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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 10:14 am
   
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G'day All
With the end of the season not to far away, and out recent bad luck of light wind days, im looking into buying a light wind kite. I currently own a 10m airush flow im 78 kilos and ride a 135 board.
What size kite would you recommend for light wind condition here in perth and what strength winds would i be able to get out in.. Any suggestions of a particular kite would be great. Im really looking for a mid aspect. |
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Damo
WA
Australia
438 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 11:50 am
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gday geeza
if you want to buy a kite to get out on those lighter days then you will want to buy my gaastra pheonix 17.5  its the sickest light wind kite ever made. the dubble leading edge blader and the shallow draft gives it a huge top end as well as being a light wind power house. its like having a 1 kite quiver. i can get going on it well before it starts white capping and i'll still be hanging on to it when other people start going out on 11s and 12s.
its such a good all round kite extra strength in the leading edge so it reluanches easily without a 5th line, pulls like a 25 when powered up and depowers to a12, turns like a 15 and you can get it for a very cheap price
for more info give me a call on 0405 771 435 |
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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 11:57 am
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I was looking for more general advise rather than a sales pitch, but thanks anyway..
A 17.5 seems a little large and is a big step up from my 10m..I need general advise from perth locals with some experience.. Some people have suggested a 14m.. |
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steve
WA
Australia
108 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 12:13 pm
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Geeza,
I recommend my flysurfer warrior 16.5 (see buy&sell). give me a ring to
see it up in the sky and how quick and easy it relaunches in light winds!
Seriously, I think there's no point in covering the windrange fully
as there's either the sommer seabreeze shouting 10m or less and then
those other days (often after season march april).
Steve |
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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 1:06 pm
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Im really trying to find a kite that will get me out on the water in 12-15 knots that would complement my existing kite quiver of a 10 metre flow. Not interested in foils..
eg what size is suitable...would a 14 metre do the job?
what is the usual quiver size range for people here in perth.. |
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mattressbuster
WA
Australia
177 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 1:16 pm
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Light wind kites .. Guess what ? You dont need to go much over 14 m at your weight - and this would combine well with your 10 to give you a great quiver.The trick is to ride more board. There are some SENSATIONAL 135 x 45 -47 s out there and you WONT BELIEVE the difference that makes. My personal pick is the Airush Exile or the Switch 155 x 45 Or also consider getting a bigger directional if you can adapt.
As kites get bigger they get draggier and it all becomes a bit of a vicius cycle of diminishing returns. A wider / more area board is the way to get around this as you can ride less kite and maintain excellent upwind ability.
Damo was spot on about shallow drafts - especially in bigger kites. Some kites will drag you down wind no matter what - there are some very full and heavy kites i can think of that will do this. This problem get really bad in kites over 13m that arent optimised to be less draggy. Do your research and look for a kite thats going to sit well forward in the window. Otherwise you are just gonna be walking back up the beach. My personal picks are the Airush Lift and reactors which have real nice shallow foils along with great canopy weights vs. strength.
Mid aspect can be a misleading thing to be seeking as there are so many variables to kite design that mid aspect really tells you nothing - so beware of this. The AR is one of the MINOR determinants of a kites flying characteristics. Foil and rigidity of the canopy along with tensions within have far more influence on the kites behaviour. Defining a kite through AR is not only lazy it is just plain wrong - but it seems to have become an industry standard - one i would like to see gone.
i hope this helps you get 100 more hours of quality water time per year !
There is no spoon. |
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steve
WA
Australia
108 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 1:21 pm
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> Not interested in foils..
> get me out on the water in 12-15 knots
> would a 14 metre do the job?
Then the answer is "yes". |
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vert
WA
Australia
264 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 1:53 pm
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hi Geeza,
i have a qiver of 8,12,16 and ride a 132 flx and weigh 78-80kgs
the 16 i can start at 12kn, nice at 15kn and hold to 18-20kn.
a mate of mine has a 10m flow and rides that when im on my 12m in about 17kn and up, so with a 135 board and a 16 i think you will be able to change over quite easily and have heaps of time on the water. i also think a higher aspect is better for larger kites, they go up wind better, faster and stable because they are big.
hope this helps out a bit
yes i do have a 16 for sale
(see buy & sell)
wayne |
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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 2:05 pm
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Cheers for your advice guys, most helpful?I think I will go with a 14 metre after all.
I suppose when I said I was more interested in a mid aspect, this was because being a beginner / intermediate kiter, I have been advised mid aspect is the way to go, as they are generally more user friendly kites,easier to relauch more stable etc than their high aspect cousins...
I ride a airush flow 10m, which ive had great success with. Its easy to relauch, very stable and im sure has been a major factor in easing the learning curve. I recently had a ride on my mates 04 gaastra steath 10m which is a high aspect and I immediately felt the difference. You have to constantly watch it, water relaunching was a nightmare and it seemed to want to take off all the time. Not a good beginners kite.
This is really why I highlight my interest in a mid aspect |
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HungLong
WA
Australia
859 Posts |
Posted 16/02/2005, 9:15 pm
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If your interested in trying a 20m Yarga... give me a call 0404637147
ultimate low wind kite, medium aspect, 5th line...
The Cat amongst the pigeons... |
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mattressbuster
WA
Australia
177 Posts |
Posted 17/02/2005, 1:05 pm
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i definitely advise that you try that 20 so you can see for yourself what i am taling about. Thats the best way to figure it out.
I can ALMOST guarantee that you are gonna have more fun on a 14 - big board combo rather than going down the big draggy kite , walk upwind road.
20s are almost a dead size around oz now as we figure out what works. They are still valid in areas like nth QLD and Sydney where the wind can be light AND super gusty / unstable. 18s CAN be ok provided they have an efficient foil - but in WA a 14 is gonna gel with your 10 way better and with the right board you wont believe how light you can ride ! Most of the good riders just dont go to big kites anymore. The right 2nd board will leverage your kite in light air like you wont believe. Surfboards are another option to look at.
But each to their own - i know Big Dazza rides 20's pretty well but he has the body size to balance it up.
There is no spoon. |
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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
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Ian Grose
WA
Australia
278 Posts
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Posted 17/02/2005, 3:00 pm
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Flow 14 and an Airush Exile..... AMAZING.
You can demo any of the Airush boards at Airborne Kitesurfing.
Speak to Jess on 9244 4474. |
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Geeza
WA
Australia
90 Posts |
Posted 17/02/2005, 3:32 pm
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| I cuurently ride a flow 10m and think they are great, would really like to get hold of a 2nd hand 14m flow, do you have any at airborne |
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Airborne
WA
Australia
93 Posts
Site Sponsor!
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Posted 17/02/2005, 4:12 pm
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Hi Geeza,
We actually do have a Flow 14.0 at the moment, we don't often have second hand 14s cos they are only a size becoming more popular now, a bit like 16s have been historically. It's also a current 2005 model that's been used 5-6 times, accordingly in pristine condition. The fellow who owned it tends to like the big board/small kite combo for the waves and with this style and his bodyweight he finds he needs nothing bigger than a 12 even in light wind!
It is going for $1299 including bar and bag. New the RRP is $1799.
Jess |
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Andrew
WA
Australia
148 Posts |
Posted 17/02/2005, 4:22 pm
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Hey Gazza,
Ive got one near new sandgroper 14metre kite that has only been used as a demo which I am wanting to get rid of due to my new model finally arriving. $500 and its yours!
Sandgroper kites are mid aspect, super tough, & stable!
regards
Andrew
0418 339 335 |
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