Naish Bolt... 12m or 14m?

[FredBGG]

I have a Bolt 9m and love it.

I want to get a Bolt for lower wind. My main intrest is wave riding and I ride strapless.

I'm thinking of a 14m or a 12m.

I'm wondering if the 14m will not be as much fun.

I don't mind working a kite hard to have the advantage of a quick kite in the surf.

Also I like riding big boards. I'd even get a 7'6" board for the low wind stuff (utlra light Aviso).
I'm 6'4" so I don't mind a big board o a low wind day.

I'm leaning towards a 12m.

Any opinions welcome.

[wondamic]

Yo Fred, you jumped over to the dark side as well huh? Hey I would down to hook up and give you a demo with my kites. I'm planning on going down south this Friday (17th) and riding. Let me know if you want to give them a go.

[tautologies]

I have a Bolt 9m and love it.

I want to get a Bolt for lower wind. My main intrest is wave riding and I ride strapless.

I'm thinking of a 14m or a 12m.

I'm wondering if the 14m will not be as much fun.

I don't mind working a kite hard to have the advantage of a quick kite in the surf.

Also I like riding big boards. I'd even get a 7'6" board for the low wind stuff (utlra light Aviso).
I'm 6'4" so I don't mind a big board o a low wind day.

I'm leaning towards a 12m.

Any opinions welcome.

I've not really ridden the 14, but I have ridden the 12 and the 16 quite a bit. Depending on how low you feel low end is (it will obviously not compete with a 19 meter wing) I think for low end, the 14 will be a little more powerful, but still be faster turning than the 16.... A buddy mine went from the 14 torch (he's been riding those for ever...to the 12 Bolt and statement was that the kite is about..(maybe not quite as) powerful at the 14 torch, but with way way faster turning. He uses that kite to ride waves. He weighs about 220 (maybe?)..I am not sure what he feels his low end is, but he is using one of his bigger surfboards for light winds...I think he is using maybe a 7'2'' custom shape...I can get more details on that for you. First really decently sized north swell is on it's way so I'll definitely see him this weekend.... I know for sure that the kite has a huge range...we were out riding in less than 15 mph for sure... I've been riding the 12 Park a lot....

I can go on the Bolt 16 and a raceboard in glassy less than 10 mph wind...are you willing to check out a raceboard? I saw a Naish Proto that you'd like with all carbon...I doubt that it would be a production board though..maybe get the Aviso guys to make you one...I've seen some of their shapes that I find really interesting and that would be awesome for light winds / sloppy waves...

That said, and knowing how much my friend likes the 12 bolt, I also think that just assuming the 14 is somewhere between 12 and 16 I think the bolt must be a good kite...I just know how well I think the 16 works...however big that kite is...

I think either way you'll be happy, but if turning speed is your main concern then maybe the 12...if power is the main concern then maybe the 14...either way...

[pitbulldoug]

I have a Bolt 9m and love it.

I want to get a Bolt for lower wind. My main intrest is wave riding and I ride strapless.

I'm thinking of a 14m or a 12m.

I'm wondering if the 14m will not be as much fun.

I don't mind working a kite hard to have the advantage of a quick kite in the surf.

Also I like riding big boards. I'd even get a 7'6" board for the low wind stuff (utlra light Aviso).
I'm 6'4" so I don't mind a big board o a low wind day.

I'm leaning towards a 12m.

Any opinions welcome.

I would go for the 14m being for so cal area to cover the lighter days,especially with your weight.Ive been riding a 13.5 cult as my lower wind kite for a couple of seasons now and being 220lbs myself and very happy with it.The kites have so much range even if it gets windy 20 kts + you can hang with heaps of depower especially if your 200 lbs plus.I would imagine the bolt is fairly similar to the cult,looks like it?

[tautologies]

I would go for the 14m being for so cal area to cover the lighter days,especially with your weight.Ive been riding a 13.5 cult as my lower wind kite for a couple of seasons now and being 220lbs myself and very happy with it.The kites have so much range even if it gets windy 20 kts + you can hang with heaps of depower especially if your 200 lbs plus.I would imagine the bolt is fairly similar to the cult,looks like it?

