Switch Kites any real reviews??

[Dub]

Just wonder if anyone thats bought a Switch kite can let us know what they think about it?

I'm particularly interested in the Combat

-how it loops hooked in and unhooked
-how it unhooks
-real wind range
-turning speed

Cheers

Dec

[screwfootsc]

[C Johnson]

I flew a friends Nitro 10m awhile back.

seemed like a real good freeride kite. stable, upwinds well, medium bar pressure. the bar is well thought out and quite nice. The kite does drift downwind nice which I like for those times when you don't redirect hard enough and fly under your kite. its also great for trying to ride a wave.

So since you won't hear anything but praise from the team riders or affiliates to switch. here's some honest review.

The Nitro didn't seem real rigid. Maybe its the small leading edge but it seemed to jellyfish in gusts. it was actually kind of absorbing the gusts which was nice but at the same time it seemed like it would loose a lot of pop due to all that canopy deformation.

The bar feedback was a little vague for my liking. reminded me of a waroo. I've never been a fan of wingtip pulleys as they usually muddy up the bar feedback. direct connect is better in my opinion.

Bar pressure was medium which I liked.

Steering speed was what I would consider slow for a 10m. felt more like I was trying to turn a 12m or 14m in terms of turning speed. depending on your riding style you may like that or dislike it.

I'd say the closest other kite out there I've tried to the 10m Nitro would be a 2010 11m Crossbow. I think the crossbow is a little more refined. has a much more complex bridle with 6 pulleys instead of 2 but if you're looking for a crossbow'esk knock off for a fraction of the price you will probably like the nitro.

for reference I just recently transitioned from Epic Screamers to Liquid Force Hifi's. I've been a freerider for the last few years but as of the last 1/2 year I've been really perusing wakestyle.

I'd really like to give the Combat a go. I'm curious to see how much bar pressure it has.

[Hansen Design]

Dub:
As more kites get out around the globe more reports will come. You can already find some here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Switch-Ki ... l&filter=1
and here:
http://www.switchkites.com/headquarters ... forum.html
Cheers!

Just wonder if anyone thats bought a Switch kite can let us know what they think about it?
I'm particularly interested in the Combat
-how it loops hooked in and unhooked
-how it unhooks
-real wind range
-turning speed
Cheers
Dec

[pearse]

Hello,

Pearse here and I am new to your forum. Thanks for having me here. Long first post I know but I am being honest and complete.

I have been kiting for a while now, but am by no means a top dog. I kite to have fun and if I am smiling at the end of the day then I had a good session. If my friends are smiling too then it was a great day all around. I make only one claim to any one style, smile style.

Here is my honest input on the Nitros.

First Impression of the 10m Nitro:
This spring I was lucky enough to run into Felix and he hooked me up with a 10m Switch Nitro. I got to ride it in head high surf. The kite was a blast. It was fast and delivered smooth power thru the turns. The bar pressure is moderate, which was more than I was used to. I crashed a few times; the relaunch was easy and quick saving me from a few good poundings. The downwind drift was nice too. I didn’t have any issues out running the kite on the waves. A few jumps on the inside were big and smooth and I found the moderate bar pressure helpful with the redirection of the kite. Over all it was a really fun day and I was very happy with the kite.

Since then I have sold my 2008 kites and am riding 8, 10, and 12m Nitros. Here on the Olympic Peninsula we mainly ride flat water with an occasional trip to the coast for waves.

Ordering the kites was a breeze, I got them in 8 days with no issues, all the gear was packaged nicely and arrived as it should. I ordered on a Friday so maybe I could have gotten them quicker if I ordered them on any other day as they didn’t ship till Monday.

First Impression of the bar:
The bar pressure was moderate, which is more than I was used to. After two hours I could feel a little wear on the inside of my left elbow. The trim strap is above the bar and easy to use. The bar limiter/stopper ball was easy to adjust, designed nicely to push away easily. The bar seems like it could have cushier grip but I like the smaller diameter that my old bar. It is easy to adjust the bar length from 45 to 55cm. The CL release is a push to eject and worked effortlessly. The bar comes with 20m lines, 3m extensions, and a leash. The bar floats are bigger than I am used to but they do float the bar, my old bar sinks.
Bar update:
I have been riding the bar for a month now and no longer experience the sourness inside my elbows. I had one close call where an outside line got wrapped around the bar and sent my kite into a death spiral, the CL release was effortless and worked as it should depowering the kite almost completely and self rescue was a success. (Thanks Christian for having my back just in case)

