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If you have access to a Zepher it should be in there and also a Fat Lady, as both are the pioneers of the new breed of Light wind kites.

If you mean with light wind riding early, I hope the low-end of the new Zephyr is better than 2013. We tried the 17m Zephyr 2013 next to the Ozone Edge 13m and the 13m Edge had a much better low-end. The Zephyr 2013 became on his best above 12 knots.

Mythbusters.

They should take them into a closed aircraft hanger and sit on a vehicle with an accurate low speed speedometer and drive backwards to get them into the air and the one where you can drive slowest and it sits overhead in the air is the winner. And you actually find out how much wind at the kite will keep it flying overhead. You could also test which one will stay off the ground at the side of the window at the lowest speed.
You could also test the loop time at a specific wind speed.

Please give us the dry weight of each kite too.

This data is crutial for a light wind kite and really hard to find.

POACHER wrote:Take the Flite 14.5 and Contra 15m for a rip too if you have one laying around please! I'm not necessarily looking for sub 10 kts performance. It's the 10-20+ range that I'm interested in. Lightwind wave riding!

I'm curious about the low end on a standard size twin (134x42ish), it's high end and usable range.

Thanks!



P.S. Use a SUPER sized American (or other international fatty) for the tests too..............Someone 185lbs.+. Not these little, spindly, rubber teenage kids that weigh a $1.05 soaking wet.

Real quick, have taken both of those out. The Contra 15 is my favorite in that size, good low and high end, good jumping. Fun kite. Can't tell you how they are in waves, not much waves here. I've ridden circles around a best TS in sub 10mph on a 144 prodigy board and have had it down in close to 20mph. 14.5 is a good kite, flys in next to nothing wind, but I feel I have more fun on the 15. In the 14.5's defense I have not see the top end, but I did have a lot of fun with the 14m prodigy which was almost the same kite. If you have the money go for the contra, if you want to save a buck the 14.5 will fit your style.

Yes I have Sendit as my super sized American. 220lhs, and I will have other locals in that range helping me out.

I will be doing a lot of testing too (145 lbs) because you big boys aren't the only ones who want out in light winds.

Krazedkiter wrote:Yes.....no light weight riders. That completely negates the test. You need some good cheese burger eatin', slurpee suckin', pork rind chewin' mofo's testing these kites. 190 lbs at least.

Also bump that Riot down to 17 meters like the others.

Agree why the 19m? Makes no sense to test it against the 17m kites. To get any use able data you have to set a common measure. This in my mind would be the kite size. Try to grab the other popular 17m kites too Fat lady, Dyno and Ozone (I'm sure there is 1 or 2 more)

Everyone keep testing these kites in weird one off tests e.g. rebel vs dyno.... then ozone vs fat lady..... then dyno vs Cab.... then cab vs fat lady.

Get em all in the line up and test or forget it and go kite!

Two points from my side:

1. Line length --> Make sure u test all kites on similar length... E.g. 27m
2. Since u said u will have other people helping u out, try to avoid ppl with brand bias... It feels like kiters defend "their favorite brand" like crazy... so if u have a biased tester, this might screw the results...

Thanks a million for this effort!

s1buell_wl wrote:

Krazedkiter wrote:Yes.....no light weight riders. That completely negates the test. You need some good cheese burger eatin', slurpee suckin', pork rind chewin' mofo's testing these kites. 190 lbs at least.

Also bump that Riot down to 17 meters like the others.

Agree why the 19m? Makes no sense to test it against the 17m kites. To get any use able data you have to set a common measure. This in my mind would be the kite size. Try to grab the other popular 17m kites too Fat lady, Dyno and Ozone (I'm sure there is 1 or 2 more)

Everyone keep testing these kites in weird one off tests e.g. rebel vs dyno.... then ozone vs fat lady..... then dyno vs Cab.... then cab vs fat lady.

Get em all in the line up and test or forget it and go kite!

I'm not testing for the best 17m kite, I'm testing for the best light wind kite. And logic will tell me if their 17m kite was the better light wind kite, they wouldn't have made a 19m... But I have been wrong before.

heinzbush wrote:Two points from my side:

1. Line length --> Make sure u test all kites on similar length... E.g. 27m
2. Since u said u will have other people helping u out, try to avoid ppl with brand bias... It feels like kiters defend "their favorite brand" like crazy... so if u have a biased tester, this might screw the results...

Thanks a million for this effort!

We have decided to fly the kites with their own bars, so it would be a fair comparison on how the customer would get the kite. Some bars are longer, some are shorter. We want to give you the best test as if you would have the kite in your own hands. If we flew them all on 27m lines but when you buy them they only have 24m lines, that may change the way that person see's the kite.

If they come with line extensions we will use them, but we are going to assume that the guys paid to design the kites are giving us the best setup for their particular kite.

Love getting all this feedback, gives us a lot to think about!

You can follow us on Facebook as I will post daily updates of what we get done. I'm weighing in the contenders this morning.

https://www.facebook.com/xlkitesfwb

The first Boardriding Maui Cloud 17m weighed 7 lbs (3.2kg).

The new version C2 has a lighter, thinner leading edge and a lighter bridle so it could be the lightest 17m inflatable kite. Not a big market company though but maybe an example of what is possible and available.