Are Switch kites getting any better?

[Kithib]

Shed the tears and try a new SwtichV3 and them come back here

+10000 even if the first Combat was a C kite already close to perfection

[Speedkillz]

...

and if you designing the kite without the lift-creating wing profile you should warn the potential customers about the consequences, like crappy low end, poor performance for riders heavier than 90kg, lousy performance in the choppy water and very slow turning speed.

Wow. Just... wow. I have been riding a quiver of Switch Kites for quite some time now. I have access to and regularly demo kites from a wide variety of manufacturers. I choose Switch Kites because I have never flown a more expensive kite that has done anything to make me even consider throwing down that much more cash.

As a typical "featherweight" weighing in at 255 pounds and standing 6'3" tall, I can appreciate what a well thought out series of posts you have. I am not that great of a rider, not a team rider, and I ride a low-end TT board (Cab Spectrum 144cm). Funny thing... even though I weigh nearly TWICE as much as some of my fellow (featherweight) riders, I seem to be far upwind of most of the rest of the crowd at Kailua. You can see me usually up past Flat Island and near the Mokes. Yes -- on a TT no less when others are struggling to gain ground on directionals. Ever ride in chop-city (Kailua)?! Not a smooth patch of water to be found... anywhere. My kite never bogs down or beats me up on the water-moguls we have out there. I try lots of maneuvers outside of my ability level every time I ride and most do not end well. I crash... a lot. Somehow I still manage to get up and riding again quickly. Must be all of that "crappy low end," huh? One of my favorite tricks to learn... kite loops. Sure I still crash a lot, but my kite stays out of the water. Once again, that must be because my kite has "very slow turning speed," right?

What is my kite of choice? Why, the Nitro III 14m of course! This kite does it all with style and control. I am usually frustrated that I screwed up a trick so when I water-start I send it... HARD. I hardly touch the water for a couple of seconds. Seriously, this kite RIPS me out of the hole if I tell it to. However, a gentle first dive and I simply pivot up onto my board and ride away. RARELY do I need more that an initial power stroke and then settle it into a locked in position at 10 or 2 to be up, and screaming upwind. Tons of depower from the bar if I need it and it sucks up the gusts and squalls like a champ. So much smoother than anything else I have ridden. I am upwind in as low at 10 knots and I haven't found the top-end yet... although I admit to being difficult to intimidate. The kite turns nicely for such a big'un. Power throughout the turns and still able to loop it in control. Super easy relaunches are the norm. Oh, and I self launch and land at Mokuleia every time -- no drama at all. This thing does what I tell it to, when I tell it to. I can't ask for anything more than that. I have sold my other kites. This one kite suits me just fine.

Your posts remind me of a petulant child screaming at a parent that they want to take the animals home from the zoo. No amount of appeals to reason and sanity will suit you. You are unhappy and want the world to know. To those reading this and wondering why I am dignifying anything said in previous posts with a response -- it is because I have had such a great experience flying these kites. I am a grown man that flies a kite for fun. I smile and laugh like I have not in years when ever I get out on the water, and anything that facilitates me participating in an activity that makes me that happy will always get my praise. Switch has been great to me. They make fantastic products that put a smile on my face, sell them at prices that I can afford, and have been extremely responsive to questions I have had. They solicit my advise on new models... and I don't feel at all qualified for that! Imagine if Horacio Pagani asked you for feedback on his latest super car and took your feedback seriously. That is what I feel like when Bill and Felix ask for my opinions on changes that they are making to a product or an entirely new product. They continually say that they ask me BECAUSE I am a big guy... BECAUSE I am just an average intermediate rider... and BECAUSE I ride on both the choppy side of the island and in the waves up here on the North Shore. They are very concerned about getting caught up in focusing too much on design for only one type of rider... namely pros and experts. They want all of their customers to feel the thrills we kite surfing types are lucky enough to experience. Believe me, I sure feel the stoke! If only I could become a team rider... sigh. I should have bought one sooner (my only regret).

