Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

switch element 13 review

Find reviews of kites, boards and accessories
rsrangel
Rare Poster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:46 pm
Local Beach: sanibel islands fl
Favorite Beaches: sanibel
Style: freeride
Gear: switch
Brand Affiliation: switch
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

switch element 13 review

Postby rsrangel » Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:38 pm

been flying the switch element 13 for a little while now decided to give it a short review. QUALITY: workmanship on this kite is great, up there with top brands for sure, and the reason the kite is priced low its because you buy direct from switch,< witch i love> no distributors or dealers so you get the discounts. ON THE WATER: super easy to fly, easy relaunch, quick turning and great depower. lowend for me its fine some people would disagree, but this kite is not meant to pull like a truck if that's what you want get the NITROV2. highend had it in 25knts+ so for a 13m pretty good. for what the kite was designed for which is an all-round kite its a fantastic kite.. so if you have a team rider near you give it a shot.. just thought i share how i feel about the kite and how stoked iam about SWITCH and what they are doing thnx......

naishdude
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 968
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:14 am
Local Beach: Holland
Spain
Danemark
France
Favorite Beaches: everywhere at the seaside, where it is allowed to kite
Style: cruising& wave
Gear: Airush Sector 54 V5, Cypher5'8 active, compact 5'6, Compact5'5 active, Limit Waves custom 5'6
Ozone reo V5 12 9 7 5
Brand Affiliation: none
Location: outer space
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby naishdude » Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:15 am

Hey man welcome to the Switch family!

Most of the people who got a Switch kite in their hands all are surprised by the quality products used and the top notch finishing.
Then after the testflying, all are wondering why they should pay so much moneyvfor new and even for second hand kites looking at the Switch pricing.

The same happened to me, and am loving my Switchkites Method's V2

Dude 8)

rsrangel
Rare Poster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:46 pm
Local Beach: sanibel islands fl
Favorite Beaches: sanibel
Style: freeride
Gear: switch
Brand Affiliation: switch
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby rsrangel » Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:44 am

Thanks bro!
i'am glad i gave them a shot real happy with SWITCHKITES and what there about.
:thumb:

jyetley
Rare Poster
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:49 pm
Local Beach: Millacs MN, Pepin WI, Clear Lake IA
Favorite Beaches: Spring: Texas's Laguna Madre or Florida's Pan Handle.
Summer: Michigan's Western Shore
Fall: Upper Mississippi River
Winter: Utah's Wasatch or Wyoming's Teton Mountains.
Style: Freeride
Gear: Ozone, Slingshot, Best
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Minnesota
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby jyetley » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:59 am

Me too! I'm blown way by the quality and attention to the extra details, like high-flow valve, nice lines, and full backpack. I purchased a 12m Nitro II just before the snowkiting season started and I'm loving it. Extremely predictable, stable and fast kite. Great up wind and jumps super well! I ordered an 8m last week and it should be here on Monday. I love the no-hassle low fixed-pricing.....Free shipping, no tax, etc, etc. And the online forum and customer service people are so helpful. Can't say enough about my experience so far. Looking forward to getting out on the water!
Attachments
IMG_1265.jpeg
IMG_1255.jpeg

User avatar
ed257
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1810
Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Cape Cod, MA USA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby ed257 » Sat Feb 16, 2013 4:08 pm

rsrangel wrote:been flying the switch element 13 for a little while now decided to give it a short review. QUALITY: workmanship on this kite is great, up there with top brands for sure, and the reason the kite is priced low its because you buy direct from switch,< witch i love> no distributors or dealers so you get the discounts. ON THE WATER: super easy to fly, easy relaunch, quick turning and great depower. lowend for me its fine some people would disagree, but this kite is not meant to pull like a truck if that's what you want get the NITROV2. highend had it in 25knts+ so for a 13m pretty good. for what the kite was designed for which is an all-round kite its a fantastic kite.. so if you have a team rider near you give it a shot.. just thought i share how i feel about the kite and how stoked iam about SWITCH and what they are doing thnx......
Is this a higher aspect kite? Go up-wind well? Boost well? How's the hangtime? Is this not so good for waves?

Thx,

Ed

rsrangel
Rare Poster
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:46 pm
Local Beach: sanibel islands fl
Favorite Beaches: sanibel
Style: freeride
Gear: switch
Brand Affiliation: switch
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby rsrangel » Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:31 pm

no its lower aspect kite, but fly's forward in the window so it rips up wind, boost and hangtime is good, but not as good as the nitrov1 or v2, don't do wave ridding but according to a buddy of mine its great in the waves. just an good all round kite.

User avatar
SimonP
Frequent Poster
Posts: 495
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:49 am
Local Beach: Rotorua Lakes, Maketu, NZ
Favorite Beaches: Aotea, Maroochydore, Faro, Aitutaki
Style: Foiling, free-style, waves
Gear: J-shapes foil, Switch kites, Underground twintips, misc surfboards.
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby SimonP » Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:38 am

The Element is a 3 strut all-round kite, comparable with the Slingshot RPM or the Naish Park. The shape is a bit different though, e.g. there is a bit more curve in the leading edge which makes it easier to relaunch.
I have a 13m Element which I use for light wind wave-riding and flat water stuff. Turning speed is typical for a 13m and quite pivotal. Almost impossible to back-stall, so much so I have difficulty in working out the ideal trim when the wind is light.
It is really good for learning to ride unhooked because it is so forgiving. I do find though that I lose track of where the kite is sometimes as the bar pressure is quite light. There are no front or rear adjustment options to make it more wake style.

UKSurf
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 597
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:09 pm
Local Beach: South Coast of UK
Gear: Liquid Force impulse Foil, Slingshot SST Wave
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 37 times

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby UKSurf » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:11 pm

I have been using the Element 13 for about a year now. I would say this might be one of the best allround kites for people who want to ride in waves as well as do a bit of freeride and freestyle. Overall it is a very good all round kite. It is not going to boost you to the moon, but jumps quite well once you get used to it and adjust the bar setting so you can sheet out further so you can reallly send the kite hard. It has good low end and is ideal for practicising tricks in ligher to medium winds since it is not going to spank you if you mess it up. Great upwind, ultra stable, excellent relaunch, good all round kite. Bar pressure is medium, not heavy - More than say the RPM.

Additional Note: some people say Switch have cheap build quality, this is total BS and the people saying it probably have a vested interest in the Importer-Retial business model.

Telekiter
Frequent Poster
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:37 pm
Gear: Kites:
-7.5 m, BEST kahoona -09
-9 m Switch Element -12
-13 m Switch Element -12
-17 m Blade Fat Lady -11
-10 m, FS Psycho3, -08


Boards:
-OR Mako 150x40.
-OR Mako King 165x44
Brand Affiliation: Switchkites Team rider.
Location: Sweden
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby Telekiter » Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:43 pm

I must second "UKsurf" on the E13 review. Great allround kite and quality is just as good as anything else out there. Light barpressure for hours of nonstop riding.

Most bang for the buck you can get, realy :thumb:

/Urban.

jwoodunlv
Frequent Poster
Posts: 256
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:42 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: switch element 13 review

Postby jwoodunlv » Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:54 pm

I've flown the 9m and would say it's a great kite, but never lose tension on the lines. My friend has the 9 element and every time he has crashed the kite after losing tension it rolls and tangles itself in the bridle. I would say the bridle is way too long. The last time it tore the kite in half. They definitely need to work on the bridle length on that one. Other than that it flies great.


Return to “Reviews”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests