Hi Fred,

I liked the Ps4 15, up to a point. It's a big kite and yet it doesn't like light winds. The DL version should be a lot more appropriate for it's programme. For my riding style (I am not into monkey business), the SP3DL15 will very well replace the Ps415; as it has as wider wind range and it turns nearly as fast.

You are a big guy and as wind increases you swap the S319 for the Ps4 15, just like I would be swapping the S315 for the PS412, which in my opinion is far better than the 15, not just because it is smaller.

I have a Spleen Zone, which is amazing. The problem is that I am not amazing at switching feet gibing on such a small board. I use it when the sea is glassy between surfs. I also have a North surf board (small too) and a 6'2" floaty surf board to which I added footstraps.

Have you tried the Mako? When you do, you'll understand why everyone is raving about it. I think it is a "ahead of it's time" amongst boards as FS are with kites. For you, the Mako King should fit the bill.
I have modified my Mako so it feels less like a twintip and more like a surfboard by moving the fins towards the center and swap the for longer ones. I started a thread on the subject. I don't remember ever had a surfboard rider close hauling upwind nearly as well as me with the Mako, even when pulled by a Pulse2; but to be fair they didn't have FS .

Alex

So standard version sp3 12m kite finally arrived. Im basically a intermediate kiter and i have a FS quiver that i use on snow and water, (6-8-12m pulse2, 19m p4, and sa19m) and i usually ride a Spleene 141 session because of the lulls i get on my local lake. . Winds were gusty today 16-29 mph at 7500 ft elevation at a mountain lake. (guessing this is equal to 13-24mph at sea level). Normally i would consider 8m pulse 2 and 12m pulse 2 if i felt underpowered. Kite does take longer to inflate at edge of window than p2 or s2 kites. Kite is very wide and narrow. Almost looks same width in air as speed2 19m. Flew the kite unaltered out of the bag.


Once launched even in gusty winds the kite was very stable. occaisonal gust would cause kite to surge forward but pull in on the bar and kite keeps its shape and floats back to window. I could immediately feel the wider wind range with improved depower. Released some of the depower strap to only 1/4 pulled so i could control kite at window edge better,, able to do this since the depower feels so good just by pushing out the bar. The kite goes downwind much better than speed 2. Turning is very fast. Seems like the pulse 8 controlling it even though it is much wider. Turns much better than p2 when depowered, but still turned fastest while sheeted in .When you depower the kite it is very very direct on depower. THis gives confidence when flying and even though gust were to 30 didn't ever get that OMG feeling the speed 2 19 gives when close to 16 to 20mph. The kite screamed upwind. Seemed like i was going straight into the wind and perpendicular to waves. (would have guessed actualy 30-40 degrees off straight upwind but i don't know if this is physically possible). . When wind would gust never had the runaway train feeling cause when you depower you really depower and can gain control of your edge.

During down wind turns and transitions one wingtip would bend in slightly, but not like my psycho 19 which occaisionally claps its tips together in the gusty stuff.. (bad time for applause) . Never dropped the kite while powered today despite trying conditions, but had two wind lulls that let the kite sit on the water. one reverse lauch was super easy, nearly as good as the pulse 2. Also noticed that relunching in powerzone wasn't as sketchy as sp 2 since there is more direct depower. Didn't have to stall the kite to prevent a depowered acceleration launch that ive had a few times with sp 2.

I didn't get the feeling that the sp3 was a low wind kite. It wasn't anything like the sp2 19m in the lulls. So far for me haven't seen a need for the deluxe edition. In the lulls the kite still hovered in the sky waiting for increased wind. Don't think it would have been much different with the deluxe since when i had enough wind for kiting, the kite was very fast and well behaved.

had a Few jumps and had super soft landings. Rips you off the water well with edging and a pull on the bar. Will check this out more with steady winds.

Dropped to the FLS at the end. The kite came down pretty quick and flopped and twisted much less than fls on either of my pulses. Not the complete turn off the fds gives, but was able to walk up the line in about 15-20 mph winds to secure the kite without difficulty.

Can't wait to try the kite in smooth ocean conditions. Think it will then be a better low wind kite but obviously my 19m sp2 SA is best for that. Really feels like a confident fun kite. Really happy with my first day out and will try and repost once ive had more time on the kite.

Thanks for the review Mountainkiter.

Not sure if I should need your next review. It looks like it could get expensive.

And of course there is nothing more expensive than a free trial of a great kite!

Have fun,

John

Me too had a try on the twelve standard this weekend. I can agree with mountainkiter in most of his sayings. As I look through my Norwegian review there are a few points to add.

Most of all it is the soft feeling. It's in some way like a powerful Citroën floating along a bumpy road. One of the others that were with me yesterday is an "antifoiler", but I forced him to try the S3-12. He overcame his antis and became a fan after twenty minutes of gusteating and floaty flying. As he said: "I was just smoothily lifted out of the water. Did't have to load for the jump the same way as with my SLE's and kept the balance in huge jumps." The winds were varying between 6 and 14 m/s, no problems.

