Just up-dated with my 4th session today.
I wanted a fast turning, fast flying, flat water jumping, wave riding fun kite without the killer price.
I'm only recreational flyer who just like extract the most out of nothing,
like light wind what we got and that’s fun for me.
I’m not a shop owner or selling kites underground whatsoever like others and no affiliation with WinWing or anybody.
Now I switched to WW after 3 years riding mainly F-One meanwhile I also had some Flysurfer and Peter Lynn kites.
The main reason is that F-One is not supported in USA because of the litigation deal and their high prices and now the 5th line which I don’t like anymore.
A high tech kite like Rapture is simple it gives the benefit of Safety, Reverse Relaunch, Performance without the need of complication of 5th line and expensive Recon.
What came with: Kite plus optional bar. The kite comes in a nice looking bag with pockets with a repair kit. I got some instructions with mine as it had only just been released but few days later a complete instruction was E-Mailed to me.
How excited was I!!!!
Construction: Looks very strong and rigid. No thread ends showing through the surface of the kite and loose stitches. The weight of the kite is 8lbs.
Setting-up: There are 5 struts with valves to pump plus the L.E. because the wingtip bladders are part of the L.E.
Thanks, no more pumping of 9 struts of the F-One M3.
Bar: The 56cm CC Bar is lovely but way big for the 12m. I wanted the same bar also to use with the 15m Rapture which will be coming soon for light days. The lines are 23m color coded to match the pigtail colors and pre-stretched. The CC Bar has 2 set-ups for sheet line tension. The stock set-up was for a higher friction so you don’t need the fixed loop or the “powerlock”.
You can set-up for zero sheeting tension like I did until getting used to the bar and kite first.
Safety features: The CC Bar safety works perfect! It saved me already out of a bad starting maneuver! No other safety system can turn off the power so quick by just pushing the bar away, or let it go even if the kite produces power in the middle of the window.
Don’t need to reattach any lines like on other kites and Recon which can be difficult after activation. Once you loose the edge because of steering error, use the same method to prevent butt dragging!
Flying impression: I moved the forward pigtails further back to the 3rd on the kite with 28m lines to squeeze the extra power for light wind. On my first flights without a board in 11knots were great I loved it.
With today I had total 4 session and practiced all possibilities of re-launching and light wind riding.
Today the wind was 10 to 12 knots using a RealWind directional and yielded upwind no problem.
It moves and turns quick with little effort to sweep the kite around the window so I could sine it much faster than any other kite to generate the power. Looked like a butterfly dancing in the air and I would say it feels like a 9m kite.
I think the Rapture was made to move really and to be lit, not to be static flown and hovered at the edge of the window. It is a kite that likes to fly fast forward in the window at the edge when compared to others.
To me the Rapture has been the easiest to loop with precision just like on the demo video.
Now the window of opportunity is here to start doing loops safely while riding. WOW!
Range: I think the 25 knots claim is too conservative because if I could handle 25 knots gusts on my 3rd session with my light weight at 60kg comfortable for 3 hours. (Pigtails set-up in the middle for front lines). Probably it will smoke anything on the high end for an average 75kg rider.
I found myself never had to adjust the trim. I could handle full power even in high winds without pulling the trim strap at the cleat.
You can feel the power building until the bar when pulled in for every inch on the bar. The bar pressure is very low.
Other average weight riders were also on a 12m but they were overpowered and had to set up their 8, 9, or 10m kites to continue their session.
Turning: It turns on a dime! The turning speed is very responsive to bar inputs so it enters turns quickly,
something that I imagine I will not want to let go!
Jumping with it: On 2nd session only in 12 to 14 knots on my F-One Style 128 X 35 after 15min. riding and getting used to it I started doing small jump.
When you start really boosting when powered up you realize the real power of this baby and then you just glide when you trim the bar right!
I have tried transitions where this kite most excelled when it was flown with sufficient speed. I was excited by the potential of this kite. It felt great.
I learned how far to sheet in while peaking-out and to sheet-out a little after reached cruising altitude.
Only then redirecting the kite and then pull in again just before landing.
