Zip ™ line for beginners…

Zip™ line is the Shanti trademark for a composite line made from polyester and Spectra fibers.  Zip line combines high performance and easy handling at about half the cost of pure Spectra lines.   When compared to Speed line, Zip line has more drag due to its larger diameter and it has slower reaction time due to the fact that it stretches 6% compared to Speed line at 3.5%.  But when you compare Zip line to some of the polyester lines on the market which stretch over 14% and are down-right fat…well, then Zip line is great.

It is important to remember that all Spectra kitelines (as well as lines made of High Modulus Polyethelene, Dyneema, Coramid, Kevlar and etc.) should be sleeved with braided line wherever they are knotted.  These high performance fibers have so little stretch and such low compression strength that they lose up to 60% of the line strength when knotted.  That means a 100 lb./test line can break with 40 lbs. of load, at a knot.  Sleeving the line, at the handles and at the kite, reduces this loss to an acceptable 35%.

The polyester fibers in the Zip line give it a comparatively-high knot strength allowing flyers to knot the line without sleeving with approximately 45% loss in tensile strength.  Along with the Spectra fibers helping to reduce stretch, these characteristics make Zip line easy and economic for the beginning flyer.  To adjust line lengths, simply measure out lines and tie a couple of loops.  Simple.  No sleeving. No hassles.  If you break a line…same deal;  just tie a knot  and keep flying.  Shanti is the only company to sell Zip line.