Contra 16.5 owners step up

[kiteman ks]

Alright guys I just got my Contra 16.5 on the water for the first time and well I have some questions. The damn thing jellyfished a bunch... and the LE was compressable alittle more than I'm used to. I started with 4.5 lbs of pressure and then went out on 5.5 lbs and that felt like maybe enought on the ground but the performance in the air was... jellyfish.. I thought the bridle was supposed to limit this but I think a 5th line would have worked much better.

My question is how do I used the bridle to limit jelly-fishing or can it? and what lbs. of air pressure are you guys riding on. The span limiting bridle seems to do just that, and not control jellyfishing at all like Cabrinha claims. Now I'm a Cabrinha partial user and let me tell you my 04 CO2 had a much thicker leading edge but I'll take it if the kite wont jellyfish. Also the turning on a 58 cm bar was much slower than expected...lines are fine.

Thanks for any insight

Eric M. Fresh

[Tom183]

Well, I notice this mainly when I'm sitting still with the kite overhead - and my 12m CO2 does the same. And while it is jellyfishing a little, what I notice more is that it tends to drop back in the lulls and then surge forward again - more tension on the back lines helps to dampen this.

The span limiter bridle does essentially nothing when you have the kite parked overhead - it really only limits the span when the kite is moving. I personally prefer the span limiter on the widest setting so the kite develops extra power when worked, this lets me depower a little so the kite flies a little closer to the edge.

When I'm up and moving, it's still there but much less noticable, and seems to come up more when I'm sheeting the bar in & out a lot to absorb gusts - this can sometimes set up a bit of an oscillation. I'll also say that the Contras are more sensitive to even slight changes in the wind and will react to even the smallest of gusts - in smoother winds, it should be a lot more stable.

[toyletbowl]

much more pressure is what is needed.

go to 6...try it. you won't go all the way to 7 yet, cuz you're only at 4.5 so far, so it's a big jump. The bladders can handle it.

go to 6.5...try it.

go to 7...try it.
go higher...you'll like the results.

[mickpilch]

yep the harder the better then the thing's rock solid in the air

[philth]

cabrinha recommend 6 or better - slingy 8 - hellfish 10

give up on the contra pal - it's a lemon

[webhiker]

Dude, I would check your line setup very carefully.
I just took delivery of a 16.5 and the thing is rock solid.
You might have a bum kite or your line lengths aren't right.
If you do a hard turn, are a pull down sharply on the bar, you should see the bridle tightening up, if not, maybe your bridle lengths are wrong.

[donchin]

Any Cabrinha reps out there?

[cayuquero]

when it is good pumped not any jellyfish at all

[Adolfo]

I agree with Webhiker. I’ve been riding my 16.5 Contra since September, and it’s one of the most solid kites I’ve seen. It never jellyfished at all, and I don’t pump it up as hard as some are suggesting. You must have something wrong with your set-up.

[FredMurphy]

No jellyfishing on my 19.5 either.