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Best 12m Nemesis

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Dax
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Best 12m Nemesis

Postby Dax » Tue Jun 15, 2004 4:19 am

Best 12m Nemesis
165lbs Rider / 132cm Board
Average Wind Conditions: 15mph-25mph

I've been flying this kite for a couple of months now, long enough to really get to know it. I truly believe this is as good a kite as any others currently on the market, and anyone who has doubts because of the price will be very surprised if they ever have a chance to demo one.

What you notice first is that it has none of the negative properties normally associated with high AR. There are no stability problems, in fact its the most stable kite I've flown. It has no tendency to race back in forth in the window, nor does it have the slightest hint of jellyfish. It flies well even with lots of back line pressure, and keeps flying great even with the tips flared a bit.

Unique design properties include inflatable tip battens with their own blatters (includes non-return valve), and its thin LE and struts. Also it is one of the few kites high aspect kites out on the market with a 5 strut design. Despite fewer struts and the thinner LE, the kite seems to fly stiff as a board in the sky, and shows few signs of flexing and has no rocking or jellyfish properties.

Upwind is superb. You feel very little pull from kite, especially downwind pull. Instead pull gets generated when you build up speed, and apparent wind. Its very hard to get pulled downwind by this kite as it naturally wants to ride at the edge of the window.

Turning speed is average, the kite is very responsive to bar inputs so it enters turns quickly. It does not pivot turn, if you want that you should look at the mid AR equivalent (Yarga.)

The kite handles gusts so well that I actually find I notice water conditions (flat or choppy) more than how gusty the wind is. Gusts tend to accelerate you forward instead of pulling you off your edge and downwind. Usually the only time you notice gusts is while jumping.

Speaking of jumping, this kite likes to fly! The Nemesis has taken all of my jumps to new heights and has improved hang time significantly. The kite has a good deal of rear line pressure which lets you feel where the kite is in the air during a jump, works great!

The kite flies best when ridden fast, which makes it not so great in heavy chop. However I ride it in lots of chop quite often and find it is still very forgiving since it doesn't demand hard edging to stay upwind, thus you can concentrate on navigating all of the chop without worrying about keeping a hard edge.

Flat water riding is amazing as you can zoom along at unbelievable speeds while still racing upwind and having lots of control.

It even relaunches well, which really surprised me given its high AR design. I found the key to easy relaunch was making sure it was pumped up hard, this keeps the LE from bending during relaunch which can obviously make things more difficult.

So in summary...

Pros:
Incredibly Stable
Great in Gusty Wind
Upwind
Speed
Great Relaunch for High AR
Price!

Cons:
Speed not so great in heavy chop
Bag not the greatest (works well though)
No pivot turning like Yarga

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Postby zim » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:03 pm

where have you been riding the kite?

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Postby Dax » Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:42 pm

zim wrote:where have you been riding the kite?
Pacific NW... Gorge mostly.

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Postby Guest » Wed Jun 23, 2004 11:30 pm

like stevenson or the sandbar?

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Postby Dax » Thu Jun 24, 2004 12:16 am

Anonymous wrote:like stevenson or the sandbar?
Stevenson, Sandbar, Rufus, that other spot... Coast, Sauvies, Marine Drive... if you see a guy out there trying desperately to do something cool and failing a lot, that's me. :D

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pivot turn...? mid or hi aspect?

Postby peekay » Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:41 pm

hey dax...quick question on the best kites:

-i'm new to the sport...what's 'pivot turning'? you mentioned this is a con for the nemesis, how...why?

-what would you recommend: i'm new to kiting, but picking it up faster than I expected. now i'm wondering about my next kite purchase (currently flying a low-aspect cabrinha). i want something that i can grow into, not something that i'll grow out of. would the jump to a nemesis be too much or should i aim for the yarga?

thanks...see you at sauvie's

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Re: pivot turn...? mid or hi aspect?

Postby Dax » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:40 pm

peekay wrote:hey dax...quick question on the best kites:

-i'm new to the sport...what's 'pivot turning'? you mentioned this is a con for the nemesis, how...why?

