New big kites... HYPE?

[mo'wind]

Lots of hype out there about "new" lightwind kites that revolutionize the sport. Seems I have heard this before. Ive tried one and while very nice, they are still just a big kite with a better wind range. They are NOT worth the 17 benjamins they ask in my humble view. If you are wealthy and can afford every new toy than by all means indulge. If you are in the market for a new lightwind kite and really need it fine. Otherwise I can find "higher and better uses for my money".

But if you are interested in value maybe the BFK or a used kite is more reasonable. I know the manufacturers won't like this thread, but we don't care what they want do we? If it were not for Best and WW they would gladly move the entire market to this price range.

I am all for innovation and rangy kites but many of us bought, and still use, kites from 2003-4. I am not ready to dump a perfectly good kite just for these few benefits! Besides next year will bring more "innovation" won't it?

I personally have found that medium aspect kites above 17 meters are too difficult to launch, become overpowered too easily and cost too much to be worth having. (I weigh 175.) The new kites more effectively deal with these problems but often at a very high price. Maybe if you need a 21 meter kite to ride than it JUST ISN'T WINDY. Is it really that much fun to ride in 7 knots?

I recently talked with a pioneer of our sport and he felt the same way. All the hype can get out of hand. I just thought I might lend some perspective.

[kitemaster]

It think it's time for you to try a High Monkey 28 mtr.

For this kite you don't need wind, vacuum is enough. The only problem is that with vacuum you can only kite backwards.

[Biel]

Lots of hype out there about "new" lightwind kites that revolutionize the sport. Seems I have heard this before. Ive tried one and while very nice, they are still just a big kite with a better wind range. They are NOT worth the 17 benjamins they ask in my humble view. If you are wealthy and can afford every new toy than by all means indulge. If you are in the market for a new lightwind kite and really need it fine. Otherwise I can find "higher and better uses for my money".

But if you are interested in value maybe the BFK or a used kite is more reasonable. I know the manufacturers won't like this thread, but we don't care what they want do we? If it were not for Best and WW they would gladly move the entire market to this price range.

I am all for innovation and rangy kites but many of us bought, and still use, kites from 2003-4. I am not ready to dump a perfectly good kite just for these few benefits! Besides next year will bring more "innovation" won't it?

I personally have found that medium aspect kites above 17 meters are too difficult to launch, become overpowered too easily and cost too much to be worth having. (I weigh 175.) The new kites more effectively deal with these problems but often at a very high price. Maybe if you need a 21 meter kite to ride than it JUST ISN'T WINDY. Is it really that much fun to ride in 7 knots?

I recently talked with a pioneer of our sport and he felt the same way. All the hype can get out of hand. I just thought I might lend some perspective.

I must say that I agree. The first Naish ARX 23,5 I had, was hyped to be the best lightwindkite (at that time). - It was a light wind kite, but it was no fun to surf with - I could, despite my heavy weight, only sail with it.

- There are some fysical factors that makes kiteboarding less fun in the light wind - unless you find it fun to sail with your kite.

CBIEL

[Larpy]

Couldn't agree more!!! Kites are too expensive to begin with and then to add insult to injury kite companies charge you more ($200) for 2 m of rip stop. Absolutely ridiculous, you pay more for a kite that doesn’t perform as well!!! Personally I have more fun on a smaller kite and a bigger board even if I have to walk up wind I still get some pop by going fast. I have yet to fly a kite that is over 16m that is fun to fly and even 16m is not that fun. What we all want is to have 15-20 knts, we can’t have that so kite companies sell us big ass kites that they say are that much fun but in 7 knts. Sorry but your kidding yourself, you should do something else when it’s below 10-12knts. Big guys have anargument to use big kites but if you under 90kg (200lbs) forget about it.

[Toby]

If I had no R2 20 kite, my joy on the water would just be half.

2 weeks Mexico, used my R2 20 90% of the time and had a blast. Without my 20? The holiday would have been a nightmare, windwise...

90kg, want to ride my small 122 board and no 160cm board...

[GregW]

.... Is it really that much fun to ride in 7 knots? ...

Absolutely. One of the best things in kiting is to carve a perfect turn in glassy water. I'm not sure about sub-10 knots but in a nice 10 knots I can ride glass and have a really nice time. Also, the range of my kite is huge so I can get out in the light stuff and just keep riding when it picks up. I'm not sure I jump higher with the big kite but I certainly get to hang around for a long time.

The other extreme of fun is a small kite, waves and 35 knots. Heaps of fun and different.

My big kite is a Boom Prion 16 metre foil riding a 135x47 TT. BTW. R2-20 has a slight edge in bottom end. The Prion kills it in top end.

Regards

Greg

[Toby]

I'm not talking below 10 knots as well, I ca start with my setup at about 10 knots.

I could go below with a bigger board, but that is no fun for me. I need to jump.

[Pedro Marcos]

Hype Hype Hype


I was out last weekend with my 14.5m and 129*37.5 board, i weight 75kg and there were some guys from uk i think, with Slingshot Machine 17.5m, Contra 18.5 and Torch 16m, they also had bigger boards then me.

They all stopped going upwind at the same time as me, and when it was about 8-10 knots i could get some board speed downwind to pop some trick and they coulnd because the kites were too big and slow.

They might be a little heavier then me, but those kites didnt impress me in lightwind.

[DrLightWind]

Before you decide know the different flying traits and prices of big kites,
and what is the diminish of no return factor for you, check this out!



DrLW

[Pedro Marcos]

4 knots? LOL