@jakobjth::hehe, i know, i might or might not have been on the strongbow last night
- i agree with what you're saying mind a few things - size for size PL turn faster than FS but... power for power in the larger sizes the PL drop off, when i flew my 13m P2 back to back with an 18m Phantom the phantom felt like a truck, having flwon them all in similar conditions i suspect even the 17m P2 would have humiliated it in turns, and the 17m pulls like no arc ever made. the only arcs thats got the larger sizes turning fast is the venom, which impressed me a lot in that respect, although it still lacks really light wind grunt - i haven't flown the XTC which is definately more like the venom than the P2 (mod AR etc) but that supposedly turns faster and much tighter than the P2.The only injury i've ever sustaned kiteboarding was launching a G10, once it was in the air it was superb, but getting it there would send my pulse racing, it belonged to a friend so i only launched it myself about 5 times, however 3 of these it folded on launch and once reopened before i could safety it resulting in me getting dragged through rocks feet first, it was fully preinflated. i've also had scares launching other PL kites, i just can't trust launching a PL without a huge downwind area now - FS simply can't fold on launch in the same way, if they do it's never anything more than just a tip folding over until it inflates enough - it can side launch literally at the edge of the window and the kite will just rise off the ground and sit there with no power surge at all, even launching my 10m in winds pushing 25knts was a breeze, much much safer IMO
that said i know the arcs do have advantages, the older ones definately rule for stability compared to other kites of the same "era" - and (please don't think i'm trying to be condescending or anything) they have always been great for beginners or people who are progressing and crashing often cause they are so forgiving. the reason i switched to FS from my guerilla (still one of the best arcs ever IMO) was that i found myself always wanting more performance from the kite, i would jump and the lift would seem to go before it "should" have done, it's hard to explain here but basically the options were stick with PL and go phantom or go P2, and after flying the phantom it had to be P2, lots of people loved them but i hated the phantom, horses for courses i spose.
apologies to any other arcoholics i offended out there last night - peace
