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a good kite for light wind?

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L0KI
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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby L0KI » Thu May 23, 2013 5:05 am

Slappysan wrote:Not sure if you meant that the pic was of your skim but just to clarify the pic is of a wake surfer, not a beach skim. Wake surfers do quite well behind kites as they have to have to be wide with low rocker to make them surfable behind small boat wakes. I would imagine a beach skim to be even better for low wind though as it will have even less rocker.
The model pictured is current, my model is not there anymore but it looks the same, which is a skimboard shape, not the same as the vast majority of wakesurfer boards.
They called these skimboards for many years, now for the last years they call them skimboards to ride behind a boat or in the waves.
Phase Five now makes a couple models with three fins and a shape/size that is closer to their competitors wakesurf designs.
In their words...
"The essence of Phase Five Wakesurf Boards was founded over 25 years ago, with our sister company Zap Skimboards. Ever since we began building boards, people have been riding our skimboards behind boats."
Last edited by L0KI on Thu May 23, 2013 7:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby rtz » Thu May 23, 2013 5:25 am


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Kamikuza
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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby Kamikuza » Thu May 23, 2013 5:47 am

What works for me...

Speed3 21 and Flydoor XL (Clydesdale-class rider) in the lightest winds. If I can at least go upwind, then I can do more than just mow the lawn. Effectively, it gives me better bottom end that anyone else. Just :lol: But it's a big, slow turning kite that is finicky about wind quality and needs a regular eye on maintenance.

Flite 17.5 is a fast turning kite that relaunches well in light wind. Lose a few knots on the bottom end versus The Great White Lumbering Jesus, but it's GREAT fun to fly! Good top end too.

Crossbow 16... maybe the new ones are better, but my 2010/2011 are slow turning and not as much fun to fly as the Flite, and the bottom end isn't much better for me. Great top end as well cos they're stable as. Mines up for sale now I have the Flite.

The locals laugh at my Flydoor - most of them can hide behind it - but it's good for me.

I'm thinking about a Nugget or a directional of some sort, so I can have a different mode of play on light wind days... which is all of summer :(

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby L0KI » Thu May 23, 2013 7:22 am

Kami - I finally got a couple test rides on the 2013 Nugget last week.
Really a nice board, felt like a cross between my skim and my surfboard, leaning toward the surf side of things.
Much looser than the Coupe 6' 0", less directional feeling, the nose hunted around a lot more.
But that makes it easy to throw around, and it's easier to jibe than the Coupe, the flatness and fat ass work well, and it blazes upwind.
I'm 185 pounds and this Nugget's owner is 150 pounds, so I can't tell you whether it's a clydesdale class ride, but I think so.

Tiago1973
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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby Tiago1973 » Thu May 23, 2013 11:17 am

got a "beach" skim board, no fins & a Door type of board

the skim low wind ability is about the same as the Door, 4x less expensive, 4x +fun

you don´t need the fins, you edge with the rail. the Door is on the wall collecting dust

I am using a Fat Lady with the skim board

for reference and in my experience - the skim + fat lady got marginaly worst low wind than a Speed3 + regular TT

I wouldn´t mix a skim board with a Speed3/high AR race kite - they will be too slow for the skim board type of fun

but if I had a race board or a foil board I would probably pick-up another type of kite than the Fat Lady

basically I see light wind as a mix between board+kite

you shouldn´t pick up 1 without considering the other

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby SupaEZ » Thu May 23, 2013 9:26 pm


I expect almost all to blindly follow my advice :lol:
This kite is not only good..it is mind blowing good...for lightwind...medium wind+++ :thumb:
8 to 18kn for me a non-clydesdale qualifier ( :wink: 75kg) in :surf: only....no river..no TT
EZ to pump...EZ to loop...EZ to turn quick..EZ to go upwind,crosswind,off the wind...EZ to waveride

Make sure to get the Sensor bar...almost all blindly agree... :cheers:
Best bar available to complement the kite w/mini 5th safety and EZ unspin of depower line

Go with the 24m lines for fastest turning or add the 3m. extensions included if you prefer
Adjust the wingtip to superfast turning (wave) and LE to super light bar pressure for best results

Warning: :rollgrin: do not buy a smaller size Freeride LW kite before you take a ride on that one

Texas riders should handle with care....very powerful and fast...could be too much fun for you :lol:
Last edited by SupaEZ on Fri May 24, 2013 12:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

On a Rampage
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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby On a Rampage » Thu May 23, 2013 10:01 pm

Been on the Core 19, SS Turbine 17, Dyno 18, and Cloud 17. Kiting 15 years and ride Airush Varial X. It depends on what you want to do.

Wakestyle - hands down is the turbine.
Raceboard - kind of a tie between core, cloud and dyno.
Big air - Dyno 18
Light wind on a Spleene Door - cloud is still riding, relaunching, and flying when the others barely staying in sky.

My boards are Spleene RS 135, 2013 Sector 66, Airush Cypher 5'10", Spleene Door 159, skim.

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby L0KI » Thu May 23, 2013 10:12 pm

Coleman wrote:Lightwind kites:

Ozone Zephyr 17M
Ozone Edge 15M
North Dyno 15M/17M/18M
Epic Infinity
Blade Fat Lady
Wainman Big Mama
Coors 17/19M
Board Riding Maui Cloud 17M
SS Turbine
Best TS 15M/17M
Naish Fly 15M
Naish Draft 17M
Cabrinha Crossbow
Flysurfer Speed



Every one of these kites work well.
They all depend on what you want, how you ride, on what, and where.
Higher aspect for the Sector, North Freerace board riders.
Lower aspect for those that want to bust tricks on TT's and ride boards that work with a faster turning kites.
Let's not take this opportunity to bash brands (ahem.. Supa and his boner for Dimitri and anything related to Epic)

Confucious say: If one want piss contest, best to pick high wind...piss fly further.
+1

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby SupaEZ » Thu May 23, 2013 10:34 pm

Coleman wrote:Lightwind kites:

Coors 17/19M

:cheers: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :cheers:


Oooooops he meant to write Core :thumb:

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Re: a good kite for light wind?

Postby coleman » Thu May 23, 2013 11:29 pm

Oldnbroken wrote:
Coleman wrote:Lightwind kites:

Ozone Zephyr 17M
Ozone Edge 15M
North Dyno 15M/17M/18M
Epic Infinity
Blade Fat Lady
Wainman Big Mama
Coors 17/19M
Board Riding Maui Cloud 17M
SS Turbine
Best TS 15M/17M
Naish Fly 15M
Naish Draft 17M
Cabrinha Crossbow
Flysurfer Speed



Every one of these kites work well.
They all depend on what you want, how you ride, on what, and where.
Higher aspect for the Sector, North Freerace board riders.
Lower aspect for those that want to bust tricks on TT's and ride boards that work with a faster turning kites.
Let's not take this opportunity to bash brands (ahem.. Supa and his boner for Dimitri and anything related to Epic)

Confucious say: If one want piss contest, best to pick high wind...piss fly further.
+1

nice edit oldnbroken......together we'll do great things


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