S3-12 equals standard SLE 14-15 in power when riding, but is more depending of your riding speed to produce lift and pull. This has both pros and cons, but can be used by skilled riders to make it a premium snowkite for light wind days even in standard edition. It's top end among foils and more floating in the jumps than any SLE I've tried.

(A few pics from the session at vindsport.com behind the main pic. The sun has left us for this year so quality is threafter)

Good to hear the feedback and so many more customers happy with the Speeds. Speaking of snowkiting, we look forward to using the Speed 3 12m... this season... I know it will work well especially since the speed 2 12m was so much fun in lighter stuff last season like my vid below... Look forward to SP3 12m whe the Snow Blows:

This is the SP 2 12m but will make a vid for SP3 later...

Had a great session on the Speed 3 19m today.
I was at home when I saw the sensor at one of my two local beaches go to 9mph.
Jumped in the car. By the time I got down there it was averaging 8mph and there were
huge glassy patches on the water.
I set up the kite and decided to test out the very low end for me at 225lbs plus gear (345 wetsuit, life vest and helmet). I took out the Flydoor M 155cm x 42.5. I normally ride surfboards, but I wanted to test out this combo for a friend.
I could hold my ground and cruise around.
I could regain ground after riding a wave, but it was quite tricky as I had to avoid the big kelp beds.
I'm sure that with a Door L or XL I would have been able to go upwind no problem.
After half hour or so the wind became a bit more irregular with nasty lulls.
The wind was straight side shore and it was stronger on the beach than out on the water.
Lulls were getting really low. At times I could not plane, but to my suprize the kite kept flying just fine. It's bloody amazing how this ultra light fabric just floats up there.
Half of the time I was riding over totally glassed out spots where I could see the sea bed.
It was pretty cool and quite a feeling riding such glassy waves.
After about an hour of the wind picked up a bit, but still no white caps.
Boy did the kite wake up.
At around 10mph it's sweet. Effortless cruizing with a parked kite leaning nicely against the kite
and going upwind. Nice floaty jumps. The surf was nice so I dropped into the waves and rode half way down the beach practically forgeting the kite and letting it drift.
This kite really jumps nicely. It's just so darn easy to hold your edge and send the kite.
What I would do is get up some good speed then well powered up I would send the kite on a gradual climb and then snap the kite just before it reached 11 to 11:30. Real nice and smooth.
Float is great, but that's to be expected for a 19m, but the suprize is how quick you can redirect this big bird.
Landings... all feather light. You can really consider going big with a delicate surfboard.
Once the wind got upto an average of 12mph I was light and boosting jumps in the gusts of about 15mph was a blast. Big, looooong and floaty.
When I cam in at the end of the session a group of 20 year olds came over and said they were blown away by the jumps. Looks like I've recruited three more new kiters....

The low end on the Speed 3 19 is pretty much the same as the Speed 2 19, but it's more fun and more versatile. Jumps are more imidiate and you don't have to fight the kite as much when you send it. It's just way easier to get the jumps just right.
Compared to the previous Speeds... both the Speed 1s and Speed 2s the new Speed 3 has all the low end, but none of the runnaway train problems. It is very easy to control your speed.
When sheeting all the way out the kite depowers but does not shoot forward in the wind window so the power turns off quicker.

I have set the kite to full soft steering (makes the kite more responsive) and lengthened the front lines by 1.5 or 2 inches.(Adjusting a leader line). Lengthening the front lines helped get better low end without riding with the bar right in your chest and gets a bit more grunt out of the kite. I would advise everyone to do this. You can still shorten the front lines back to stock and shorter with the adjustment strap.

Here's the windgraph:
I was out from about 2pm to 5pm.... no one else on the water.
One kiter pumped up, but didn't launch.. packed up and left.

Put up the Speed 3 DL first today and then the SA 19 2.5. Wind was 6-8 MPH, no current to speak of and ANKLE SNAPPER size waves.

Verdict: Neither kite could get me going. I weigh 240lbs. Before I went out, I put the steering to all the way soft on the S3 and lengthened the front lines some. Did seem to help in this case.

I notice that when the S3 gets towards the edge of the window in this Ultra light air, the lower tip wants to curl and the S3 has a tendancy to fall back and down in the wind window. Again, this was Ultra light air.

Both kites launched equally well off the beach. I launched them both directly down wind of me.

The SA 19 on the initial downstroke, seemed to give me a little more pull, but when it reached the edge of the window that was over also.

I keep searching to find the low end on the S3 in the 7-9 MPH. I keep hearing that both of these kites were tested side by side and they have the same low end. My questions is, what windrange do they have the SAME low end? If it's 10mph, I would agree.

LMR

You don't say what board you had. In light wind it is at least as important as the kite, especially with your weight!

Alex,

Thanks for reminding me about the board. I forgot to include.

I was riding the Monster Door.

LMR

I would like to know some things on the spped 3 15m.

I weight 190, kite on lakes with about 15-23 mph wind. I use a flx 138 x 43 board.

I'm comparing this to a rev 15m.

1- How is bar pressure?

2- Turning speed?

2- what is the best way to launch in 20 mph wind with a helper and with NO helper?

3. How is durability such as it getting slammed on ground and water?

Thanks !