Hello Everybody!
Wow!
so many nice comments about this kite!
I just got it lately… right when my trip here in the Philippines started to be more waves-oriented…
Had a look on the post Niall pointed on seabreeze.com.au… seems I have to be really careful about what I will write! … there’s some arguing about riders writing to push their brands…
Anyway… the following, are my ideas… and believe they are true or not… there’s not much of negative in it…
For sure (and nobody that had a go with this kite probably disagree…) is a totally different kite from the rest available now
… A SLE C kite, agreeing with Niall’s description. Massive tips give to the kite plenty of response plus a big leading edge and a new bridle system make it stay more into the power. All that ends up in a totally different way of flying that really match with what is needed for riding waves down the line without too much kite movement
…
As pointed already is amazing the way it just stay in the air delivering power during the riding… no need to steer it to much when power is missing, just a little touch on the bar will fix immediately the lack. I have to admit that the first time I tried I had problem to get used to it
, trying to do a lot more than was needed… trying to make it fly the way I was doing with the Obsession.
I don’t want now say that Obsession is not good anymore for wave riding, I still love it… at all! but Religion… make life easier
… that’s it.
I can totally understand all those comments from riders that are improving so much… it is a very reliable friend during your moves in the waves, and doesn’t ask too much to keep delivering his power.
What I really love, especially for my kind of wave-riding style, is the huge power it can deliver when in the light wind condition you do start moving it… especially when you are coming down from the wave with the feeling that you have not enough power to go back and hit the lip, there is when it totally amaze me: if you have this kite attached to your bar: just send it back, and before it’s even half way the power on your body is enough to make you think that is time to bring it back, results: you hit the lip with so much power
, due to the kite position still in the power zone, that the spry is double the size of the wave!
Maybe this short clip can give a better idea of what I’m trying to describe, is about a very light wind day:
With proper wind it can really stay around the power zone, without having that kind of wide side-window to side-window flying that will make you have an hard life with timing and inconstant power delivering.
This clip should better explain what I mean:
Following are my 3 favorites quality of this toy:
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Fast reactivity :
as soon as you pull on one of the bar side it starts transferring plenty of power without delay, this mean that in those kind of moments you really need some more power (going fast downwind to reach that section of the wave that you need to be at; fix a mistake you made not transferring the right pressure on the board at the right moment, and so on…) the Religion will give it to you immediately with just a little action on the bar… meaning: no need to steer the kite all the way on the opposite site, just a little pressure and the kite will change is angle and start flying and pulling without any delay. No need to loop with proper wind… And if you do loop it you can ride a wave even when you are struggling to ride back upwind! (as in the clip…)
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Wide wind range :
Easy control when over-powered… but still good in light wind. I’ve the 10… and I go out with it as much as I would go with 10.5 OBS2 in light wind, if less, just a little… actually for wave riding especially in low wind condition I prefer more the power that this kite can deliver during direction changes and loops.
About the hi-end… when I can ride waves with good power with my 7 OBS2 the Religion 10 can still do the job… last time I went out with some other rider one guy came asking why I was still with a 10 when he was happy with is 7… my answer was… that it was still fun…
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Solidity :
solid than everything else I have ever been flying:
the structure is compact and rigid, you have this feeling even before it’s inflated: a strong kite. Once ready you can see easily that even the worst self landing on a bad surface will not easily damage your kite, plenty of dacron around the leading-edge-tip areas; much more around every panel, it all give you the feeling you can try a little harder… had a really bad crash in a two meter heavy shore break… to late in getting out, the lip sucked the board and myself down at the very last second… very bad for my body and the board… we both got smashed on the send! as soon as I was standing on the shore, no tension on the lines anymore, I realized the kite was having the same treatment from the same wave 20mt ahead… I still feel pain thinking back at the all picture! but… nothing bad happened: the kite was there on the shore, plenty of sand and water on top, and the guys on the beach, as well as me to tell the truth, couldn’t believe the bladders didn’t blow-up and no any rip was on the material…
And more… few days ago I twisted a little my knee loosing control of the board on bumpy water at full speed on a stupid small wave… strong pain at the moment… didn’t want to keep going… had to make a self landing right on the dry reef, couldn’t walk on that all the way back to the beach… well… the kite is still all in one piece… no rips, no scratches…
I’m traveling around the Philippines since 6 months now, the most of the time I’m alone… plenty of spots with reef and very little sandy beaches for landing… Feel way happier now with this armoured-kite
…
I’m very curious about how good it could be for teaching
: water-relaunching is so easy,
no need at all to grab the side line: it just rotate on its self and fly up by using the bar… depower is plenty (with the stopper all the way far…), smooth and predictable. I’m sure it would give an easier time to the students… and for sure to the kite school owner!
It does go easily up wind!
Definitely this kind of “more into the power zone flying” make wave-riding really enjoyable: you have not to wait for your kite to end his race on the other side of the window when changing its run. it just turns and stops in the power making your life easier during the riding. When talking with the RRD guys in the meeting in Corsica for the 2010 French Market (at that time, Sept09, there where only prototypes ready) the idea of a kite that could fly more inside the window was sounding very good to me: faster turning speed, less answering delay, less stalls…
but…. going upwind??? that was my concern: would have it be able to go upwind easily wile staying so much inside the window??? but… don’t ask me how… it does go upwind… no problem at all for that
…
What about freestyle???…
for sure it gives is best in the waves:
- steady, predictable and with plenty of power available at every moment on the bar in offshore wind…
- very fast in on shore wind to make you go back to the lip without spending time waiting for stalls or delay during its turning…
But all this doesn’t mean that it’s not going to work at all for freestyle… I love the way it loops and the constant power it deliver, don’t really mind to use those quality during my transitions with my directional…
Of course… Obsession is the one for my twin-tip, but in case I’m in a spot with a good flat water inside and waves on the reef, and I am too lazy to pump-up two kites but starving enough for both conditions with both kind of boards, (especially when I’m alone and self-landing is too tricky to risk twice…) there I go: Religion is the one for both sessions…
Bar Pressure on the 10: I reckon is a little more than 10.5 OBS2,
Negative points:
don’t know… I’m sorry for the ones that are going to think that is something I have to write…
but I don’t really see any of them… luck of grunt for someone: when I need more… I just make it move! Maybe the bag for some other? well, as far as it keep and protect my kite… for me is fine…
Here a movie about this discovering trip; you can see a little of both, Religion and Obsession, in the waves… pay attention on the window width during the kites movement for the wave-riding…
That’s all… and, as always, there’s not better truth than… trying!
Mabuhay (a great life…)
to all ,
Andy