Tech Specs:
• Above Bar Depower
• Stubby Leash Included
• Below Bar Swivel
• 17" w/ 20m Lines (Works with 9m and smaller kites)
• 20" w/ 20m Lines and 3m Extensions (Works with 9m to 15m kite)
• 23" w/ 27m Lines (Works with 14m and larger kites)
• 800 Lbs Test Kite Lines
• Equal Line Length. Will Work On Any Kite.
• Kook Proof Pigtails
• New Color Coded Grip
What We Like:
The Slingshot Sentinal Comp Stick control bar is a tried and tested kiteboarding bar. These bars are a quality product and will work every time you go kiting. Pop the safety and guess what, it works. You would be surprised that even in this day and age, there are a lot of control bar safety systems that are not that reliable. Slingshot is not one of them as it works every single day we teach self rescue in lessons.
Slingshot has redesigned the swivel system and placed that below the bar so you can unwind your lines easily with your hand. They also removed the swivel from above the bar to clean it up. The depower line is easy to reach and had a magnetic attachment point for you to put the extra depower line that has been pulled out.
One of the most overlooked features is the loops on the outside lines at the top of the float. This is a throw back piece to when the safety system used to go on the outside line. With modern kites, these loops work great for water relaunch. You can let the bar out, pull the nylon loop and you kite will fly perfectly to the neutral position.
Each bar has different line length to match with the bar size and the type if kite you are flying. Big kites need more room to turn and generate power so they come with the 27m lines.
Insider Info:
Slingshot did a nice job updating their grip. They have made it very clearly color coded and they have softened up the feel and texture of the grip. The previous generation of bar grips were pretty harsh and they tore up people's hands.
The 20" bar has 20m lines mounted and then the 3m line extensions are zip tied to the bar. They are really easy to put on, but we feel that most kites you are flying with a 20" bar need 23m lines, so they should have just put them on in the first place.
The the distance from the bottom of the chicken loop to the top of the swivel is a little longer than some of the other brands. If you are a shorter rider then you can get and accessory smaller chicken loop to shorten this distance.
The above bar depower is easy to sheet on the fly, so long as you can reach it.
Why you want the Slingshot Sentinel Bar:
These bars are super strong and made really well. There are no bells and whistles, just a bar that has been developed and tweaked over 15 years. Go for the Sentinel if you want above the bar depower and
Guardian if you want the clean below bar depower.