Its easy get jumps where you finish off with forward speed in the same direction as when you took off, which is my favorite thing to do.
Give the kite some wind 16 to-25 knots and its heaven on wings.
You can rely on board edge quite a lot to cope with the gusts instead of sheeting out and dumping the power.
You’ll be able to convert power spikes for boosting or going up-wind with board speed.
Jumping feels a lot tighter than other L.E.I. and the kite redirects quicker if the speed is kept-up with more positive feel probably due to the increased canopy stiffness.
Hangtime: It’s not that far behind of some of the big L.E.I., Foil or Arc.
So far to me board speed and technique yielded pretty good floaty jumps.
The power: When sinusing, the kite develops a little more power on the down stroke but the up-stroke is not that far behind.
After 3rd session really impressive with 25 knots power spikes which are not jerked on the bar but absorbed which blew my mind.
The kite eats gusts so well that I actually I only noticed the choppy water than how gusty the wind was.
When people came off the water I was still in control. I’m sure I couldn’t handle that with my M3 12m either.
I’m really impressed.
Flat water riding is amazing as you can glide along at unbelievable speeds while still racing upwind all that without any effort.
It doesn’t like to stop and changing direction if flown out of the sweet spot in lighter winds for some reason because it’s necessary to keep up the kite speed especially in a lull.
Upwind performance: I noticed the upwind ability will be unrivaled by any kite and it was way better than anybody else on the water.
Gusts tend to accelerate forward which can be converted for up-wind or jumps while it’s still manageable to fly.
When the kite is overhead or walking upwind you don’t feel virtually any pull from the kite, amazing.
I lost my board couple of times on my 3rd session when the wind was kicking and it was easy to swim upwind and grab it, but not so with my M3 12m if I compare in the same wind.
Stability: The Rapture might have compromised stability in the air with upwind performance to a small degree but that’s not the marking criterion.
The kite is not forgiving for mal positioning when in flight and will drop you from a height if you get the bar wrong as I sad. I suspect this is related to “in-flight piloting error”.
Same token I couldn’t luff the kite when I flew it overhead, it just stalled out and hovered down to the edge of the window when the bar went beyond the sweet spot.
Interesting, some of the feeling of flights are like the modern high performance foil kites but without the “parachute-like behavior”.
Relaunch-ability: The reverse relaunch is the best feature I've experienced when the kite is in the soup.
Today on my 4th session I found I can launch it fast as the Recon with only pulling the bar in one direction and it will stands up,
than untwist the bar and redirect the kite while hot launches without much of the pull when dialed in “Bingo here you go” it’s so simple.
Thanks WindWing leading the R&D and innovation in kite design!
Skill level: I think it is suited for people who have been flying for a while and the pro. Probably not for people who just started jumping.
It needs to be flying the kite throughout the jump with a sensitive control input,
rather than just sheeting in and dangling as with the “parachute-like behavior type”.
This kite is a different animal that cannot be compared to most kites, you have to fly and feel it yourself IMO.
The good thing when compared to a "traditional high A.R. kite" the others feel like a truck when overpowered, but not the Rapture!
Even in higher winds you can completely switch off the power. BUT!!!
In my experience the kite is like a loyal and powerful horse, giving an easy ride, but make any error and it becomes a monster that can really hurt you.
I feel there are some minimal issues, but you need to learn how to over come them.
In summary: Beautifully put together piece of kit with the complimentary CC Bar.
Looks good and more projected surface area is predominant than the Cab Contra. Slight bar pressure and turns on a dime. I’m pleased with the Low and high end of the kite.
After all this I feel like a Newbie so much to learn and exploring its possibilities.
Each kite has its merits and style and if you want agility and tricks with jumps, instead of lock it in and go, this is a kite for you.
The "fun factor" is that you don’t have to edge the board really hard if you’d like to make up ground you lost.
I didn’t want another big slow pig tractor-like kite.
I am very happy with my new toy. The price is a sweet deal. Very curious about testing while waiting for the 15m!
Cheers,
DrLightWind
Just to show how strong and tight standing on it's own trailing edge.