Postby WildDuke » Thu Jun 02, 2011 6:27 am
I posted this on another thread a week ago and thought i should put it here too and hope it helps someone.
I had my second session out on my new 9m one and really enjoyed it. I think the best way to describe this kite is that it's very well behaved. As others have said before it feels really light in the sky, by that I mean, when you are cruising along with the kite parked you don't get that tendency or the kite to want to drop or fall. With my past few kites I've had to hold the kite up, as it were, with a little bit of back hand pressure. When you put the kite in a spot you can be sure that it will stay there until you tell it otherwise. It inspires confidence. It will turn very quick if you pull hard on the bar but using normal movement of the bar I realy like it's turning speed. Not too fast that you have to concentrate what you are doing with the kite, but not too slow that you can actually maneuver the kite around and put it where you want it. It relaunched like a every delta kite, very fast, and i feel comfortable self launching and landing the kite even in winds between 20-25 kts. Didn't feel confident with my last kite that's for sure. I have never been too keen on delta kites before. I've tried the north evo, bandit 1,2 and 3 plus revolt and also the core gt, and I found then very on/off with their power delivery and found them a little difficult to predict when it was going to yank my arms off with power or drop me in the water with none. I was afraid that One would be like this too, however I am totally surprised. It's very progressive and Its power is very predictable. I havent however had a chance to fly a wainman kite but I was told that it is pretty good in that Dept as well. It jumps like any sle kite out there and is easy to do. I love that large leading edge 'cause it seems to allow the kite to drift back in the wind window without you having to sheet in. I think that's why the power is so predictable, when you go through a lul the kite will drift back into the window holding power, then when the wind picks up it flys forward easing the power slightly so you don't get that feeing of being overpowered. I haven't tried the safety release one the kite yet, that's next session. Also I'm not at the unhooked stage yet so I can't comment on that. Also I don't ride waves yet either, so can't comment on that style of kiting, however over all its such an obedient well behaved kite that it inspires confidence in me to try new things knowing that the kite is not going to punish me. I'm very happy with my new little kite! I think I will be saving up for the 12m too to add to my quiver. I'm typing this on my iPhone and getting tired of it, so that's it for now. If you have a specific question about the kite let me know and I can give it a go and let you know what I think.