[Westozzy]

Great post dude.

I've ridden the nitro 3 (a 10m). Low end is very good and boost potential is very good, seen a local going huge on this kite. Build quality is very good. Bar design superb (although you gotta soften up that bar grip it's too hard for longer sessions).

Did I like the delivery of power of this kite and overall flying characteristics? Not much but that's not because it's not a great kite, it's because it doesn't suite me.

These kites, they are a good product at a great price, period. And it seems they are open to feedback from every type of rider and every level of ability.

Try having a chat with a north representative (kites I fly) about things to improve on...bahahahahaha good luck!!!!

Good on ya switch keep shaking shit up.

[Faxie]

...

when brand claims they had a year for extensive testing of their gear on their web site, they have to have some responsibility for their claims. and spare me about the risks. nowadays it is all plug-and-play. you chose the profile, AR and the outline and the kite is practically done! only idiot does not know what he is designing.

and if you designing the kite without the lift-creating wing profile you should warn the potential customers about the consequences, like crappy low end, poor performance for riders heavier than 90kg, lousy performance in the choppy water and very slow turning speed.

so, if you sell your gear on internet only, and your so-called team riders are sheep-weight early-intermediate kiters with almost no experience with the other kite brands, and you are not warning your potential customers about your kites "peculiarities", it makes you a liar.

you made me lose my money, and i'll try to warn your potential customers. are we square?

Don't forget you have to inflate the kite before you fly it

[dimip]

and if you designing the kite without the lift-creating wing profile you should warn the potential customers about the consequences, like crappy low end, poor performance for riders heavier than 90kg, lousy performance in the choppy water and very slow turning speed.

84kg 130x40 twintip 12-14 knots yesterday afternoon Nitro v3 10m:
[youtube] http://youtu.be/lcp--wJ_Leg [/youtube]

How is that for a low end in choppy conditions? (Switch claims that starts from 15 knots with lighter rider and bigger board. I find this claim very conservative ).
Don't say now that will have crap top end because I fly it till 35 knots.

[NHKitesurfer]

I have only great things to say about Switch and I'm not a team rider. Went from v1 Element 13m to a v3 Nitro 12m and WOW! Kite is amazing...killer boosting machine and rides up wind like no other kite. I weigh 205# and on Sunday in about 17 knots of wind I was tearing up wind more efficiently than a 160# rider on his 14m slingshot. We were both on 138 TT and he's a much more experienced rider than me. And I out-boosted him every time!

In 2 years of riding Switch I have not had any equipment failure and these are the kites I learned on (water and snow) - they only problems I've had have been the result of end user error (scraping the LE against rocks, ejecting into the dunes with prickly bushes) and the kite has held up well.

What's really good to see is that every new model Switch improves the design and uses better materials. What's even better is that the reputation is catching on...last week at a local spot we had 11 kites in the air, 9 of them were Switch! Nitro is the weapon of choice.

[flysurfing]

I bought the new Nitro V4 in 8 , 10 and 12.



I'll report my testing by mid january

[AlbanSwitch]

Good news, you will see the 10m2 nitro v4 is amazing.

It s a real lift, with a big hang time.

My favorite size

Enjoy.

[flysurfing]

Good news, you will see the 10m2 nitro v4 is amazing.

It s a real lift, with a big hang time.

My favorite size

Enjoy.

Alban concerning the 8 how far can you handle it ?

I was thinking to get a 6/7 for like cape town condition with 40 knots but so far seems the feedback with the 8 is that 40 knots is manageable.

Also having a 7 and 8 doesn't make much sense and switch doesnt have a 6 in their range.

can you pls let me know your opinion

thx

[dyyylan]

I was thinking to get a 6/7 for like cape town condition with 40 knots but so far seems the feedback with the 8 is that 40 knots is

40 knots on an 8m? Be careful what you read... Unless you weigh 200 kg...