Looking for advice on the new 2012 Vegas. Mostly i ride Twin Tips, like to unhook ,do big jumps etc etc, but if the waves are good i really enjoy getting the surfboard out as well.
Anyone use the Vegas for waves? Sounds like it is a very versatile kite.

Turns too slow for waves as it doesn't turns instantly like a wave kite should.

Has too much pull for wave riding - you will be fighting the kite instead of riding the wave as speed picks up while you ride down the wave: then the kite speeds up and delivers more power - ripping you off the wave especially riding switch.

Don't drop it as you will have a hard time to get it out and probably w-you will need to swim to the shore due to the high A/R.

Don't believe what North tries to make you believe.
Take an Evo or a Neo if you want a North kite for waves. There are many more alternatives at affordable prices with other brands.

Works fine for waves but i prefer rebel.
if you only go in waves sometimes its fine and its what Tom Herbert and Thomas Paris use. the guys in mauritius prefer it over the others for some reason and its what Ninja used to win ksp one eye pro so it works fine, maybe not for onshore though although tom and thomas used the 2011 vegas at pkra lanzarote in onshore and Tom came 4th

At the risk of upsetting the previous poster, I have to disagree with much of what he said, starting with the "Don't believe what North tries to make you believe." thing.
North does not market the Vegas as a wave kite. At all. The official North line is that the Vegas is a freestyle/wakestyle kite that can be tuned to work fine as a freeride kite. All the other kites in the NKB range are listed as being somewhat wave-oriented EXCEPT for the Vegas.

Therefore what I'm going to say below is not as a guy who works for North, but as a guy who happens to ride Vegas's a lot and who rides waves reasonably often,

Even though it's not marketed as such, I think the Vegas can be a great wave kite, depending on how you ride waves.

If you stay hooked in, like to throw the kite around a lot, or are not reasonably good with your board and understanding the dynamics of wave riding with a kite, the Vegas will not be ideal. For that, I'd recommend a Rebel or Fuse, as they drift better and are more forgiving with a loose bottom turn than the Vegas. They will also do a much better job of steering when the kite has been depowered or when you're heading down-the-line straight at the kite. The Vegas depowers a lot, but it becomes much less responsive as soon as you depower it and is similarly less responsive to input when it's drifting as you head down-the-line.

However, if you are fairly proficient with a surfboard and like unhooking on the waves, the Vegas is extremely stable and comfortable. It is best suited to the type of rider who wants to park the kite, generally unhooked, and ride down the line.

When set to freeride settings, it will react and turn more quickly and directly than any other kite in our lineup, but has less power. Set it to freestyle to decrease its reactivity/turning speed. Also remember that it is a "C" kite, so it maintains power through it's turn, rather than pivoting on itself. Some wave riders prefer the powered turns, some prefer the pivot.

I also disagree with the previous poster's comments about getting ripped off a wave. This of course can happen with any kite when overpowered, but this is a far more common occurrence with the Evo, which has much more grunt and less top end than the Vegas(at least for 2011... Haven't tried or gotten a whole lot of feedback on the 2012 Evos, though North says they improved the top end, which should solve this issue). The Vegas has the least low end of all of the kites in our lineup and one of if not the best top end (if you ignore the drop in responsiveness when depowered) and getting ripped off a wave has never been a problem for me on one.

The previous poster was correct about relaunching... Being a "C" kite, the Vegas will not relaunch as quickly or easily as many other kites out there, however if you are experienced enough to be using a Vegas in the first place, you should also be reasonably proficient at using the 5th line to facilitate relaunch, so it shouldn't be a huge problem.

If you're looking for a freestyle kite that is also specifically marketed as a wave kite, check out the Evo... Works great for unhooked freestyle or on the waves, drifts well, and relaunches extremely quickly. If I'm traveling and think I will encounter a huge variety of conditions, I'll generally pack Evos for their adaptability.

But for sure don't discount the Vegas just because you want a kite that will work in the waves. I generally use the Vegas for flatwater freestyle and waves when conditions are good for unhooked down-the-line wave riding, and switch to the Rebel whenever the wind is lighter or the conditions look too sloppy and small or intimidating and big for me to unhook in the waves.

If you're a flatwater guy who goes in the waves when conditions look great for it, the Vegas should be a great choice.

Hope this helps.

-Dan

Relaunching a Rebel by a Pro kitesurfer during KSP 3 Dec 2011 in Ponta Preta starts at 3:02
http://www.livestream.com/extremience/v ... f57fe20dd3
http://www.livestream.com/extremience/video?clipId=pla_066c0e50-f697-4fdf-89a5-48f57fe20dd3

Moreover the wind is blowing (side off shore) rather strong. He's lucky no wave falls into his North kite while it is floating off shore.

Of course this only happens to Pro-kiters sponsored by North - not the average kitesurfer as North makes you believe.

The Vegas has even a higher A/R of the leading edge. Have fun swimming behind your folded kite.

Use an Evo instead - or a delta from any other brand.

That's a strange reply. The OP was not talking about the relaunch ability of the Rebel (which is excellent, the one in the video looks like it may have a line wrapped around the kite which can happen to any kite obviously).

Comments like that make you look like a tool.

Pipes,
I live on Maui and love my 8m vegas. I only use one kite and its the one I picked. Its not the best wave kite but I found it works well on short lines if you want snappy punches. If your looking for a good all round kite go with the vegas and ignore what peter peevish pan said because honestly I doubt hes got a real opinion from experience.

Right on Dan!

@Toast: come with your kite on the North Sea and you'll be a toast.
Our waves are quite different than your waves.

lol, but it seems to me that all you ever do is tell people how shitty their kites are. I'd say like Toast, I doubt that you are talking from a lot of experience on the kites...btw. if you ride a delta, 5 mins on a kite like the vegas or park will not really be sufficient to say much about it.

peterheirman,
waste as much time of your own as you wish. I do not care. I know I can ride my vegas in waves and even your North Sea waves.

-Toast