Hi there, I´ve two intensive weeks kite experience and want to add a light wind kite to my 9.0 CO2 - think their 11.5 is to close ..
Anyone given a Hydro 13.0 a try ?

aloha

Jürgen

Hi Jürgen,

the Hydro 13 could be a good choice.
I wouldn't get a bigger size tan surface area of 18 sqm like the Hydro 13 has.
Since last year the kites improved and have a better handling than before.
But 16 sqm would work as well as 18, has less area but is faster. If you can try both sizes and see where your low and high ends are. It should be more than 2 knts difference at the low end.

Cheers
Toby

Hi Toby,

thanks for advice ! Unfortunately I´m from Garmisch-Pa. and have to face a weak ora close to Malcesine/Campagnola Bay at Lake Garda or gusty thermal winds at Walchensee or a westerly breeze on Lake Starnberg. Therefore I guess it might be quite a difference having 2knots more low end potential - might be the threshold between planing and watching others doing it ..
It´s a pity that most brands jump from 16 to 20m skipping the 18 as in my opinion the improvements you mentioned, having for sure taken place, should enable the designers now to develop 18-sizes with the feeling of a 14 or 16 having last year. Reading about a Mach 1 18.1 for example makes me a bit sad not yet being advanced enough for a high AR kite, but considering the unsteady conditions I´ve to kite I wonder if the new intermediate shapes won´t be the best solution for the future as well !?

aloha

Jürgen

the intermediates have a good shape, but not for the lift to jump high.
For beginners and wakestyle they are great. Also in gusty winds they should be better (lakes), since the high AR are too sensible for it (jelly fish effect). But we will see with the new X2 if it is jellyfishing due to its solid structure.

I've been using the new hydro´s since december, and now the come in an optimized version with great new features. My impression is that the 11 (the first name was 11,5 - but it is the same size) starts just at early as the airblast 11,8. The lift is still very good, it´s no problem to go big with this kite - but the handling is much easier than the airblasts. It is so easy to waterstart, it covers a huge windarea as it can be depowered completely. It´s my choice for competition this year, I think the concept is brilliant. It's a lot esier to jump with than high AR kites, and the difference in how high you go is max 5% lower than with the airblast...

Thomas

oh shit I forgot to write the right stuff...I haven't tried the 13 hydro, but to me it sounds like a great size. I should be getting a demo version next week - after that I'll report how it is compared to the 11..

Thomas

Hi Thomas,
sounds great, thanks - I´m curiously looking forward to your review of the 13.0 next week ! What are the obvious features comming with the new Hydros ? How can I identify an "old" one maybe on stock at my dealer ?

aloha

Jürgen

The new Hydro is called 2002 02 (2002 version two)

What has changed? battens, material?

The Hydro version 2 has the same materials.
They just added battens and an extra valve in the main bladder (for quicker deflating I suppose). The sizes are the same but for whatever reason the 11.5 hydro now says 11 on the bag and the kite but it is the same exact size of the 11.5....
that's all I noticed. Battes help a bit but it's a very subtle improvement, overall it remains a VERY easy kite to use...and allows you more riding time and the water realunch is fantastic....
enzo