Forum for kitesurfers
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lewmt
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Postby lewmt » Tue Apr 10, 2018 9:58 pm
Any change in the performance of these boards vs the standard FST boards last year? Claims are that they are stronger & lighter so I'm curious if you were - say - riding a 5'1" FST should I be thinking the 4'10" in helium construction? Any other thoughts or insights? I have my old 5'1" Vader but I did some carnage on a finbox(unseen submerged rock). I've fixed it but I'm wondering, what if my repair doesn't last - where to go next?
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mmac
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Postby mmac » Fri Apr 13, 2018 1:49 am
Yea, it would be interesting to hear how the Helium kite construction compares. I have an Evo in the FST kite construction and the deck is starting to buckle near the rail by front foot. Hope the Helium is stronger.
Last edited by
mmac on Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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purdyd
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Postby purdyd » Fri Apr 13, 2018 2:21 am
well I have a helium kite evo. Extremely light. So far so good. I wouldn't call bullet proof it will ding but so far it seems to holding together.
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SonnyRider
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- Kiting since: 2002
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- Style: Strapless surfboard & strapless foiling
- Gear: Airush Wave 7, 9, 10, Ultra v2's 7, 10, 14 and sometimes my GF's Airush Diamonds, 5.5, 7, 9, 12, Varial X 14m
Firewire Evo Helium 5'3" , Airush Converse 6'. Shinn Mega k carbon with a 75cm mast. Building a 120 carbon pocket board
- Brand Affiliation: I like the build & ethics and kites from Airush. I've had Ozone, Liquid Force, PLKB, Flexifoil
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Postby SonnyRider » Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:22 pm
I've a 5'3" Evo in Helium kite build. Strong enough so far. So light I can't use it weigh down my kite on the beach any more. The wind can get under it easily and take it for spin down the beach. - Happened to mine, but only a couple of tumbles before I caught it. No dings or compressions... yet...
I do have a full deck pad on it, to help with foot comfort and deck protection.
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mr_daruman
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Postby mr_daruman » Sat Apr 14, 2018 2:51 pm
The helium boards are super light, super strong. 3 Months, no pressure dings yet. Not going back to FST.
4'10 vader FST with pads 3.1kg (nofins) >3+months of riding lots of dings many jumps.
4'10 vader Helium with pads 2.5kg (nofins)>3+months of riding nearly no dings many jumps
5'4 Jimmy lewis Qwad (Surf version) with pads 2.4kg (nofins) >after 3 months of riding , many dings, pierced the board landing a jump. Big hole. One of my favorite board though.
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winddoctor
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Postby winddoctor » Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:14 pm
The FST 5.3 Vader I have has small dings on the underside but the deck has been bomber (I'm 205lbs and jump a lot). The FCSII boxes have been too weak in my opinion with small stick/debris strikes nearly tearing the boxes apart. I've had them repaired 3X. Hopefully the Helium boards are better in this respect. Love the board otherwise.
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kitelife
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Postby kitelife » Wed May 02, 2018 1:41 am
Where can I get one? Found a few but not sure if kite construction.
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felixp
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Postby felixp » Wed May 02, 2018 2:00 am
Big winds in the Gorge have them .
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kitelife
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Postby kitelife » Wed May 02, 2018 3:29 am
felixp wrote: ↑Wed May 02, 2018 2:00 am
Big winds in the Gorge have them .
Thanks, they’re not too far away. Now just gotta pull the trigger.
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lewmt
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Postby lewmt » Wed May 02, 2018 3:32 am
Is there any difference though in the way the Helium boards perform or hold up to typical abuse vs the FST boards? I was wondering if a 5'1" FST vader was perfect for me - should I think about getting a 4'10" Helium?
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