Why you guys are so rigid and angry, relax why not go with the flow of changes!
First of all that's not right to take my words out of contest and twist it all around.
What I meant that how easily the kite can jump and how wide is the sweet spot.
By the way I was still in full control and sending the kite already towards the water so I can't even call that lofting.
So I'm sorry about my expression of getting some wrong ideas about my hopping experiences in a cat's fart.
kitekoen, I have the best windspeed indicator the Windscribe for testing the wind and I got the readings before I'v riden the Hellfish.
I can tell you this is the most accurate indicator I'v had now for a year tested against with others. No moving parts.
http://www.davisweathergadgets.com/prod ... t=6&scat=1
That wind was accurate what I mentioned at Matheson Hammock at that time. There are many witnesses who could prove this.
You might not realize but I'v been riding there windsurfing over 20 years and now 4 years kiting.
So I know and others when the wind is N.E. direction you deduct about 5 mph what you see at Crandon or Biscayne's wind readings,
#1- because the sensors are placed very high
#2- everybody knows at the open Biscayne side the wind is more in this direction,
and the wind is being reduced and gusty by the time arrives to our spot.
So if you fly at our spot take that under consideration!
I found what I was looking for from a kite and that pleases me,
in this case to achieve more with less what I was looking for.
There were too many positive factors of the Hellfish which allowed me to ride on a smaller board and smaller kite.
You can't ignore that, but you don't know until you try it.
After all this there is no point for me to compare the Hellfish to Raptures
or to any other Brands because it's lighter and a different animal,
and that's what makes it tick without any complicated R&D.
There are many ways to skin a cat, so why not other Brands could come up with half price or half weight of Hellfish now?
Just to copy each other is lame and the opportunity is there for any brands to do R&D IMO.
The bottom line is I suggest for you test it yourself and compare it yourself, than you'll know what I know and decide yourself.
Cheers,
DrLightWind