Toby wrote:Can you compare it to the other kites you used?
Well I ran the 16 and 18m dyno. You can see my bro on a 16m dyno in one of the pics.
I still think it has a better bottom end...well more useable than the 16 and I think you can take it higher. On that day I had more power, more height and more hangtime than my bro. But it doesn't come close to the 18m dyno. But for a light guy (73-75kg) it, as you said Toby is perfect. Slightly more useable low end with far more hangtime and mch slower. I only over redirected this rebel once while I was there..but I was holding back, remote waters, I was the only one there, family in tow...so all the moves I did were pretty rudimentary. As I said can't wait to get it in my local waters with the crew and increase the risk profile.
The 18 dyno for me in the winds you really want to start pushing the boundaries, was at times too much for me. I mean i could control it, but I was always on that crazy edge or a sublime jump or complete disaster. The rebel sits in a more comfortable usable zone. I did have it out one day when others were on 9m's and only my mate whose an excellent rider was on a 12m dice...it was close to 20 and a bit above...but the water wasn't flat enough, I was struggling to hold an edge. I'm sure in the right conditions it would have been perfect. Even the guys come in, too choppy, tide was all wrong.
it doesn't develop that intense crazy apparent wind pull the dyno 18 gives you, but still enough. Infact I find i can bleed some off, which tends at my weight to give me potentially more height in the jump. The hangtime is nearly or as good I reckon what do you think?
It's funny becuase I ride 12/9 rebel as well and I swear this kite looks flatter from below than the smaller kite, looking from the center out to the tips...doesn't curve in as much. Slightly higher aspect maybe.
Stability wise it's not the super rigid 7 strut dyno, but it's still damn stable and very forgiving if you fly under it...probably more so than the dyno (although the dyno was always surpsingly forgiving). You can feel it moving a little more at the bar end...but this is all comparative wise.
Super direct feel though, more so than the dyno, which is hard to imagine, but you can never get passed long bridles and pulleys, you just can't.
That being said the flip side to this (and I need the other guys to get on it to test this as well) I found the bar pressure on the hard setting almost too much for me. Unless I use the microloop more it will have to stay on the soft setting for me,,which is not really soft...it's just right, although I might tie another knot between the hard and soft as I feel that could give the optimum feel and jumping ability. Still lots to test.
As I said the dyno's apprent wind truck like intense power build up, meant you could really lean into the power to find that single highest load point. I was finding this harder to obtain on the rebel...I think I need to load and release a little earlier..I tended to overfly the kite past 12 too much. it's like the highest power spike comes on between 11and 11.30
but that's a technique thing, not the kite. I still think it's a good option for those 87-85kg and below. Don't get put off by my lighter weight I can hold as much power/kite if not more than guys who are that weight. It's the bigger guys, 90 plus and those that are serious about holding immense power on a big kite that may be left wanting. Even 90 kilo guys are are just getting into this style or are not inclind to really push the limits would be fine. We have to becareful using toby as a yardstick I mean this mofo had this kite out in 34 knots for christ sake! He's an animal when it comes to holding down power.
Overall pretty stoked, but i have a lot of work to do...
Ps Oh I nearly forgot here is some pics on the bridal config...essentially 8 points of connection to this leading edge, not unlike the vegas setup apparently...
). First post will just have some shots of the wing, second some shots with the kids (using the kite with dad of course) and third some jumping photos to give you some idea of it's jumping/hangtime ability (Sorry no video was available). I have reduced them in number and size as much as possible.
