rip joint and the
canopy.

The line should be about one meter longer

than the rib. If you are repairing a leading
edge bladder, a line should be tied to
each end of the bladder. Each line should
extend one meter more than the distance
from kite tip to center.
Push the air valve entirely into the rib.
If youre repairing the leading edge
bladder, open the Velcro strap near the
middle of the leading edge and pull the
bladder out, first one side, then the other.
If youre repairing a transverse tube, pull
the bladder out of the rib from the back.

Our tip: Its best if someone helps you by

holding one end of the leading edge or rib,
thus ensuring that the bladder comes out
of the tube smoothly.
When the bladder has been removed
from the kite, the reinstall line should pass
through the tube and extend from each
end.
lnflate the bladder and wipe it with a
sponge soaked in soapy water.
Alternatively, submerge portions of the
bladder in a tub of water. Air bubbles indicate holes. Small leaks can be hard to

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If you discover holes, dry and clean the
bladder with a towel, mark the hole (using
a permanent black marker) and deflate
the bladder again.
Use the sandpaper enclosed in the
repair kit, lightly roughen the area to be
repaired.
Cut a round patch out of the enclosed
tube material.
Spread the patch and the damaged spot
with a thin layer of contact glue. Follow
the instructions indicated on the contact
glue tube and let both sides begin to dry.
The first pressure exerted is the deciding
factor for successful repairing.
For small damages: Peel the backing off
the repair patch and press it on the bladdder to cover the hole.
Close the valve and put the dry bladder
in a plastic bag with a sufficient amount of
talcum or baby powder.

find, so be sure to press the tube with

your hands.
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8.SELF RESCUE
Close the bag and shake it until the talcum
powder completely covers the bladder.
Before you begin the reinsertion process, fold the bladder like an accordion,
with the air valve pointing to the valve
opening.

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Have your assistant pull the feed line so

that the bladder can be re-inserted into
the rib. While he/she is doing this, you
should keep tension on the rib and make
sure the bladder is inserted properly and
that it is not twisted.
Once the bladder has been inserted
completely into the rib, make sure that the
air valve is properly exposed through the
valve opening.
Inflate the bladder until it is half full with air.
Check to make sure that the bladder has
been inserted correctly and that there are no
folds in the bladder material. If you detect a
crimp in the bladder, or if the air valve appears misaligned, stop and re-insert the bladdder. Note! Failure to correct the problem at
this point can cause severe damage to the
bladder when it is fully inflated.

Roll the excess bladder material into the

tip of the rib and reconnect the Velcro
strap under the safety loop.

If you have to rescue yourself under side

or on-shore conditions, you may use the
Self Rescue Drag Handles which are
attached to the inner side of the wingtips.
These loops enormously facilitate holding
the kite during the body-drag in the direction of the beach.

If you must rescue yourself by paddling,

for any reason whatsoever, use the safety
system and let the kite come to a stop by
itself. Then wind up the lines on the winches. Following this, turn the kite around,
the way you carry the canopy on the
beach, and grasp the kite with your feet.
Lie down on the board and paddle with
your hands.
Never (!) deflate the bladder while you are
in the water since it can help to rescue
you, as the canopy is clearly visible from
the air. Never release the safety leash
as long as you are in the water!

9. WINDRANGE AND KITE SIZES

All Rhino- and Vegas kites are powered
jumping kites designed for the expert kiteboarder who knows all the tricks of safe
kiteboarding and who has considerable
skill at water relaunch.
All Toro kites are superbly easy to water
relaunch and offer easy, predictable performance.
Only about 8 knots of wind speed is required to fly any of these kites. However,
kiteboarding generally requires more wind,
depending not only on rider ability but also
on the size of kite, rider and board.
The following table demonstrates the
APPROXIMATE average wind speeds in
which kites of different sizes can be used
by 175-lb. (80-kilo) kiteboarders of various
skill levels. Riders who are significantly
heavier or lighter (25 pounds, or 11 kilos)
should use, for a given wind speed range,
kites that are one size bigger or smaller
respectively.
No kiteboarder should take these numbers
as a recommendation. They represent a
rough guide only. Keep in mind that kiteboarding is a dangerous sport in any circumstance and that using any kite in any
wind strength can result in serious injury
or death.

