What size 15 or 17M.....tough decision

[fogmeister]

Me 72 kg....great lakes riding 6 to 30 knots

boards:
flying carpet 160 by 46
king George 146 by 46
shinn monk 134 by 42
mako 150 by 40

kites: 2014 12m switchblade ride in 10 to 17kt
10m switchblade ride in 15 to 22kt
2013 8m switchblade ride 20 to 30kt

So I would like to add a lite wind kite and by light wind I mean 6 to 12 knots often sub 10knots........looking at my weight and quiver of boards and kites should I add a 15 or 17m cabrinha contra........


thanks in advance

[Toby]

don't they have any demos in your area?
contact Cabrinha if they do.

Otherwise, really tuff question.

Depends the style you want to ride...but if just left and right with some jumps in that light wind, get the 17.
Your 12 with a big board will be like a 15...so yu want to go really low ind wind speed, the 17 will be needed. and easier to learn new tricks like onefoots, backroll etc.

[fogmeister]

ok guess I should add I have been on the 15m contra and it gets me down to the bottom end good and the harness is in my ribs between 14 and 16kts.......wondering if I will get overpowered to quick on the 17m even though I think I could benefit from extra power in said sub 10knots.......and really I want to be on my 12 in low to mid teens.

[NYKiter]

[davesails7]

At the low end you need a lot more kite to make small gains in wind speed. Also you can have much larger gaps in kite size than you do on your small kites. 17m to 12m will be fine. Im 75kg and I always advise go big, even if you are light. If you want to kite more often you need to go big

[POACHER]

I have a 15m Contra and I think it's a great lightwind kite. I'm 82kg and I can get down into 11ish mph on a Nobile XTR 140x46 maintaining upwind.
One of the guys I ride with has the 17m Contra and we ride the same funky winds. He's even a little bit lighter than me. I haven't tried his 17 yet, but he really likes it. I know both of these kites have great range. We were both out this weekend and the wind spiked a few times into the upper 20's, we were fine on both kites. Hell one of the guys was on a FS Speed 4 21! It's good to have a big kite that has some top end!

I guess I would say just go for the 17m if real low end is your goal. I went with the 15m as I wanted a little bit faster kite, and something that will work well for waves too.

Oh.........you can fly the 15m Contra on the smaller bar for 2015 now too. I flew mine on the small bar on Sunday. The kite works great with it, just marginally slower turning.
Can't go wrong with either Contra...

[pmaggie]

I owned the Core XR LW 17 but I eventually switched to the 15. In my experience, the low end is not very different (maybe one knot) but the 15 is much more fun. Also, if the wind picks up, it's far easier to control than the 17. I also own the Flying Carpet. on the lake I can stay easily upwind in 10 steady knots. I'm 75 kgs.

[edt]

sub 10knots........looking at my weight and quiver of boards and kites should I add a 15 or 17m cabrinha contra........


thanks in advance

bro I would always used to say you just can't ride in below 10 knots but two weeks ago I had a fantastic time riding around in 8 knots, getting up to 25+mph

A raceboard is an amazing thing. Wow. The kite didn't seem to matter too much, because it's all about getting apparent wind and at such low wind you can generate a ton of apparent wind because there is no chop the water is really smooth. I had some other giant boards that day I took out a windsurfer board took off the mast and it could go downwind ok but once you put the edge in and tried to go upwind it wallowed, I had an enormous twintip hand made, beautifully constructed 160+ very wide, but again any time I tried to go upwind the board slowed down so much I could not have any fun. then I got on the raceboard, went on a reach to build up speed, pointed upwind a bit and man what a blast. I was using the flysurfer twintip raceboard with the huge middle skag but I think it would be even better with a proper formula race board. The problem with those giant raceboards is transporting them to the beach and of course once it gets above 11 or so knots you switch to a regular board anyway.

you are not that heavy I say go with the 15m

I really want a raceboard now for those light wind days.

[experienced1]

I'm your weight....I suggest the 15m Contra . There is a big difference between the 12SB and the 15 Contra..
Think you'll achieve yoour goal on the 15 with one of your big boards.
Where RU located...maybe i can suggest a shop to contact for a demo
steve

[fogmeister]

thanks sofar guys its 4 to 3 (or 3 and 3 not including flysurfer)in favour of bigger kite.......so I see I am not only one with tough decision.......

exper1..... yes I have flown the 15m contra and as you say with my carpet it gets me down there and I can stay upwind sub 10kts......just wondering in that sub 10kts range the 17m would benefit me a little more especially where small jump transitions and such is concerned.