NRG, Fat Lady, and Zephyr

[Westozzy]

Righto bite me so you give me all your specs not in metric...notice my name...we use metric here that's why I asked. Hang on I will get the conversion as I asked....

Righto 85kg, in 8 to 11 knots...okay let's begin. Hang on 70 F...bugger me....21 degree so fairly full wind I'd say...

Well actually the advice above is spot on. The more the aspect the less the static grunt. That being said don't discount the new dyno from north. Get in touch with puertz on here as he made some interesting comments about the static grunt of this new incarnation and he is near 115kg and rides in the shit wind capital of Australia (Darwin).

But ultimately the above post is correct. High aspect kites don't dig current, nor something like seaweed, they want speed in the wing. Once they have that they will smoke lower aspect kites for pointing upwind...but there is also a trade off in riding style....

Look I'm 76kg and have a crazy fly cruiser pro 145 by 44, so with our weight difference and your wider board lets call it even. On the NEW zephyr (wish people would stop talking about the old zephyr the new one is a completely different kite, not similar, might as well be another brand and make), really I'm looking for 11 knots minimum to keep ground. Not having a great deal of fun, but hey I'm out there. Really I'm looking to start at 13. 13 to 15 I'm chucking down some stuff and really having fun. 15 to 17 I'm smiling, powered, going big, loving it. 17 to 20 I'm cranked and having a total blast....

But 8 to 11 knots (11 to 13 mph) nah the zephyr won't cut it mate I will be honest unless you get yourself a race board or a light wind surfboard.

The zephyr is not really a light wind kite, its a medium wind kite that performs when I think its worth getting out there anyway. But it has an extraordinary top end delivered by the infused edge DNA.

Speaking of the edge, have you considered the 19m edge. Now that's a beautiful kite and puertz mate tony uses one in Darwin, talk to them about it. I rode it in Bali (I have owned and ridden the 13, 11, 10 and 9) and they did something special with that 19. Worth a punt, may be big enough to overcome that static problem...but maybe not. Bloody quick turner to.

Of your choices My bet would be the fat lady, even though the NRG does afford more static grunt that you think. Did on the 10m I tried anyway...but haven't been on the big ones.

Personally I'd put my money on the new dyno all factors considered and from what I've spoke to puertz about, he's a bloody good rider, honest as they Get and will tell you how it is. Also I know crew who love the fat lady and I'm sure its a wickedly fun kite, but light winds and low aspect, that just doesn't make sense to me personally, the physics is all wrong. In my own head anyhow..lol

Goods luck.

[grimace]

I had a 2013 NRG 16m and would fly that in around 10 knots with a skim (around 200lbs). The file is slower than most and difficult to relaunch. I swapped it this year for a 2013 Ozone Zephyr and the kite flys in less fly but has a touch less power. It flys faster and has the same wind range (10 - 25knots). Prior to the NRG I had the Fat Lady V1 and while the kite had good low end it had a limited wind range (about 15mph) before the tiny struts on the thing would start to buckle.

So far of the 3 I enjoy the Zephyr because its easier to relaunch and quicker than my NRG. The NRG was the best for speed, jumping, and upwind.

[fdvj]

I had a 2013 NRG 16m and would fly that in around 10 knots with a skim (around 200lbs). The file is slower than most and difficult to relaunch. I swapped it this year for a 2013 Ozone Zephyr and the kite flys in less fly but has a touch less power. It flys faster and has the same wind range (10 - 25knots). Prior to the NRG I had the Fat Lady V1 and while the kite had good low end it had a limited wind range (about 15mph) before the tiny struts on the thing would start to buckle.

So far of the 3 I enjoy the Zephyr because its easier to relaunch and quicker than my NRG. The NRG was the best for speed, jumping, and upwind.

I can also agree with with point although the wind range has improved, in particularly the top end of the V2 which is for me 20 mph @85kgs. I would also agree that under high loads it is possible to buckle the v2 but less so than the v1 but thats the pay off for such a thin LE and struts.( for me this only happened when looping it in 20mph ) The zephyr is a better kite for the heavy rider as the LE is thicker.

