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Bought a new one, in the bag, today from Walkonwatersports.co.uk today.
Very excited about it!

They have a promo kite for anyone fancying a trial

Gster wrote:Bought a new one, in the bag, today from Walkonwatersports.co.uk today.
Very excited about it!

They have a promo kite for anyone fancying a trial

Have fun ! enjoy! and let us knwo how it is !
Cheers
Frank

Had a couple of good sessions on the Zephyr now and very happy with it.
Great light wind machine (about 3kts more bottom end than my 14m 09 HP) and literally having a lot of fun in 12kts. Would it go earlier than an a foil - I would say no but the benefits of having a LEI imo far outweigh the extra knot or two bottom end. On a normal board (135x41) and at 90+kg I was smoking along in 11-12kts and small jumps and rolls etc were easy.
Jumps are as you would expect, medium high and very floaty. It is a park and ride kite but it also turns nicely for such a big kite - I would say a fraction slower than my previous 14m kite. Under loop jump transitions are fairly comfortable.

The kite and bar itself look fantastic build wise - not overdone and not underdone if you know what I mean...... The presentation and extra spares kit etc are excellent - better than any other kite I have seen on the market.

This kite is going to be with me for a few seasons as my goto kite for 15kts or less and looking forward to those big surf days when the wind is only 12-15kts which we get so often. This should be great for that.

The only thing I don't like is the one pump setup - waste of time and slow for pack down. The bag also has a strap and buckle closer where a simple draw cord would have been better. Other than that I give it 9/10 for sure.

Why are the zephyrs delivered in 2010 still with a 2009 bar? is there any 2010 bar and lines ( the complet set) that would fit the Zephyr ? depowerline throw etc...woudl more depowerthrow be even an advantage on the zephyr?

If possible I would like to get it deilvered with a 2010 bar ( wider mouth to slide the 2 lines through)
and could ask my delar for it..
Anybody out there that has an answer?
Thx
Frank

naishdude wrote:Why are the zephyrs delivered in 2010 still with a 2009 bar? is there any 2010 bar and lines ( the complet set) that would fit the Zephyr ? depowerline throw etc...woudl more depowerthrow be even an advantage on the zephyr?

If possible I would like to get it deilvered with a 2010 bar ( wider mouth to slide the 2 lines through)
and could ask my delar for it..
Anybody out there that has an answer?
Thx
Frank

Hi Frank the bar size for the Zephyr is 54cm and not the 50cm like the other 2010 kites. Which is the same as the 2009 bar size for all the kites.

Cheers Iain

I see,

Thx Frank

Please have a look on the official wind range for Zephyr...

As you can see you can be powered preety well from 11-15 knots (experienced riders but with no fat asses.. ). After that it is smart to use smaller kite which turns faster and generally has much more fun..

This kite can fly from 8-10 knots but believe me does not have fun at all. Even with a big board (145X45) you have to move up and down the kite to get power and keep going upwind... Of course you can only do some smalls jumps. My weight is 83 kg and I have flown the kite once in 8-12 knots. I borrowed the kite from a friend. In my personal opinion bar pressure is average or maybe a little above. I like bars with less bar pressure. Of course if you asked me to compare Zephyr with my previous big kite which was Cabrinha Contra 17m 2007 (bow) I can tell you that the difference is HUGE! Contra has extra extra big tubes and you must spend a lot of time to pump it up... As regard the bar pressure I can admit that you must have super power to keep going for a long time... Also Contra is a heavy kite (super big tubes) which means that cannot stay up in the sky if the wind drops significantly. Zephyr in the other hand will keep flying..

Another point that should be mentioned is the turning speed. Zephyr of course turns faster than Contra but you can't change the fact that is a big kite. 17m is a small studio apartment...!! So, don't expect miracles on the turning speed..

Furthermore Zephyr can be flown even in 20 knots from heavier riders but it's annoying and tiresome. But for sure you can go safely and land your kite because has huge depower and this is good .

In general Zephyr beats Contra in all aspects.

If you want only to take a ride when the wind is very light, Zephyr it's a good choice. But if you want to have fun in 8-11 knots, then buy this kite only if you are a light rider... If you are a havier rider and want to have real fun, a foil kite like flysurfer or the new spleene would be a wiser choise for these light wind days..

aetos this kite flies from 6 knots. It doenst stall at 5 knots either. The fact that it flies it doesnt means it can move a 80 kg person. Give the kite to less weight with better board than the one you have and he will be able to move . If fact the kite is for race not freestyle and the session you had was way 2 low on the timer side to judge correct. It doesnt flies as the freestyle kites you had so far.

For me after almost one year of using it i can tell for sure on a directional it can move a person at 6+ knots depending on the volume of the board and of course on the weight of the person. But the most important is the board. Also the door type TT are good not yours 145x45 or mine 150x45 are the best for both our weight, We need more like door60 dimensions in order to say we have maximized the possibilities of upwind.

The bar pressure is WAY lighter from average. You cant have a heavy bar due to no bridles and the bar the kite has within is 54 cm. And the kite when fly it likes to be stretching on the front lines

Also the conditions we have at our area are WAY far from the flat water. So that little chop we have is a non go compared to the flat water.

Personaly i believe the kite is a fun kite . You can still be in touch and kite when on other kites you will be at beach. Also combine with a skimboard , or directional fish , or raceboard , you can find interest to pass your time. Else if you want a freestyle deticated style , then you shouldnt be searching lower than 12 knots. (i believe 12 knots is the starter for a 75 kg person at freestyle. )

I would advice people to demo if their kite area is a low wind area. After all kites are good to some people and bad to other. You have to try them and get into them to be certain

Ride safe

hi guys i m realy interested on Z17 but my main concern is relaunch (deep water ,no board) ,please let me know your experience from what knots u can relaunch it? how easy it is?any special tricks? thanks.

bisdremis wrote:hi guys i m realy interested on Z17 but my main concern is relaunch (deep water ,no board) ,please let me know your experience from what knots u can relaunch it? how easy it is?any special tricks? thanks.

6 knots deep water. Depower from strap. Hold the one back line and the opposite front line. Wait until the kite on wing tip. Power from strap and relaunch.

Bye chris

P.S. an eisai ellinas steile mou ena minima na sou ta pw apo tilefwno