Postby Cab Driver » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:14 pm
I actually tested the 14 and 17 yesterday with one of my coworkers in about 5 MPH with mega-gusts hitting about 7 MPH. Unfortunately, the tide current was also running downwind, so the test conditions were super poor. The reality is that the wind was too light to really kite, but we tried the two kites with a skimboard, a Custom 133, and a protoype Prodigy 148 to try to get a feel for the power. I was nonetheless able to go on the skimboard/14 for most of the time. I was mostly going downwind, but occasionally I was able to get lifted nicely upwind. I found that the kite was very efficient if I could just get a little speed and then sheet out to let the kite breathe. I noticed a significant reduction in bar pressure when compared to the Crossbow 16.
The 17 wouldn't really go on the Custom 133 at all (we didn't even try the 14 with this board) - too much rocker for that little wind. With the Prodigy 148/Contra 17m combo, the performance was about equal to the skimboard/14. While riding the skimboard, the 17 could be locked in place (a little sheeted out once moving along) and would hold it's ground nicely. We noticed most of the power of the 17 coming on the downstroke when moving the kite around to develop speed. I wish we had more time on this Contra 17/Skimboard combo, but the wind totally died off.
Basically I would say that a bigger rider (200+ lbs) on the 17m can expect to get the same light air performance as an average weight rider (170 lbs) on the 14m in the 8-10 MPH wind range. A 170 lb person on the 17m can go in less wind than the 14m, but the overall range of the 17m will suffer on the top end with that rider weight. I think once you get to the type of conditions that we rode in yesterday, you are still better off spear fishing. One more thing, to get the best light air performance out of the 17, I would recommend a bigger board with a fast (flatter) rocker line, a specialized light wind board, or a skimboard to get the maximum light air performance out of the kite.
More to come when I ride the kites in 8-10 MPH. Demo for yourself, don't take my word for it. Contact a Cabrinha dealer to find out when demos will be available.
Todd