Vapor lll review

[doubleoverhead]

I had a chance to demo the 2009 Airush Vapor lll.

Do you remember when you were learning to kite and were told to pump the kite up and down to go faster. We used to practice making figure eights on one side and then the other because this is how you generate power while flying a kite. Then bow kites came out on the market. When you pump them up and down you really don't generate speed or pull. To go faster you needed to sheet the bar out and then pull some power in. Now hybrids are on the market and you spend all of your time trying to figure out how to fly them--how to generate power.

I weigh 160 pounds and flew an 8.5m 2009 Vapor in 20 to 30mph gusty, Maui winds. When I pumped the kite up and down, I could generate pull and feel it. Sure I can also scoop in more power by sheeting the bar out and in. But this kite flies like a kite is supposed to. There is no guess work on how to make it to shore when the wind speed drops to nothing. Just pump your kite as fast as you can like you used too when kites were kites.

Lets get down to jumping. Lets face it I love to fly....get my speed up, send my kite, hold my edge to the last second and blast off. The Vapor will send you to the stratosphere and let you glide down softly. Keep your kite up high to the last seconds and just before landing bring you kite down to feather out your re-entry.

In summary, this kite has balls. This is a muscle car. If you drive a Ford Escort, drink White Zinfandel, or listen to smooth jazz the 2009 Vapor is not the kite for you.

[marlboroughman]

Thanks for that. I am yet to try the third version but own one and two and love them. The only thing I like to improve is the bar set up. The original is the industry standard but there is a better way to do it to get more fluid depower, more options and most of all ability to unspin manually.