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dyyylan wrote:switchblade/crossbow are some of the slowest kites ive flown

They are some slow kites, but I think Toby also likes light bar pressure? Switchblade and Crossbow have very heavy bar pressure.

Peter_Frank wrote:All the bad ones (almost just joking)

Couldn't agree more (of course I understand that there are different types of behavior requested )

I remember you were on Takoon Kites for a long time, which were way ahead of their time in terms of turning speed and bar pressure (I was, too, moved over to Blade Trigger, only keeping the 7m Furia). How do the Takoon behave in the meantime? (I remember I was not super enthusiastic about their characteristics after Nicholas left)... Did they go back to the roots making fast kites again?

mede wrote:

Peter_Frank wrote:All the bad ones (almost just joking)

Couldn't agree more (of course I understand that there are different types of behavior requested )

I remember you were on Takoon Kites for a long time, which were way ahead of their time in terms of turning speed and bar pressure (I was, too, moved over to Blade Trigger, only keeping the 7m Furia). How do the Takoon behave in the meantime? (I remember I was not super enthusiastic about their characteristics after Nicholas left)... Did they go back to the roots making fast kites again?

The first "new" model after the change, was not my cup of tea either.

It behaved exactly like the Cab Nomad.
Easy to ride, very slow turning, some bar pressure, and grunt and okay hangtime.
I hate that...

But now there is a new LOG kite, which still has the freestyle lift and feedback, but much more refined in terms of turning and depower

So yes, they have gone back to the "roots" again now, great !

The Furia series are still "alive", just 4 generations newer - I have used those since the start, my absolute favorite for waves and fun.
The fastest turning, quite low bar pressure, and insane windrange - and they still got this "smooth" feel that only those who has ridden the original Takoon kites knows

Have ridden Wainman and JN and North and Naish and Cab kites too now and then, and tried some very different brands also, occasionally.

But the Furias (and small LOG kites) are my wave darlings, and even use the 11m2 Furia Gamma in waves in super light wind because of the turning ability, no problem.

And the "original" feel is still there - I know you know what I mean

Locally here, the Furia (all generations in fact) is really loved in waves by many.
And we see many North-Naish and now also some Liquid Force kites in freestyle/freeride.


Blade kites has not really caught on here (no distributor before, nor anybody riding these yet), and only one got a big 17m2 and thats it, so we dont really have any experience with these, sorry to say

Peter

Fat Lady v2 is slow, also try the Core LW 17m and 19m kites. The latter are more refined with super light bar pressure.

I haven't tried it but slow turning makes me think of something rather flat and more specifically the LF NRG. Found a review supporting that hypothesis:
http://www.thekiteboarder.com/2013/01/t ... force-nrg/
Seems to tick of a few air style boxes?

no, I need bar pressure! Otherwise I don't know what the kite is doing!
And while you are spinning and busy with doing something with the board, you need to feel where the kite is going! Otherwise hospital!

And also great workout

my 10m 2013 c4 turned like dog hooked in and had tenis elbow inducing bar pressure. might be right up your ally in its biggest size. Though i suspect not enough float for you.

Compared to kites 5 years ago the switch combat is fast, but compared to many kites today it is very much moderate speed or even slow compared to fastest kites. All the combat kite sizes I have tried (7,9,11) turn at a similar speed. Great for unhooked stuff so you don't do involuntary kiteloops - you can concentrate on your wakestyle moves. If you really put a lot of force into turning it, it accelerates and pulls harder than most kites i have ever flown for size.

Way I see it today for average punter

kites for kitelooping - super fast, low pull sideways

kites for jumping -fairly fast and able to depower quite a lot

kites for waves - Fast so you can position downwind and low as you ride especially downwind(short lines can help) also so you can generate power (by turning fast) on demand to maybe get over back of wave onto face because you want to be riding only just powered when on wave face - enough for freedom on face , but not enough to get pulled off wave face which can depend on wind direction relative to wave direction..

kites for wakestyle - slower so you can concentrate on your maneuver not so much the kite

Kites for oldschool - slower so you can get on doing your thing hanging under kite with least risk of getting kitelooped even faster than gravity into water.

Kites for racing with considerable upwind legs - ability to point super close upwind maintaining power - ie ride overpowered/high depower adjustment options.

There are kites that turn fast instantly but that do not accelerate so much and there are kites that start of turing slow and accelerate with a lot of power getting much faster


I want to be able to do everything well on one kite - kiteboarding used to be a lot simpler... progress...still learning a lot - kite designs are so different now days in the way in which they fly. But just watch an old school vid of an old school kite, riding any style to remember that it's not about the kite quite so much, no point in getting all technical but not bothering to progress your riding too.

Hands down anything cabrinha is very slow! (if thats what your looking for).

Haven't you tried the new Ozone Edge yet or Zephyer?