First impression of the 12m nitro
(first posted on PSKite 5/26)
The kite looks great!
Build quality looks really good; materials feel strong and stitching looks top quality. The bridals seem on par. The transfer pulley is removable without unstitching, making replacement as easy as it should be. Leading edge bumper guards and reinforced wingtip and strut ends are appropriate. I could regurgitate all the details about glued and doubled stitched seams, internal reinforcement with Dacron and adhesive-backed Mark Cloth at stress points, extra heavy duty thread, two parallel seams on durable TPU bladders plus reinforced valve locations, or you can read about that in much more detail on the website. It is impressive.
The inflation points look really good; this has been a weak point on all of my previous kites. Nice to see Switch took the time to address this. Single point inflation/deflation, huge inflation valve allows the kite to be pumped up much faster, 50ish pumps for the 12m. The low profile angled strut valves means no valves bending over and splitting as has happened to most of my previous kites, though they look intimidating in the event of having to change the bladder. I am sure once you know how it is not so scary. A demo video or instruction sheet is a must. I don’t want to experiment on my own.

I got the 12m out yesterday evening 5/25 from 5 to 7 pm. Had the bar set up at 55 cm and steering lines set on 2nd knots at the bridle. I’m 185lbs and was on the 131 skywalker pro. I am estimating the wind to be 10 to 15kt. The water was a light chop with light whitecaps at times. A squall came true producing some solid 15kt gusts. Thru the gusts the kite jumped nicely 15 to 20 feet and redirected well. The rest of the time jumps were in the 5’ and under range. I down looped the kite a bunch on transitions as well as worked on slow backloops, working towards a tailslide, I’m not going to butter Tuna’s dark muffin. The Nitro powered smoothly into and out of the turns/loops. I was surprised at the quickness of the turns in such light wind. I did crash the kite twice of failed loops, relaunch was very quick, the kite was at the edge of the window when it hit the water, I had it back in the air with in a few seconds, and I was impressed at this in the light wind.
Since I have had a few light wind sessions on the 12m Nitro and the one word for it is smooth. The power and steering is really fluent. I am loving the moderate bar pressure, it lets me know what the kite is doing and has been really helpful in redirecting the kite while jumping and thru rotations. This kite has given me confidence and I am pushing my limits more and more with every session.

Have fun out there

[Pontoon Kiter]

I’ve been kiting since 2004. Owned 4 Naishs, 3 Windwings, 7 Cabrinas, and last 3 Best Waroos. Hated the Cabrinas mushy turning , high bar pressure and them splitting in waves (06’s to 08‘s.) Was happy with my 09 Waroos, but they’re tired now… well used. I’ve been sampling a lot of kites; most are fine. They either turned too slow, too fast, where unstable, didn’t jump well, had construction or bladder history problems, or had higher bar pressure then I like.
Been bummed. I liked the Taboo, but had no low end, liked the Lithium but had the bar press I don’t want. Loved the Nobiles but I’m reading bad customer service and 1 yr old kites fraying. I’ve flown the 9m Method and the 12m Nitro… . And? I’ve SWITCHed. I’ve started with the 12 Method.
Dam! So many little things Switch felt were important. A nylon wallet containing a kite repair kit, not just a plastic bag with sail and bladder tape. The kite bag looks well made. In its pocket is a car key loop with an extra hose nozzle the kite uses attached. You know that large nozzle your pump comes with that you’ve never used…that one. It has the inflation point similar to Cabrinas, but with a larger opening. It makes the kite pump up with less effort and inflates and deflates in half the time. The 3m line extensions loops are so finely sown, they are hard to see and will never hang up on anything. Any design improvement on other kites; Switch bumped it up three or four notches.
The Pearse thread nailed it. The Switch kites fly exceptionally well. The Nitro jets to edge of the window. So much you have to back it out some. The kite will get you upwind. Not sure on its boost and hang time cause the short lines. It wants to be flown at all times…it’s the naughty child the Eclipse was. Now the Method sits back in the window a little more and is more stable; it just trucks you along. It has smooth fast turns with power all the way through. Both kites have good low end with the Method having more. The kites bar pressures are similar; I’d have to fly um back to back to tell ya which has less. The bar and lines are top notch; clean and simple. The Switch kites construction surpasses all the kites on our beach (lots of brands). GK kites come the closest. Just hold a Switch’s leading edge and you’ll see why.
My only dislikes…the high (too me) bar pressure and the 23m lines. I prefer 25m or 26m lines and hate any bar pressure moderate or above. But, half the people who tried the kites don’t feel high bar pressure.
What bums me out is I wont find a kite this well made and at that price, and with the bar pressure I prefer. So…back to Tennis Elbow and arms that wont straighten out. . Maybe not; my arms are already crippled from high bar pressure; thanks Cabrina! Class Action suite anyone!?!

[Hansen Design]

Dub:
Here is a recent Combat post on the Switchkites.com forum.
Cheers!

Re: What is the Combat like?
Post by Chris » Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:01 pm
I just recently got my 13m and have ridden it twice, once in around 12 knots and once in around 18knts, both in pretty flat water and I was riding a booted 140 custom.

