Choosing and maintaining your gear

Good gear does not fly for you, but poorly chosen or poorly tuned gear can make learning harder than necessary. This page starts with two practical aspects of your lines: choosing their weight and length, then checking that all four are equal.

Videos are in English or French. You can activate subtitles in the YouTube player if you need to: how to activate subtitles.

Thanks to John Barresi for sharing these tutorial videos.

This tutorial introduces the two main characteristics of a line set: its weight and length.

All four lines need to work as a consistent set. John Barresi shows how to compare them and correct differences in length.

• choosing a sail for the conditions and intended use;
• understanding frame options and compatibility;
• choosing and tuning handles;
• maintaining the sail, frame and lines;
• preparing the tools and parts needed for common repairs.

For more practical advice, see Team4fun’s tips.