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Shoe
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Postby Shoe » Tue May 15, 2012 5:27 pm
Does anyone own this kite? I like what I have read about it, but the reviews are mixed. Some say it's a great light wind kite, others say the relaunch is terrible. I am looking for a light wind 14 meter kite, and this one is top on my list. Can anyone shoot me straight?
Cheers!
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kitesurfrabbi
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Postby kitesurfrabbi » Tue May 15, 2012 7:03 pm
i haven't tried the 14 but the 16 is our sessionsaver. we use it in our school a lot of days when only the flysurfers are out.
this is for sure the best lowwind sle kite i have ever tried.
the relaunch in these light conditions really suck, because you can ride the kite in conditions when it won't relaunch again. but i have also seen foils swim in in these kind of conditions. so i thing if its realy light nothing relaunches 100% reliably. in moderate to strong winds the relaunch is easy.
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Shoe
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Postby Shoe » Tue May 15, 2012 8:24 pm
Thanks for the reply. It's nice to know that the 16 version is your "go to" when it gets light. If you are using it for teaching, then I assume that it is stable in light conditions. When I say light wind, I am thinking 15mph(13knots).
Anyone have any input on the 14?
Cheers!
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dyyylan
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Postby dyyylan » Tue May 15, 2012 8:34 pm
Last years havoc 14 was a dog, it back stalled for no reason and just generally didn't fly well because of how heavy it was. 12m and smaller were great. The new 14-16m nrg fixed this by making them a lot lighter weight, and they're up there with the other light wind kites now. They fly very forward in the window compared to some light wind kites that sit deeper for "stability", so it is quite good for getting upwind in marginal conditions. I'm talking marginal conditions as well... 15 mph I am quite powered on my 12m...
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davesails7
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Postby davesails7 » Tue May 15, 2012 9:38 pm
Don't know about the 14m, but a friend of mine has the 16m. He says he loves it for everything but the relaunch. I think relaunch is bad because it's so flat and high aspect. Seems like delta shaped lightwind kites with pointed wingtips like the Fat Lady, Infinity, and Turbine have better relaunch than the high aspect ratio kites. All of these kites can ride in less wind than you can relaunch in deep water though.
Wind speed is relative so I'll only give a direct comparison flying side by side with my Dyno 18m instead of guessing wind speeds. Dyno 18m stays in the air in a knot or two lighter wind than the 16m NRG. Once his kite is in the air though, we seem to be similarly powered. The NRG looks even flatter than the Dyno, so the 16m NRG might have almost the same projected area as my 18m. Big floaty jumps with lots of hang time from both kites, as you'd expect from big high aspect ratio kites.
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kitesurfrabbi
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Postby kitesurfrabbi » Wed May 16, 2012 6:50 am
yep in 13 knots i am very well powered on the 16, and i am heavy. i guess that will be the nice comfort zone for the 14.
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markchatwin
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Postby markchatwin » Wed May 16, 2012 3:31 pm
The question I have is how would this kite's relaunch be in bigger wind like 13-18 mph? In the lightest of winds I've found that all kites are hard to relaunch, especially in deep water.
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Shoe
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Postby Shoe » Wed May 16, 2012 3:44 pm
That's the million dollar question. It seems that a few people own the 16, but you can't find anyone who has the 14. It is a higher aspect light wind kite, which makes me want it, but the same time, I know how much of a dog they can be to pull off the water when the wind drops. The reviews I found sound promising, but their are some reservations about the relaunch in light wind. No kite likes to launch when it's super light, I get that, but how bad is this specific kite?
Cheers!
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kitesurfrabbi
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Postby kitesurfrabbi » Wed May 16, 2012 5:56 pm
this weekend looks like we might be able to try the 14. 13-15 knots forcasted. if we get a chance i'll let you know.
i know the 12 relaunches ok in winds around 15 knot.
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