Johnny Rotten wrote:Oldnbroken wrote:Still don't understand why a modern kite needs a loaded fifth line, with the better bladders and LE's that can be pumped hard now? The Fuse is the same kite as the Rebel, no? Magazine reviewers seem to believe they are.
MissionMan wrote:
Coming from 4 lines last year to 5 lines this year, I think 5 lines are the way to go. The kite responses are faster because you don't get the delays caused by the bridle. When you turn the kite, the bridle has to move, for a 5 line, this doesn't happen. I've compared 5 lines with 4 lines and whilst the 4 lines may turn as fast, there is a delay before they start turning.
Agree entirely with mission man, I generally prefer to be riding C kites (the benefits of a 5th here have already been discussed in a previous topic) so the pulley delay drives me nuts. The pulley's also add a degree of numbness to the bar feel as well. You turn the kite but while the pulley is moving you get no real feed back as to what the kite is doing. so it's usually already pointed sideways before you can feel where it is. If you're used to this NO problem but if you're switching between direct and pulleyed kites, it gets aggrivating.
Back to the topic at hand
I've ridden both these kites, and bought the Rebel. Having test ridden a screamer 10 ltd. Both kites boost like hell, and go upwind really well. the screamer had significantly less bar pressure and turned faster. I didn't unhook with the screamer because I just couldn't ride the damn thing. I could not feel where it was in the air and what it was doing. Tomahawked the kite alot (I never crash my kites) so I packed it in before I damaged the guys kite rather than worked out how to fly it by feel. . Knew this kite would NOT match my quiver of C kites well. (vegas and torch) So I just stopped there.
Rebel
Upwind: Excellent
Boosting: Excellent
Downwind Drift in waves with slack: Good
slack line stability: Excellent
Turning speed: Good.
Relaunch: Good
Unhooked: Shit (drifts too fast, can't control speed by riding at kite easily)
Bar pressure: medium (similar with other north kites)
Bar: Best in the business,
Screamer
Upwind: Excellent
Boosting: Excellent
Drift in waves: Untested. (suspect worse than rebel not a wave kite by design)
Slack line stability: Untested
Turning speed: Excellent
Relaunch: Excellent
Unhooked: Untested. (suspect better than rebel)
Bar pressure: Low (similar with naish kites (not torch)
Bar: A little on the shitty side but get's the job done
I bought a rebel 6 and 9 for the following reasons
1) 6-9m conditions where I kite we can rarely find flat water so they would be wave(ish) kites I don't usually unhook much in these conditions (also have C kites in these sizes)
2) I like that they go upwind like hell to get away from the crowd and that they jump good so I can throw some big boosty dangles in the troughs on my twin tip if I feel like putting down the surfboard and flying a little.
3)They have very similar bar feel and feedback to my C kites,
4) I wouldn't need a new bar as I already fly a few norths.
5) I like the safety system better.
If the choice was for a flatwater freestyle kite I'd pick NEITHER and get a proper c-kite
I've bow tied 5 line kites in the waves before, let it lightly drag you to the beach, walk up the 5th and sort it out. never had a real problem. I'm not an ocean rider so 4m swell and 30-gusting 50 knots onshore is about the worst conditions this happened in it gently dragged me back to the beach without any drama, proper big ocean waves or offshore wind, I could see how it could end badly and would consider different kites, or a wave grenade if this was my circumstance.