[Westozzy]

Another great point by FDVJ. I would listen to this guy. This was noticed very quickly by a 115kg rider in Bali when we pumped up our zephyrs. He has a tendency to fold kites due to this aggressive riding, not the zephyr.

[OceanAdventures]

There are other better light wind kites available besides the three listed.

[Kamikuza]

Righto bite me so you give me all your specs not in metric...notice my name...we use metric here that's why I asked. Hang on I will get the conversion as I asked....

Righto 85kg, in 8 to 11 knots...

Knots aren't metric

[markchatwin]

Ocean Adventures - I'm scratchin' my head... The OP doesn't want a better kite than the 3 crappy kites he listed.

OK I can't take it - what are the better light wind kites according to you and why?

[SENDIT!]

Ocean Adventures - I'm scratchin' my head... The OP doesn't want a better kite than the 3 crappy kites he listed.

OK I can't take it - what are the better light wind kites according to you and why?

I've reviewed a few kites that are better. Just to be quick

SS Turbine - Power and relaunching, riding in 7mph
New OR Flite 2 - Power and speed, Riding in 7mph
Cabrinha Contra - Power and range, riding in 7-8mph (Still testing this one)

[markchatwin]

SendIt - can you provide brief reviews for the 3 kites the OP is deciding between? I can't speak for the FL or the NRG but the 2013 Zephyr is very widely regarded as 1st rate for a lightwind/freeride kite. You seem to put a lot into "riding in 7mph" but what if the Zephyr starts at 9m but smokes the pants off the others in the 10-15mph category for quickness, jumps and waves? And what if the Zephyr is the best one for higher than that?

Is your definition of the best light wind kite the lowest bottom end it can achieve?

[OceanAdventures]

SendIt - can you provide brief reviews for the 3 kites the OP is deciding between? I can't speak for the FL or the NRG but the 2013 Zephyr is very widely regarded as 1st rate for a lightwind/freeride kite. You seem to put a lot into "riding in 7mph" but what if the Zephyr starts at 9m but smokes the pants off the others in the 10-15mph category for quickness, jumps and waves? And what if the Zephyr is the best one for higher than that?

Is your definition of the best light wind kite the lowest bottom end it can achieve?

Sorry markchatwin, that was actually me posting, Sendit is one of my instructors and was still logged on, didn't notice.

Haven't flown the newest NRG's, but experience with LF is that they are well built kites, which usually weigh more, and affects the flying in light winds.

Also haven't flown the Blade Fat Lady, but have had them on the beach, and when they are self rescuing we are riding up to them to make sure they are alright on our Turbines.

I have flown the 2013 Zepher, and it does not have the low end that these other kites have. I have no complaints about the Zepher, but I found it did nothing spectacular. Now I haven't ridden it in overpowered conditions, and I have been told it has very good high end, and that's great, but I can ride any of these kites in overpowered conditions.

Yes mostly when you define a light wind kite, it would be one that flies the best in light wind. I don't believe many people buy a light wind kite for average or heavy winds. There are a few things we put into this, mainly power, relaunch, and stability in light winds.

Very few kites would get you riding a 7mph and then fall flat at 10-15mph, so that would be nitpicking. If a kite is fast at 7 mph it will still be fast at 15mph. The question was what is the best lightwind kite, not the best surfing (Probably a Core, Infinity, Or Blade FL, don't do much surfing with big kites so can't really comment) or jumping kite (Cabrinha Velocity, Ozone Edge, or any other higher aspect kite) in average wind. We have some of the lightest wind conditions here, so we have plenty of experience flying lightwind kites. The Turbine has been the Champ for years, and we are finally getting some other kites close, namely the OR Flite 2 and I would put the Contra there for right now, still testing that one as we have said.

I have been standing on the beach with a wind gauge in my hand and have watched SentIt, who weighs 220lbs, ride a Turbine in 7mph, and seen him do a backroll on the OR Flite 2 in 8mph.