I can tell you how it compares to the Zephyr...not well!. The Turbine has monstrous low end but gets bloody scary over 15 knots, and I am 90kg! The low end is stunning but as soon as it picks up it is crap upwind...it just drags you down wind with all its power! It has much heavier bar pressure than the Zephyr which is horrible when it picks up, it also feels spongy at the bar with delayed turning response. Trying to depower the the Turbine is a joke with the below bar depower, it is soooo awkward! When it picks you will have go back to the beach and wrestle with the stupid depower setup!

The Zephyr has marginally worse low end but is a much more refined experience all round! It flies beautifully and is awesome upwind and it has a crazy top end, I have flown it in gusts of 25knots...it was bloody scary, but the Turbine would kill you in 25knots...and it would be impossible to go upwind. The Zephyr feels so much nicer at the bar, has easy above bar depower (even in 25knots) and the lack of pulleys makes it so much more direct and it turns really well for a 17m, much better than the Turbine!

A light wind kite isn't just about good performance in 12knots, you need to able to trust that it wont kill you if the wind picks up!

To round it up:
Turbine = Amazing low end, crap high end, horrible depower, high bar pressure, crap upwind, spongy at the bar, has pulleys which are not good on a 17m kite.

Zephyr = Not so good low end, amazing high end, excellent depower, light bar pressure, brilliant upwind, direct at the bar, no pulleys, a lovely refined experience.

I can see what you're saying, but isn't the low end what these kites are all about?

The Dyno 18m pulls way too much for me above 15 knots as well, so I just switch to a smaller kite. It's not out of control, just pulling very hard and very steady. I think the 5th line really makes sense on a kite like this, because you really want to be able to kill the power when it picks up suddenly.

I did have one day where it suddenly picked up from 8-10 knots to 18-20 knots. I just rode to the beach (very overpowered) and released to the 5th line.

I still have a 20 m slingshot machine in my quiver; I have not used it for a couple of years though. But the 5th line was great! As soon as the kite became too juicy I would just pull a foot or so in on the 5th lock it in the cleat and leave it. This would flatten the leading edge, opening the C shape and taming the kite; it would also come up in the window and just pull me to windward.
I ride my 10 RPM with a 146 misfit in lighter winds now. If it ain't 10 able it ain't tenable is my motto I will go mow the lawn.
I would like to try a Turbin out though.

A 5th line makes a lot of sense on a big 18m! I would like to try the Dyno, it looks really nice!

Although the Turbine has about 1 more knot low end than the Zephyr..it is nowhere near as good upwind, which for me is one of the most important attributes of a light wind kite!

i used turbine at 17 knots, gusting to 20...i'm 96 kg...with a 134 x 43 board...NO MATTER with going upwind...honesly comparing with my old contra 17 2007 was 100 time better, 0 drag, good speed for unhook in normal conditions, plus i was impressed that the kite even if total depowered behaved well and was so stable...about the bar pressure i can say i did not like it, but i have to get used:(anyway the kite has slow pivotal tuning, that's for sure, guess it's for it's shape.. .still i have to chek low end...sounds it ll be a nice surprise:-)

Just love my Turbine, kicks the hell out of the Zephyr, compared them side by side a couple of times.

http://vimeo.com/30623230

http://vimeo.com/30674395

http://vimeo.com/30794876

Strange you would say that.. Considering you sell Slingshot! Sad seing you resort to bullshit Paul.
Different kites do different things, why spend time bashing?

Remember the 2011 and 2012 Turbines are completely different beast! Make sure to add the year to any review or feedback?

2012


2011

You're on fire Jens!!

Again where is the bullshit and bashing?

It did kick the hell out the Zephyr, nuff said! Is that bullshit and bashing? NO it's a damn fact.