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... ever thought of the Flysurfer MastAir in 16m? There's NO kite that goes with less wind than this one!
Go to
http://www.flysurfer.de
for more info

take care
Rainer

It's interesting to hear about the airush lifts, particularly the 16 Lift (19.4m) being useable from 11 knots, I would agree, the Lifts don't seem to have low end grunt, my wipika 11.8 (16m) gets me going and jumping fine when people on 12.2 Lifts have come in because of not enough wind. The lifts seem to hindiburg out of the sky in light winds a lot too, when Wipikas stay up and drift back. I've just got a 12m X2, and in ideal conditions on a 5'6" directional, I get planing from 8 knots(72kg rider), jump and go upwind in 10. Much the same as my 11.8. The new Slingshot kites and North Rhino kites are more grunty low down than all the other kites, and the X2's have medium grunt, not as much as a medium aspect design, but fly and turn soo fast that they are more useable in light wind. The foil on them seems to be perfect, it doesn't surge forward in gusts, and when sheeted out it still flys perfect. The best blend of characteristics to suit both directional and wakestyle riders. Can't wait to get a 18m. I expect that it'll probably get me going from 8 knots just like my 12m X2, but I'll be able to park it, and in 10 knots be powered to do tricks...

MASTAIR 16: !!!
If only those kites were available in New Zealand! The problem is our conditions change so quickly, you need a kite with a wide wind range otherwise you get in trouble. I would agree though, I have a mate who owns a 12m and 16m mastair, and he goes in 6 knots, overpowered in 10-12, inflatables fall out of the sky in 5 knots, and don't fly at all well till 8 knots. So with a mastair you could kite in 8 knots gusting 12 with lulls of 4 knots (provided you are planing on a fast floaty directional)!!

Yeah those mastairs sound marvellous... huge projected area too... no problems with chop because in those winds there wouldn't be any...

I haven't seen any available in NZ as far as I know but I guess in the real light stuff the next best thing I guess is to get out a 12.5m C Quad and a large directional board and go on a big diet so you get down to 60kgs and then you'll be sweet as...

I don't know what the windrange of the 12.5m C Quad is but I think you'd be WELLLLL powered in 10 knots.

Nah I think it's just best to wait for the 15 knot days and then have some real fun....

BLOWN AWAY

Question:
is the best low wind LEI still the F-One 18m?
anybody can compare it with X-2 20m?

sure, the X2-20 is bigger, and faster, so it is better !!

The 12.5m C Quad with inflatable float tubes on it!!!! Nah I've never tried that but if I really wanted a great lightwind kite I'd lose the LEI tag big time.

Even if the 20m X2 handled like a 11.5m ARX or 12m AREO you have to use special techniques to use it in the bug farts... my 11.5m ARX handles SLOW in 6 knots.. that's if it stays up in the sky... and lull's are all part of light wind kitesurfing...

Fortunantly in Auckland bugs don't fart that often (well they are usually drowned out by the whales, elephants and dinosaurs) and in most cases LEI's rule the air (that's what I've found anyway)... anything consistantly below 10 knots and I go old school.. (well foils etc).

The main reason why I plan on getting a 16m X2 as opposed to an 18 or 20 is so I can make the most of the wind strength that inflatables perform well in....

RUST IN PEACE