First I have to say that I have an herniated disc + arthrosis on 3 different spots (broke my back severely in 1996).

Anyway I had a Speed 3 19m that I kept for those really light wind session. I loved that kite but at some point I tried the S3 21m which was really more powerful so I traded my 19 for a 21.

Problem I experienced was that the 21m has more pull in the harness than the 19, thus giving me pain in the lower back while riding. I could ride my 19 S3 for hours but I had to stop with the 21m after about an hour.

One of my friend tells me that it makes almost no difference wether it is 19m or 21m. Am I the only one who is noticing the difference since I have a lot of pain in my back ?

Is there a way to calculate the pull of each kite in a specific wind ?

thanks

Jules

Jules,

I has the S3 19 and then upgraded to the 21. I did not notice a difference. However, I have a healthly back. I would think that you could depower the kite a bit to lessen the load on the harness. It is possible that the design tweaks to the 21 might increase the harness load. I would ask this question on www.foilzone.com.

If you have access to a 19m from a friend, it would be helpful to see if it the kite or if the condition of your back has deteriorated.

I started doing Pilates a few years ago and it has done wonders for my back. If you can find a teacher that specializes in Pilates Therapy, that is a good way to strengthen your back.

Yes, I notice that the pull through the harness *seems* to be more noticeable than other kites. Doesn't bother my back though ... but I'm using a seat harness.
Are you flying the kite too low?

i don't have a 19 or a 21 so my advice might be moot. I do have a 15 however

but i notice the rib squish when riding over power or well powered. maybe you are just riding the 21 in the upper level of its range?... perhaps a 19m was more suitable to your conditions?

but I will also say try a seat harness if not already using it. I run waist harness on the water and ozone snow kte harness (itsa climbing style seat harness) on the land and notice a hell of a lot more rib sqaushing back bending forces when riding the waist harness.

Problem solved; sold my 21m and bought back my Speed 3 19m.

I just love that kite. I had a 3 hours sessions with it since and wow; kept cranking these big air and no pain at all. So there might not be that much of a difference but for my weight / conditions the 19m is just perfect.


@fernmanus: i am not doing Pilates but I am being followed by a kinesiologist that gave me a program to strenghten my abs and it is really helping me a lot.

Jules