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6m kites. your experiences

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Vacaloca
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6m kites. your experiences

Postby Vacaloca » Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:50 am

Sometimes when I travel I go to destinations with a lot of wind. I was wondering if a 6m is worth it or not and wanted to head your experiences. Under what circumstances do you use it? What do you use it for? (i.e. do youuse it for the same tricks, riding style, etc. than your main kite?)
I'm an intermediate rider progressing on hooked tricks, and would only like the kite that small if it is god to continue progressing. :roll:

Thanks

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby pj sofine » Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:40 pm

You use it when the wind calls for it. Better than sitting on beach because there's to much wind. I'm big, my smallest kite is a 8 mtr. good to middle maybe upper 30's.Do I do the same "moves" on my 8 as bigger sizes, no. But I do things on my 8 that aren't as much fun on bigger kites,like loops. It's just another kite to rig when the wind requires it.

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby JGTR » Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:33 pm

I love my 6m, I use it when the wind is honking but also when others are out on 7/8m kites - its good to have the option as a lot of people only use 6m kites when its 30+ knots but they do work in 24+ knots.

I fly mine on a big bar and its very quick which is great for kite looping as the kite loops so fast its easy to do loops and not get spanked, jumping is also fun but always takes me a few attempts to get dialled into the faster speed - but what is most fun is turning and carving, I can really throw the kite about and do some nice toe to heel carves and vice versa linking them all up with down loops in the turns as well. There's just something about small kites that I love, I can be totally powered up but never overpowered, at the top end I can just use my body weight to edge the kite out unlike a bigger kite which will keep on pulling. I don't really do the big floaty rotations etc as the kite is very quick and very easy to misdirect, also it doesn't have the. Float of a. Bigger kite kinda drops you pretty quick if you don't do a loop to catch you!

I'm 90 kg and use my 6 quite abit :thumb:

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Peter_Frank
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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby Peter_Frank » Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:31 pm

It very much depends on what you do, and where.

For many, the 6m2 IS the main kite :thumb:

F.ex Cape Town waves, where the 6m2 is the most used size in the summer.

For the light wind days maybe an 8m2, and of course you need smaller kites than 6m2 too.
I've been overpowered with my 5m2 often, down there.

Here in Denmark, a 6m2 is also sometimes too big for me (78kg), so I could never get away with such a size as my smallest kite.

4 and 5m2 can be used relatively often when good conditions, but you CAN get away with a 5m2 typically, so the compromise many chooses.

7m2 is by far the most used kitesize around here in waves, for most waveriders though.


So for me a 7m2 is a "medium" kitesize, and the main kite of course :rollgrin:


You are talking about twintips, so you dont need a really small kite, because you avoid riding waves..

And at your location, it seems that a 6m2 is NOT the main kite - so must assume you have very low wind in your local area :naughty:

So it is all about where you come from, and what style you perform (waves or tt), and what you seek and enjoy the most.

Some LOVE the days when it is windy, and live for those days, and have small kites just for that, even if not their most used kitesize.

That is another angle, and I think it goes for most kitesurferes actually 8)

So instead of having a really big kite that just collects dust because you dont want to ride with that "dog" - you have a really small kite (or kites) instead and live for those days !

Talking about typical low pressure areas here, with all wind conditions possible, from 0 to 45 knots or more, without being "gusty" (like other low wind areas experience, as high winds only occur when "stormy").


By the way, JGTR is correct - a small kite has a much bigger windrange, and it has sufficient power without ever feeling overpowered.
One has to try to understand this I think.

:D Peter

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby William Munney » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:10 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:It very much depends on what you do, and where.

For many, the 6m2 IS the main kite :thumb:

F.ex Cape Town waves, where the 6m2 is the most used size in the summer.

For the light wind days maybe an 8m2, and of course you need smaller kites than 6m2 too.
I've been overpowered with my 5m2 often, down there.

Here in Denmark, a 6m2 is also sometimes too big for me (78kg), so I could never get away with such a size as my smallest kite.

4 and 5m2 can be used relatively often when good conditions, but you CAN get away with a 5m2 typically, so the compromise many chooses.

7m2 is by far the most used kitesize around here in waves, for most waveriders though.


So for me a 7m2 is a "medium" kitesize, and the main kite of course :rollgrin:


You are talking about twintips, so you dont need a really small kite, because you avoid riding waves..

And at your location, it seems that a 6m2 is NOT the main kite - so must assume you have very low wind in your local area :naughty:

So it is all about where you come from, and what style you perform (waves or tt), and what you seek and enjoy the most.

Some LOVE the days when it is windy, and live for those days, and have small kites just for that, even if not their most used kitesize.

That is another angle, and I think it goes for most kitesurferes actually 8)

So instead of having a really big kite that just collects dust because you dont want to ride with that "dog" - you have a really small kite (or kites) instead and live for those days !

Talking about typical low pressure areas here, with all wind conditions possible, from 0 to 45 knots or more, without being "gusty" (like other low wind areas experience, as high winds only occur when "stormy").


By the way, JGTR is correct - a small kite has a much bigger windrange, and it has sufficient power without ever feeling overpowered.
One has to try to understand this I think.

:D Peter
Wow, you're making a lot of us jealous:-) I have an older 6m Rebel, but the newer 7m has a lot of range and is good for 99% of local Long Island conditions with a twin tip.

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Slappysan
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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby Slappysan » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:27 pm

If you are riding a surfboard and aren't a heavy person you can use a 6m very often.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby Peter_Frank » Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:46 pm

There is a huge difference between twintips and waves, as you can ride somewhat overpowered and have fun on a tt, but on a waveboard you HAVE to be powered "okay" which is not too much, otherwise the kite will dictate what you do in the waves, and not the other way around :roll:

We have many days where you can not ride even with a 21m2 foil and raceboard - but so what, we dont go out on these days, but wait till the next day where it can be a 6m2 day again (or 4 or 9 or 12m2) :naughty:

:D Peter

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby max » Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:16 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
We have many days where you can not ride even with a 21m2 foil and raceboard - but so what, we dont go out on these days, but wait till the next day where it can be a 6m2 day again (or 4 or 9 or 12m2) :naughty:

:D Peter

what kites (brand/model) do you fly Peter?

Curious to know what 4m you use?

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby JGTR » Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:31 pm

Slappysan wrote:If you are riding a surfboard and aren't a heavy person you can use a 6m very often.
I'm fat and ride a twin tip, I use my 6m alot, normal UK conditions

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Re: 6m kites. your experiences

Postby plummet » Wed Jul 10, 2013 11:36 pm

Hard to answer you question not knowing your weight or the wind speeds you are talking about.

For me at 82kg on a mutant TT I don't get the 6m out until it hits 30+knots.

There are not many days locally i need to get on the 6m. typically is winter storms.

8m is probably a better travelling size as you can still hold it to high 30's if need be.

As far as tricks are concerned 6m kites are a lot faster and punish you very quickly with small errors in bar input. I doubt you will progress trick wise on a 6m unless kite loops are your on desired trick list for the day.


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