I previously had a 2010 Wainman quiver but sold my 6.5 and 9m. I kept the 12m and started to try to find a used 9m Smoke without luck. I ended up picking up a 2012 Liquid Force Envy and went on a month trip with both. I really enjoyed how stable the envy was and since I was starting to get into jumping I found it quite forgiving. If I bailed on a trick I could easily let go of the bar but the kite would stay up in the air and was easy to get going again... that was very rarely the case with the wainman. I also felt that when I crashed the kite (many times) it was always ready to go on the edge of the window when I was. The wainman took a while to get relaunched.
I did find that the 9m Envy did not have as much low end as my 9m wainman smoke, nor did it jump as high but it was more stable and way easier to practice tricks.
Pros:
- super stable
- always on the window ready to relaunch
- easy to get learning tricks on
- stable in gusts or so I have found up to 30 knots
Cons:
- not as much low end grunt
- depower under the bar is not the best
- jumping is not the highest
The wainman 12m boss... it was great in low winds, tons of low end power. Lots of time I was upwind when my friends were not on their 12's but I found the kite has a lot of pull. In gusty weather I found my back getting sore after a few hour session which I did not notice on the LF. I also found the Wainman not to be as forgiving trying to jump. If I bailed sometimes I would get ripped around pretty good before I got control of the kite again.
Pros:
- great low end
- depower above the bar is great
- can be super aggressive with the kite and it responds well
Cons:
- no 5th line depower but that is fixed in 2012+
- pulls hard, sometimes I found this a pain when your getting ripped around, especially when dragged around after bailing on a jump
- relaunch is not as good as the envy
I need to get a new 12m kite and I'm trying to decide between the LF Envy / Wainman or the NRG which I have not ridden.
What I want out of the kite:
- low end power since its a 12 and I want to ride in 15 knots (180lb, 133 tt)
- stable and easy relaunch
- forgiving for practicing trips
- ability to get good air and glide for practicing new tricks
- good freeride as well
I'm curious to hear peoples opinions of the 12m LF envy and NRG and maybe compared to a wainman boss if you have ridden one.
Thanks a lot