-what would you recommend: i'm new to kiting, but picking it up faster than I expected. now i'm wondering about my next kite purchase (currently flying a low-aspect cabrinha). i want something that i can grow into, not something that i'll grow out of. would the jump to a nemesis be too much or should i aim for the yarga?

thanks...see you at sauvie's
When I say pivot turning I mean the kites tendency to turn on its tips like you nailed one of the tips to a spot in the sky, versus a kite that sweep turns. Hard to explain, but easy to identify when you see it. THe Nemi likes to sweep through the air, it travels very quick through the air so the turning is still quick. But unlike the Yarga, it doesnt like to stop, and then turn around. This is typical for high AR kites vs mid AR kites.

It still turns very quick and its likely you would never notice what I am talking about.

I think if you have gotten past the getting upwind stage, then you could be ready for this kite. Its a very easy to fly and handle, the only difference is it likes lots of board speed (apparent wind) to fly well. This isn't always the greatest in big chop, or on bigger boards, so you have to consider that when making your decision.

If you don't want to be a speedster all day, then consider a 11m Yarga... I think it would make an excellent Gorge kite. The 13.5m is a great kite, but it just is too grunty for me most days in the Gorge (170lbs on a 132cm board.)

For Sauvies, the 16m or 18m Nemesis would be great choices. I like the 16m and actually find myself very juiced up on it even when its not that windy.

Good luck! :bye:

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Re: pivot turn...? mid or hi aspect?

Postby Guest » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:31 am

I think if you have gotten past the getting upwind stage, then you could be ready for this kite. Its a very easy to fly and handle, the only difference is it likes lots of board speed (apparent wind) to fly well. This isn't always the greatest in big chop, or on bigger boards, so you have to consider that when making your decision.

If you don't want to be a speedster all day, then consider a 11m Yarga... I think it would make an excellent Gorge kite. The 13.5m is a great kite, but it just is too grunty for me most days in the Gorge (170lbs on a 132cm board.)

For Sauvies, the 16m or 18m Nemesis would be great choices. I like the 16m and actually find myself very juiced up on it even when its not that windy.

Good luck! :bye:[/quote]




Hi there, 8)

thankx so much for your comments. Very helpful!! Basicly, I'm almost in the same situation. Just started kite-surfing yet with the pre-experience of kite-boarding in the meadow. Going with a 9.5 Ozone Frenzy and Libre Mountain-board. Really helped me quite a lot so as to be able to go properly upwind on the first day of the course with a 12sqm wing at 26 km/h; board 150cm/50cm width. Drove me all crazy, so I need the equipment as it seems to be even more fun on (or rather in the water esp. when it comes to turn around which I cannot really do yet; tried it with flying turns, but the landings are still a bit harsh'n ' bumpy.)

Anyway, I'm about to buy the best offer, which is buy 2 get one free. Just saw it on the internet yesterday. Beforehand I thought about buying only two kites (Slingshot Fuel or Cabrinha Co2; approx. 12sqm and 16sqm)
The Problem:

I don't know your spots as I go kite surfing in Holland (either waste deep water for the next couple of weeks, so less choppy conditions, but I also wanna go during the winter on the cost where it can get fairly choppy...

Have you got any recommendations which 3 kites to buy in the range of best or cabarethe kites so as to cover a good wind range?

Can I mix up mid AR and high AR, e.g. yarga and nemises? I also don't wanna grow out of the kite that quickly...

And as regrads the sizes: Which size would ya recommend for let's say the nemisis and which for the yarga?

My weight 75kg, board: I immediately bought the one I was able to go upwind during the course, so 150/50cm.

Sorry, if I'm waffling around. It's just that I#m fairly new into the whole kiting business and I just wanted to make myself as clear as possible.

Thankx in advance for any answers.

fair wind,

joey :bye: :bye:

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Postby Dax » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:16 pm

joey -
If I were to have one quiver for maximum wind range it would be 18m Nemi - 13m Yarga and 9m Yarga. The 13m Yarga is a great all a rounder, the 12m Nemi only beats it in real gusty conditions and is a little easier to jump higher with.

You won't outgrow the Yarga either, it is a performance kite. In fact its the kite that Shannon Best rides in competitions. If you do some looking around you'll see things are trending more towards mid AR for advanced riders and pros. High AR is fun too, but not so great if you are getting into tricks besides jumping big.

High AR advantages are bigger in larger sizes though, so that's why I suggest a 16m or 18m Nemi as your big kite.

Have fun! :bye:

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Sauvie's websites

Postby peekay » Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:30 am

hey philip, i hope the last couple nights have proved better than tuesday. my name's chris and we got to talking as we were taking down the kites....could you send me the sites your recommend for sauvie's wind forecasts. thanks!

chris


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