Wow this video makes it look not scary at all to unhook. I'm keen to try next shallow water session I get! Thanks so much for producing these very informative videos!
I don't think there's a major advantage. It could be a sign of their skill level. They've reached a point where there is almost no chance of having issues with the kite. Or it could be that old habits die hard, and it's very quick to switch to full suicide. You just move the leash from the safety line to the top of the chicken loop. Whereas semi-suicide requires a small change of set-up. I would say that it's well worth the time setting up semi suicide if you're going to be unhooking.
How about connecting the leash to the depower strap ? So that if you let go of the bar the kite will sheet out plus will trim the power all the way down. I think this is only available with below the bar trimming...
HelloFlyBenBo, good question. I've experimented with this quite a bit. Leashing to the trim rope handle, is still a version of full suicide, as you cannot use the chicken loop eject to flag out the kite on its safety line. Yes, you are correct, it only works with a below the bar depower system. Depending on the bar in question, it can be a bit safer than standard suicide, as the bar should move away (slacking the steering lines) and at the same time the center lines will shorten as the trim rope is pulled. However many below the bar systems have a stopper ball that prevents the trim rope sliding too far, which means you don't get a huge amount of depower. Not enough to flag out the kite. I would say that semi suicide is still a safer option.
