Crossbow 12 & 16 - Low end?

[tukyank]

Lots of great reviews on the Crossbows.
Consensus seems that there really is no high end limitations...

But not a lot of talk of the low end.
Can anybody with crossbow experience comment on the low-end of the 12 vs 16 for a 195lb rider?

I have several boards so that is not an issue.

Bottom line - I need a kite to fill the 14-25kt range - is it a 12 or a 16?

[UNSAFE]

Hard Question. You could ride the 16 up to 25 no problem but the 12 will be much nicer from 18-30 and still work ok down to 14. 18 and under 16 will be better, 18 plus 12m is much better. If I could have one it would be the 12m.

[kitester]

12 will be sweeter in that range but you night be on a big board on the low end. The 16 will work too but in wind over 22 its a lot of kite. I have been flying mine in winds with gusts up to over 30 but I have to keep the kite right at the edge and go slow. It is kind of fun to throw a 20+ foot jump at 4mph. Just pull the kite to the top and pull in on the bar. the kite will do the rest. I have not tried to really blast one because I dont think I would be comfortable 50 feet up.

[leebo]

I have a 12 and a 16. 225lbs. i had the 16 out in 8-10 knots at hatteras with Ty Luckett. I was on a phat aggression kiteboard (not sure of the dimensions) and i got the 16 going just fine, almost to the point of being able to lock the kite down low in the window.

Lee

[tukyank]

I have a 12 and a 16. 225lbs. i had the 16 out in 8-10 knots at hatteras with Ty Luckett. I was on a phat aggression kiteboard (not sure of the dimensions) and i got the 16 going just fine, almost to the point of being able to lock the kite down low in the window.

Lee

Wow! Are you sure about the wind speed?
You're talking top of the line low-end which may rival my Flysurfer Speed 17.
Roughly how big is this Phat Agression? (is it a barge?) Any Rocker or fins?
I'll assume the water was very flat.
Were you able to stay upwind?

[leebo]

Yes. Pretty sure on the wind. had a handheld windmeter on board which we checked against windsites on the web. The board was 132x43. Here is a link to the board......http://www.aggressionkiteboarding.com/pages/phatty.html

I was able to maintain and even went up wind a little. the board had two extra fins on the windward rail. Will be ordering a board shortly. The board has a slight rocker. It was my first real day riding although i have wakeboarded and windsurfed for a while. We were on the bay side of hatteras in Buxton. I took a 2+ day camp with Ty Luckett.
http://www.kitehatteras.net/index.html

Nothing but good things to say. Ty has a great flat boat so it doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing. We would just go up wind for several miles and then anchor in waist deep water and rig up and go. It is a pretty sweet set up.

Lee

[kiteboardkorea]

Xbow vs. PL Venom

Got the chance to fly the Xbow16 for around 5 hours at Brighton
yesterday and again today at Kernell, here are some of the
comparisons between the Bows and the Venoms.

Winds started off light, around 10 knots and I was able to do some
down wind runs on the V19 but struggled to stay up-wind, wind was
gusty all day. Gave the V19 to a friend of mine whom is much
lighter, 50kg and they were able to stay upwind.

Pumped up the XB16, …………….I hate pumping and did some down wind runs
but could not hold ground upwind on the XB16, the bar pressure was
way too heavy, after about 1 hour came in with very soar upper
arms, my elbows were fine just felt like I have been wake boarding
at the cable park for 4 hours!!!!. After one hour in 10 - 12 knot
wind I thought this kite was a crap!!!!, the Cabrinah wind ranges
for this kite are totally wrong and misleading.

By far the Low-end the V19 is better and smoother to fly than the
XB16 however the bow turns significantly faster, I would say the XB
16 turns a little bit slower than a V13 but definably faster than
the V16.

Around 12 o'clock the winds started to pick up to the higher teens,
normally I would still be riding the V19 as I don't change down to
the V16 until around 18 knots plus, 92kg on a 130 board. While I
was on the beach I changed the line settings for the XB16 and this
made a big difference combined with the stronger winds, bar pressure
was now acceptable as the day developed winds picked up to the mid
20's and I was still happy on the XB16. The XB16 was awesome to jump
in these higher wind ranges, jumps of 40 feet plus in height and 150
to 200 feet down wind were not uncommon. If you like big long air ,
get one of these kites as I have only jump this high before off the
face of waves not boosted like this on flat water, it felt like the
hang time was double I usually get out of my Vs, the bows seems to
turn into a hang glider once you get them up hign in the air and
you do one jump and end up so far downwind you spend the rest of the
run in and out making up the ground you have lost on the first jump.
In the same time period my friend had to go from the V19 to V16 to
V13 ( use 3 kites)

I think one of the main reasons the bar pressure is said to be heavy
is that the chicken loop ring is too long . The standard chicken
loop ring on its own must be 6 inches long when under load which
causes you to have to ride in a poo stance when you sheet out in
the gusts, suggest the test riders must have long arms as to me this
seems ridiculous. If you buy one of these kites you are best off
removing the loop and replacing it with a smaller ring so you can
sheet in closer to your body. Rode today with a shorter loop and the
kite is awesome, winds were gusting from 15 knots to 28 and the XB16
was great to ride, can easily handle gusts to 28 knots , this is
definitely a one kite quiver.

in the first 1 hour of riding these kites hated them, 2nd hour and
beyond after some tuning these are the best kites I have ridden

Drew

[tukyank]

Great review - thanks!

So - what would you say is the bottom end for your weight on the x-bow?
....and more importantly - at what wind does the x-bow 16 really start to get FUN? (ideally on a smaller board).

[DrLightWind]

Xbow vs. PL Venom
The XB16 was awesome to jump in these higher wind ranges, jumps of 40 feet plus in height and 150 to 200 feet down wind were not uncommon. Rode today with a shorter loop and the kite is awesome,
winds were gusting from 15 knots to 28 and the XB16
was great to ride, can easily handle gusts to 28 knots ,
this is definitely a one kite quiver.

in the first 1 hour of riding these kites hated them, 2nd hour and
beyond after some tuning these are the best kites I have ridden

Thanks for the review,
I thought only the 9m X-Bow goes beyond the 40' threshold,
so hopefully I'll be close to that on a 12m when the wind picks up.
Would you have any pictures of those 40 feet plus heights to share?

DrLW

[tukyank]

Anybody else with Low end Crossbow comments?
Comments from 195lb + riders would be most appreciated.

Seems like 20lbs really makes a big difference in light wind performance ......and the only way to level the playing field is board or kite.