In 12 knots the kite had a surprising amount of power for a C kite (I am about 150 lbs). I was able to ride and do some non-pop unhooked tricks (backmobes etc.). The relaunch was impressive and the kite was ready and waiting once I recovered from a bail.

In 18 knots (with gusts of around 20) I was definitely lit but was able to manage my power with the trim strap very effectively and quickly. The pop and slack of this kite in higher wind was impressive and this kite loops pretty quickly and extremely powerfully with a nice amount of slack after the loop. I was easily landing blind and sticking air passes without fear of my arms being ripped off.

The kite felt more to me like the low depower fuel than the torch, which in my opinion has a fair bit depower.

I really like this kite and am strongly considering a 9m and 7m for my quiver.

Just wonder if anyone thats bought a Switch kite can let us know what they think about it? I'm particularly interested in the Combat
-how it loops hooked in and unhooked
-how it unhooks
-real wind range
-turning speed
Cheers
Dec

[eree]

bought myself the Nitro 12sqm.
to be honest - it was pretty much a gamble. too little reviews, too little pictures and videos. but from what i've seen i understood it couldn't be worse than the aged bats i have. they say good looking airplane must fly good.
so i've sold my 10 and 12 Jekylls from Gaastra 2008 couple of days before they delivered me the new Nitro. just like it was promised - in 7 days.
idea was to sell my older kites when they were still in good flying conditions, and the 10 sqm was pretty much useless for me since i've used it barely 10 times for the two years. i liked them very much: simple, reliable, pulleyless, with sufficient grunt for a 100kg rider, but anyway i thought i need a bit more speedy kites from now on.

so here it is. i had chance to try it only twice since i got my hand on it and both times weather was rather low end. normally in this conditions i would come out with my 14sqm 2010 Jekyll.

since Nitro has cross bridles - not a big surprise - bar pressure is higher then on my 2010 14sqm sle, but the same level as my old 2008 sle's.

and a little bit disappointing or may be rather unaccustomed for me was slower turning speed in lite wind.
and the air speed? it was something i was needed for the some time!

now the quality.
bar is something i would expect from each respectable kite manufacturer. simple and reliable! may be somebody already has made clam-cleat like Switch's one, but i did not have a chance to see it before, and it is really PERFECT!

the kite itself is what do you expect to see after years of kites manufacturing and material development experience - accurate stitches, overall manufacturing quality, cloth quality, bridle quality.
it is disgusting to see new kites pictures with the wrinkles and signs of fluttering.
when you look at the canopy of the Nitro you don't see any wrinkles or flutter, it's like made of sheet metal.

now, some of you more experienced guys can compare new Switch with the lot of previous kites, well i can't. but month ago i had a opportunity to try a new Slingshot Rally 14sqm compared to my 14sqm Jekyll.
so, its bar pressure was close to none and turning speed was amazing and on the dime. but i didn't like it at all. first of all the bridle pulleys, i hate them.
and then i had to constantly check the position of the kite in the corner of my eye?!

and the manufacturing quality of the Rally i tested was like it was made in China!
ok, i know the majority of the kites is made in China now, like the all the other consumer products.
but i am from the generation when we still remember what it is like to made consumer products in us and in europe, and how low quality was product made in SE Asia.
i mean bar system of the Rally was quite good but canopy of the kite looked like it won't last a year, honestly!

winds

[windmaker]

The kite you tested was not a Slingshot Rally. The Rally has no pulleys and bar pressure is cetainly not super light as described. As for SS quality, arguably if not the best among the best.
Glad the gamble paid of with your new kite.

[pearse]

12m Nitro update:
I have had a few rides in some well powered winds now and I am very impressed with the kite and still smiling.
The range of this kite is good, I am still 185lbs and riding a 131 skywalker, I like the 12m for 10 to 25kt it is fun to ride, I can do more than mow the lawn at 10kt and I am not scared to push it at 20kt fully powered up. I could ride this kite in well over 20kts, I was out testing the upper range one day while others were powered on their 9m kites, I could still depower the kite till I could no longer plane.
Well powered up the 12m Nitro is stable and smooth. It handles moderate gusts, absorbing them through the bar and not pulling me off my edge. The kite powers smoothly thru turns and loops. It is easy to control the speed of the kite thru loops by how hard I pull on the bar. Quick tight down loops for air transitions and big slow loops for tail slides and carving turns. The kite goes upwind really well, and the downwind drift is amazing, making riding downwind easy, the kite just hangs out there even with a little slack in the lines. The kite jumps big and with the bar pressure I can feel where the kite is and needs to go. This is really helping me with the timing of redirection and making landing the bigger jumps a lot smoother and more consistent. With the confidence I have found in this kite I have been able to finally add big powered front rolls to my bag of tricks, as well as trying out all kinds of new stuff in powered up conditions.
Stoked on the Nitros and loving the bar.