Can anyone out there give me any info on a 8mtr Alliance from Naish IE wind range, depower and if there was any dramas to watch out for WAS the kite a dud.Thanks
Was hardly a dud kite, felt very nice to fly. Can't really comment on wind range as I dont fly kites that small, also I don't know your skill level, weight, board size ect.
Really good depower for a C-kite, hence quite a large wind range
Overall a good kite, and coming from Naish, it is overall a good quality product
I can't really help with the 8m Alliance, but i can comment on my 12m Alliance.
Absolutely sweet kite! It is a little heavier some due to it's 7 struts and really solid construction, but with the grunt it generates it more than makes up for it. My 12 is a well behaved kite and gets me riding and holding ground at 15kn (80kg) and i've taken it right through to 30-32kn with alot of depower pulled.
I've never EVER had it backstall on me even with the bar held solidly in with the rear lines on it's tightest connection. Really really stable kite unless you overfly over the top of the window in which case it's only downside might rear it's head, the nose down hindenberg. It's not a fault in the kite, just a quirk which i believe occurs because the majority of it's weight is in it's leading edge (one pump system included).
With the tuning points for the front lines moved forward it gives a really solid feel with a fair amount of bar pressure, but move the front lines backward (which i have) and i can kite for hours with comfortable but firm bar pressure.
Turning speed is good and it holds alot of it's power through the turns, but it has a bit of a delay between when you start to turn the bar and the kite commits to the turn, which is perfect for attempting to focus on wakestyle or non-kite tricks as it just sits where you left it. If you crank the bar aggressively then it will turn in a hurry.
Bloody good depower for what some call a C-kite. I guess it is a C-style, but with this much depower i'd put it right next to other hybrids. Maybe it is a hybrid as the 5th line does tension up in high-load situations. What ever it is i reckon it's a great kite. Just a shame more people didn't see a positive to a kite that is essentially a sigma based Torch. I guess the majority either went for the Torch or the Helix.
I have a 8m 10m and a 12m alliance and i agree with kona about the 12. The 8m and the 10m are much more direct then the 12. I think the windrange of the 8m is about 22 knots to 33 knots. I can tell is very nice and fast kite
And bring it on!!!!! 