Postby ivan-d » Sat Nov 09, 2013 10:36 am
Just a follow up on my initial post:
The 12 + 8 Rally combo is rocking! My gf and I were often on the water at the same time, and whenever the wind was in either extreme at least one of us could still fly around. I did notice that I enjoyed my 2011 12m Rally (it's one smooth machine, feels like a papa bear) more than the 2013 8m Rally (I ride a strapless directional), especially in the turns, but this may be due to me still learning the moves. Even had a kitemare (entirely my fault) with the 12m where the wind died when I was passing a tall bluff, and the kite died on some rocks. Providence was on my side, though, and I was able to pull the lines and kite in, and float to the nearby beach, with some F-16s for an escort (not sure about the last part, since they do their training in that area every day, but I swear at least one would pass over me every 5 minutes of my half-hour swim around the cliffs and back to shore). Ended up with 2 small and easily fixable tears on the kite, the biggest adrenaline rush in years, and a lesson learned. Can't wait for spring! And, snowkiting, here we come...