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A novice has flown small trainer kites but

has no experience with large kiteboarding
kites.
An intermediate rider can stay upwind
while kiteboarding
An advanced rider can jump consistently
and safely, without injury.
An expert rider can perform aerial spins
and flips while maintaining a safe level of
kite control.
These wind strength numbers do not
represent gusts and lulls, but only average
wind speeds at a height of 2 meters from
the surface of the water in typical sea
level atmospheric conditions.

Size
9

Int/Advanced
knots
18-27

Kite Size Information

There are several ways of measuring a
kite and even more ways of indicating kite
size. This can be confusing. To be clear,
North kites are named according to their
actual surface area. For example, if you
have a sheet of paper that measures ten
cm wide by ten cm long, the area of this
sheet of paper is 100 square cm. Each
panel of fabric in the canopy of a North
kite is precisely measured in this way, and
the sum of the areas of all these panels is
listed as the size of the kite. Note: Surface
area (or size) doesn't necessarily indicate
power.

Expert
knots
18-30

AR
5,4

Projected area
m2
5,0

Patent Area
m2
6,6

10

16-25

16-27

5,4

5,6

7,4

12

14-21

14-23

5,3

6,7

8,8

14

12-19

12-20

5,3

7,8

10,3

16

10-17

10-18

5,3

9,0

11,8

18

na

9-17

5,3

10,1

13,2

20

na

8-16

5,3

11,2

14,7

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10. TIPPS AND TRICKS FOR THE 5th ELEMENT BAR

Safety Functions With the 5th Element
Bar
Whether you ride unhooked, spin or try a
water relaunch for the first time, the 5th
Element bar allows you to perform all
maneuvers, even the latest moves, with
full safety functions. As soon as you pull
the QuickRelease, the bar slips up along
the safety line. The kite is then completely
depowered and comes down without
twisting the lines.
Waterstart with the 5th Element
When the kite lies on the water after you
let go of the bar or after a crash, the 5th
Elemnt bar permits you to relaunch your
kite without swimming. Simply pull on one
side of the bar and slowly release the center line. The harder you pull the bar, the
faster the kite will relaunch. Don't forget
that this implies that the kite will launch
closer to the center of the wind window
and get more power the harder you pull.
With a moderate pull the kite will move
about the edge of the wind window and
you can relauch it there as usual without
power.

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CAUTION: MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE

NOT CAUGHT IN ANY LINES BEFORE
RELAUNCHING YOUR KITE!

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11. WARRANTY POLICY

North Kiteboarding warrants this product
to be free of major defects in material or
workmanship to the original purchaser, for
a period of six (6) months from the date of
purchase. This warranty is subject to the
following limitations:

inflation of the bladders, damage caused

by improper handling and storage, damage caused by use in waves or shore
break, and damage caused by anything
other than defects in material and workmanship.

The warranty is valid only when the product is used for KITEBOARDING ON
WATER, and does not cover products
used in rental or teaching operations.

This warranty is voided if any unauthorized repair, change or modification

has been made to any part of the
equipment.

North Kiteboarding will make the final

warranty determination, which may
require inspection and/or photos of the
equipment, which clearly show the
defect(s). If necessary, this information
must be sent to the North Kiteboarding
distributor in your country, postage prepaid.

The warranty for any repaired or replaced

equipment is good from the date of original purchase only.

If a product is deemed to be defective by

North Kiteboarding, the warranty covers
the repair or replacement of the defective
product only. North Kiteboarding will not
be responsible for any costs, losses, or
damages incurred as a result of loss of
use of this product. This warranty does
not cover damage caused by misuse,
abuse, neglect or normal wear and tear
including, but not limited to, punctures,
rigging with other than North Kiteboarding
components, damage due to excessive
sun exposure, or damage due to over

There are no warranties, which extend

beyond the warranty specified herein.

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The original purchase receipt must

accompany all warranty claims. The
name of the retailer and date of purchase
must be clear and legible.

Warranty Claims
Warranty claims must be processed and
be issued a return authorization prior to
shipping to North. Please call or write for
claims processing to the national North
Kiteboarding distributor.

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