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Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

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stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Sat Dec 08, 2018 3:05 am

Adventure Logs wrote:
Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:16 am
That looks right out side of Punta del Diablo. Am I right?
yes you are, here are two photos more, on another day, with good cleaner waves and less wind, around 16-18kn, on windguru but I guess there was more if I compare to my first test in France with the same forecasts. I was on the "more power" tuning at the mixer on the wave 8.5 (first proto) and I didn't need it. My wife took the pictures with our cellphone from uowind on the beach, she's not a professional photographer at all (in particular on timing :-)) .. I have to beg to get some photos.

Image

Image

That was a very good test for the wave 8.5 (I was strapless with the board I posted above, launched the kite side-off and the wind was around side where I entrered the wave).The three points that I noticed were

1/ the big depower. When I was coming back on a big wall, going upwind, backside for me, I had no difficulty with the kite. I didn't end up over powered due to the dramatic increase of speed. I didn't need to crank my board at all to keep control (I tend to ride very vertical on the board, trying to use the fins)

2/ the drift combined with depower was great. When I was at the right place, I could turn deep downwind to start the bottom. I was completely in control. No need to worry about the kite collapsing or loosing its dynamics. I even tried some KL to replace the kite (but not too much because it was big and I was alone ... excepted wife and kids upwind on tge beach ... so I preferred to stay safe, that was a very demanding session)

3/ Upwind was great, i didn't noticed it at the beginning but I saw that I could get quite quickly upwind, close to the lighthouse (see the picture above with the 4.5).That was a good surprise in these conditions.

I was however not very found of the tuning I was using in these conditions The kite was a little too "full" (but I had to test to give feedbacks to Benoit). I prefer the normal setting in these conditions as I was not in light winds at all.

Stef

PS: the board works very well (including for paddle surfing). For those who are around Buenos Aires, Mariano is a good shaper and a very nice and trustful person. I will give him some feedback so that he can push forward this shape.

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:44 pm

Happy New Year from Benoît Tremblay ... worth sharing :-)

https://youtu.be/ui5A1ST8Zw8

I had a nice session yesterday with the CA Wave 8.5 in what I think was 15-20 knots and small waves + sun, 2h30 in bordshort ... that is a good way to end the year! 8-)

Image

I was on the power setting and that worked well -- I did not had this "full" feeling from last time, it is worth adapting the setting to the conditions, very stable, drifts well (wind was completely side) and turns well with some extra power as compared to the 6.5, that makes it a good combo with the 4.5.

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Mon Dec 31, 2018 12:20 am

Marseille by the sea, last session of 2018 - rider: boZZo, 20 knots, CA Wave 4.5 on ketos 1200 cm2:

https://vimeo.com/308817603

https://vimeo.com/308817603
Last edited by stefFZ on Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Mon Dec 31, 2018 2:54 am

I have been using quite a lot the Wave 8.5 lately (nearly everyday for the last 10 days, 8h South of Buenos Aires) and I really like it. It goes upwind without effort, no boost that get you out of your board while surfing, good & smooth turns and drifts vey well. My wind range seems to start around 15 knots (in warm winds and without struggling going upwind) with a low rocker surfboard but not dedicated to light wind (the one I posted earlier in this thread). I really like to loop it while surfing, very nice feeling. It is like the 6.5 with extra-power.

The good news is that the other day I felt the wind was getting stronger. I was well with the 8.5, still having fun and could surf without pb, I was not over-powered at all but I was feeling that it was more windy. I have been travelling in the last months with only a 4.5 and a 8.5 (I am 63 kg) and I thought it will be a good day to test if I could swap the kite to test if the combo overlaps well. Usually, when conditions are good I stay in the water, but my Austrian queen just arrived on the beach and I asked her to land me so that I could test if the CA Wave 4.5 would work as well. I was a little bit on the low end of the 4.5 but I was getting upwind (less than the 8.5 but I was clearly faster). Then the wind got a little stronger and I was full speed and upwind.

For my weight and travelling, this is therefore a good combo, given that in low wind, I usually go paddle surfing. Maybe a 12.5 would be interesting but I still have to test the prototype that Benoît made recently. Hopefully, I'll do this in the mountains when we come back to Europe.

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:54 pm

Marseille by the sea, first session of the year, Bozzo, same rider and same gear as in the previous video

https://vimeo.com/309186721

https://vimeo.com/309186721

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:02 pm

I have now received the 12.5 proto ... I could not try it yet with work and flu but hopefully I will be able to do so in the Austrian mountains soon

In the garden before driving to Austria:

Image

with the little sister 6.5.

Image

The general idea is that it will be my touring / snowkite bag quiver (6.5+12.5) and that the 12.5 could help in good waves below 15 knots (not as a light wind kite but rather a kite that turns well and gives me some extra power as compared to the 8.5 when there is wind but I feel like "walking on eggshells" with the 8.5 (quiver for surf/kitesurf travels: 2 bars + 12.5/8.5/4.5 and a good (local when possible) surfboard.

Now I have to test it and send my impressions to Benoît.

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:07 pm

Here is short video with the 3m on hyrdofoil (not me, I don't hydrofoil -- boZZo the other admin of LesFoilZ.com). This is the low to medium windrange. Upper windrange according to the same rider is gusts up to 45-50 knots on hydrofoil (no kidding!!! Mistral Power!)



I have one but I didn't tried it yet. I have not reach the upper wind range of my Wave 4.5 yet in waves. I'll be back on the water in one month or so -- maybe I could try the 3m even if for now I am eager to test the wave 12.5 (conditions have not been good yet in Austria where I ride -- flu has not helped as well).

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Fri Mar 01, 2019 6:12 pm

A quick video taken by the webcam on the spot that shows how the 8.5 flies:



A nice warm test (20°C in South of France rights now) of the 6.5 Wave with nice clean wave the same day but on another rocky wave spot:
Carro-jeudiS.jpg
... that was good to test the differences with the 8.5 as the 6.5 was the first designed (the one in the picture is proto zero).

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Frankieboy
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby Frankieboy » Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:51 pm

just received my 8,5
can't wait to test it :-)

stefFZ
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Re: Concept Air Smart Wave 6.5 & 4.5 & 3 and now 8.5

Postby stefFZ » Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:13 pm

Frankieboy wrote:
Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:51 pm
just received my 8,5
can't wait to test it :-)
It would be nice to have a review!

I did a short test of the Wave 12.5 2 days ago in 14 knots:

Image

Image

Here is a short report in French: http://www.lesfoilz.com/phpBB3/viewtopi ... 6&start=20


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