Well I don;t know the conditions in So Cal so it is a little hard to say for me, but in terms of the shape..it is pretty much a middle way between the Cult and the Helix...taking the best parts of either IMO. Stability of the cult with the more fast turning helix. Easier relaunch on the helix with the sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride easy non-demanding cult....that said..
The shape is really noticeable on the LE..it is, while keeping the sigma, it is more segmented, making it s little rounder then last years cult...but not as round as the helix..the shape also has more focus in the center making the kite a little lower AR...now I am guessing here so no need to start throwing numbers at me...just going by looks...I guess leaving some of the aggressiveness of the helix (If you're looking for more aggressive kite go to Park), but still making it jump..better hang time than either one....in terms of range..yeah pretty much dead on it...super stable huge range and can hold so much wind even in gusty conditions...Bolt is an awesome kite for sure.


anyhoo...I think maybe I would choose 14..my philosophy, when in doubt rig big holds as I hate being underpowered....

[FredBGG]

Thanks for the advice!

Giving it some more thought I think I will go with the 12m and keep my 15m foil and update it with a new Foil when it comes out. I have had some pretty epic low wind wave sessions with giant foils.
Different to riding a LEI, but if the surf is big and the wind is really light the foil will get me out when it's too low for a LEI. I'm talking about days when it's too light to go down the line, but the lefts are sweet is the surf is nice.

I think I'll go for the 12m also becasue I have a couple of bigger really efficient surfboards.
6'8" Don Johnston mini gun and a Lost 6'4" Speed Demon.
I have my eye on a 7'6" as well.

[tautologies]

Thanks for the advice!

Giving it some more thought I think I will go with the 12m and keep my 15m foil and update it with a new Foil when it comes out. I have had some pretty epic low wind wave sessions with giant foils.
Different to riding a LEI, but if the surf is big and the wind is really light the foil will get me out when it's too low for a LEI. I'm talking about days when it's too light to go down the line, but the lefts are sweet is the surf is nice.

I think I'll go for the 12m also becasue I have a couple of bigger really efficient surfboards.
6'8" Don Johnston mini gun and a Lost 6'4" Speed Demon.
I have my eye on a 7'6" as well.

sweet..let us know what you think. My buddy can't get enough of the kite...

In general I am not a big fan of big kites and big surfboards...however this recently changed when I took out the 12 Park and the 5'8'' Naish fish...I had such a blast, and I think key is the channels that helpe me hold more power.. For turning key is to really crank the kite, and keep tension on the lines.

I'm looking at the 6'4'' NSP fish..or the 6'0'' Naish Fish...for more sloppy south shore winter swell...

The Aviso boards looks so good, but I am not sure I can defend getting one just to check it out....it seems they've dropped the model I was looking at anyhow...

...but if they had this one in a bigger size: http://www.avisosurf.com/Cole5-2BD3.html

woah....

[FredBGG]

I do my aviso shopping on Craigslist.

Good to rediculously good deals to be found.

[FredBGG]

Yo Fred, you jumped over to the dark side as well huh? Hey I would down to hook up and give you a demo with my kites. I'm planning on going down south this Friday (17th) and riding. Let me know if you want to give them a go.

Missed you friday... I was stuck at work.

I'd be happy to give you kites a spin.

[jakemoore]

I can't speak about the Bolt, but I'm flying Ozone 9 11 and 13 tubes along with foils. I have to give Ozone a lot of credit for building a 13M LEI I am willing to pump. And we are riding mostly windswell with onshore wind rather than nice California waves.

But for me if I have to pump up the 13, I will go on the raceboard rather than ride waves. The kite is too sluggish to climb if you ride downwind in the light wind where I need it. And it is too unforgiving if the lines go completely slack. And lightwind relaunch is acceptable but not as good as the foil, even though I rarely need it.

Plus, if I have a choice of riding underpowered on the 9 or powered on the 11, half the time I chose the 9 even though power matters more when the wind is onshore. Basically if I can get away with the 9 I will because its a more fun kite.

So yes I would definitely get the 12 if I was you and especially if you have a 15 meter foil to fly when the conditions are right.

I used to think that 10M was the size where I would switch from LEI to foil. Now with the Psycho 4 that has less power for meter that is somewhere between 11 and 13 for me. I'll be interested to see where you find the balance.

Jake