Today Shannon came to my local spot and let me test fly the Hellfish 13m.
I’m really appreciated for that.
The wind was light only about 10 to 12 mph with couple of gust to 14 mph.
I’m 130 lbs (60kg) and normally I would take a kite like F-One M3 16m or the Rapture 15m,
which is not that happy in that low wind with a directional board.
Since I wanted a real test I grabbed my F-One TT Style 128 X 35 real narrow board.
The first thing I noticed that the kite felt so light that I could barely feel any bar pressure in my hands,
even when the bar was pulled in for maximum power.
I couldn’t believe it, after couple of passes I could go up-wind,
like with the Rapture the only one could do so far.
I started doing some jumps up to about 13 feet according people on the shore.
I’m impressed doing that height with a small board in a light wind only on a 13m.
Just send it without any effort and feels like I could be riding on it all day without getting tired.
Sometimes I ride 4 to 6 hrs on a session.
The hangtime is unbelievable, it’s a different world, it just hangs straight up there.
I dropped the kite to the soup about 3 times after doing transitions,
but I could relaunch it very fast.
The steering speed and handling is so good that it feels like a 7 or 9m kite.
This is no bullcrap, no hype that’s for real.
The kite packs up small and feels like a 12 - 13m Ram Air type kite weight it’s so light.
I think it will revolutionize kiting and this is a big forward leap in kite designing history.
People could say the kite is the same old design or copy.
I don’t give a shite because after riding it the bottom line is,
it works without all the bullshit and 5th line.
Just by cutting the weight down it did what I was excepting from a kite like this.

Congratulation Best.

DrLightWind

Great nice to hear a review.

Let us know how the kite does in its upper wind range.

Nice to hear an independent review.

DrLightWind,

I realize you had only one brief session on the Hellfish, but I trust that you are independent. What do you think would be the best size for me at 185 lbs and looking for good coverage from 13-23 knots? I can't buy a whole Hellfish quiver, but can get one that I will use most of the time and then fill in around it with decent but cheap kites at

http://www.kitesurfcheap.com

Thanks,

E

DrLW,

I know you're in the "Stoke Zone" at the moment, but I rarely trust a review that has no negative points whatsoever. (I myself have been guilty of this)

Was there anything you'd want to even slightly change?

Bar pressure?
Turning speed?
Colour even?
Does it turn with power or swivel on the spot? (which do you prefer)

ed257,
My impression is after that short 45 min ride that,
with a bigger board and with your weight the 13m should do it for you in that range.
One of the rider of your weight was out there cruising and holding ground before me in about 10 knots on a smaller TT.
Another rider more advanced than I'm about 160 lbs weight was also riding a 13m Hellfish on a 110 T.T. and already doing jumps.
Later on Shannon took over the other 13m and he was riding, inspite of the fact that he is more than 185 lbs.
So If you start out from 13 knots which is 15 mph, you should be all right on the 13m to start out IMO.
Hopefully the 13m will cover the 23 knots top end range according the windranges of Best,
because I didn't have a chance to fly it in a high end yet.

I hope it helped,

DrLightWind

I was actually pretty stoked...
Yes, especially when I came back to shore and almost lofted in nothing.
I could't even feel any pull, anything in Bar pressure in my hands.
It's true the kite was high overhead and high (kind of stupid) in a light wind and suddenly moon walking like Michael Jackson.
To me it wasn't scary but impressive that what weight reduction can do to a kite and lifting you up in a cat's fart.

Although the Trim Strap was set for maximum power so if I pulled it in more,
I could have more effective range on the chicken loop according to Shannon.

"Bar pressure?" is very light front line flyer, no other kite has anything like that.

"Turning speed?" as I mentioned the 13m feels like a 7 or 9m size.
According one rider who does wakestyle mentioned it was too fast for him. To me that's a great achievement, I like quick turning speed.
According to people on the shore I did also a loop but wasn't aware of it (I've been doing loops that already on the Raptures.)

Yes, it will turn with power for sure.

The color I liked it, it looks great.

To me the relaunch went easy, maybe I was lucky, meanwhile the other more advanced rider was spending more time to relaunch his.

I think a better safety system would be nice like the Raptures are having,
without reaching up and activating the safety system.
I'm sure sooner or later they will come up with something better.
Meanwhile those who are flying the Hellfish should be more carefull near the shore because it's a very powerfull kite.

I flew only the prototype which is 1 Lb heavier and L.E. is bigger than the production,
so the production 13m will fly even better and jump even higher!

DrLightWind

So Doc,

How would you compare the Rapture 15 and the HellFish 13? (now things are getting interesting!)

Thanks for taking the time to review too,
-H

Following up on heffe's comment. It would be nice to know how you compare the Hellfish to the kite that you rode before or after riding the Hellfish.

Hi Dr. Lightwind,

You are mentioning 10-12 mph (with gusts 14 mph) yesterday, I am sorry to say but it was blowing a little more than that. Probably 12-14mph with gusts 16-17 mph. Check Ikitesurf Crandon 05-19

Still it is impressing what you are writing; easy jumping, great hangtime, fast turning, light bar pressure, with only 13m in this wind. Normally I ride
18m in 12-14 (gusts 16)!!!

Is there any footage of your (and others) riding yesterday??

Let us know!!!




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