Kite Size Conventions

[Guest]

Hung Vu just posted the following in another forum. I know that many of us have tripped over the current industry size conventions. What do you folks think?

Rick Iossi

"Everytime I "attempt" to explain this inflatable sizing mess to a
newbie, I got this "you must be joking" look from the newbie.

Confusion in sizing could be "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS" when a newbie try
to learn using a kite "TOO BIG" (when he/she thought it is supposed to
be the right size).

Some newbies I know have deliberately tried to avoid this confusion
and bought foils instead.

It's about time the inflatable kitesurfing manufacturers get together
and form an "International Kitesurfing Sizing Organization" (IKSO) to
address this issue to come up with a standard sizing scheme.
Actually, any scheme would work so PLEASE use only ONE.

Inflatables are great kites, so please WAKE UP and use ONE sizing
scheme...

P.S., What can we (the buyers) do to speed up this "waking up"
process?

Hung.

--- In kitesurf@y..., "Decay" <decay@i...> wrote:
> Are you sure about the Wipi Free Air/Hydro being flat sizing?
>
> I just happen to have borrowed 14.9 Free Air at the moment, its the
same AR
> (5.5) as my 12sqm (16sqm flat) Booster and is bigger all round -
both in
> span and cord. It also pulls like a truck in 10 knots where I'd have
to be
> working the Booster.
>
> I think it safe to say the 14.9 Free Air does stand by the 1.36 Wipi
sizing
> convention - which means its 20m Flat.
>
> Decay
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: cfglazier <cglazier@h...>
> To: <kitesurf@y...>
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 5:59 PM
> Subject: [ksurf] 2002 kite sizing
>
>
> > It seems to me that most kites are labeled using either the Naish
or
> > the Airblast sizing method.
> >
> > Naish type sizing:
> > ---------------------------
> > All Naish models
> > North Rhino
> > Wipika Free Air
> > Wipika Hydro
> > RRD
> > Slingshot
> >
> >
> > Airblast type sizing:
> > ---------------------------
> > Cabrinha
> > F-One
> > Airush
> >
> > The Airblast 6.4, 8.4 and 11.8 kites correspond very approximately
> > to maybe Naish 7, 11 and 15 sizes.
> >
> > Any additions or corrections welcome. (And if Dwight is right
about
> > the Airush size label not being proportional to its true kite size
> > then thats a whole new problem.)
> >
> > Is this roughly correct?
> >
> > Chris G
> >

[Toby]

I agree.
This can be very dangerous to newbees.
On the other side the shops, who are selling gear, have to know the correct sizes.

But the kite manufacturer should do one size and forget about "their" system of measuring.
Wipika started this and they should stop it!
IMO it is better to have differneces in the shape and bar, than in the size comparisons.

[Guest]

I have to say I was a victim of the sizing problem. I firt bought a cabrinah co2 11.5 and then a Naish 15.5 for my bigger kite only to find out they were the same size. I also talk to a lot of people at the beach who are on way to big or small of kites for this problem. I think it is so the can sell more kites.

[Guest]

I don't think they do it to sell more kites.
IMO Wipika started this using the projected area as model size, because they wanted to have something different from Naish. And they were able to say, that their 8.4 has as much power than a Naish 11.5. Now as a not knowing consumer you think "ah, the Wipkia is smaller than the Naish and has the same power, so I go and buy the Wipika". I think that was their strategy.

But I read at the top message that F-One uses the projected area as well
This is wrong!!!!!

The smallest kite from F-One Mach 1 has 7.1 and the largest 18.1. If you converted to surface area, the smallest would have 9.6 and the largest 24.6 !!!! They wouldn't start with the smallest size at 9.6 and a 24.6 wouldn't work.
So F-One uses the surface area!!

But what about the FreeAir form Wipika? I think it is projected area, isn't it?

[Guest]

They should get over it now though. There are so many tube kite makers now. There are going to be a ton more soon too. If size is all they have to sell kites they will get left in the cold. What makes you buy one kite from the other when they are all tube???

[Toby]

you buy a kite because:

- they look nice
- the price is good
- they have good handling
- good power
- your friend has it
- you see many at the kitebeaches
- you prefer the bar
- you like the proteam
- good advertising campaign
- nice design and colors

[Guest]

You have a good point there. But when are they going to get competative on price???

[Toby]

they already are competitive, since they all have almost the same prices. Wipika is a little bit cheaper than the others.
But still they are expensive for the consumers

[Guest]

You must be as anxious to kite as I am. I wish it were summer again!!!!

[Toby]

just went out yesterday!
And I'm on my way to the water again!!
Water 4 and air 7 degrees Celcius. It's f******* cold, but hey, who cares when we can go an kite?

Cheers
Toby