181 posts
Hey guys, need short advice.
Got Raptor Pro 132x41 and some old 2005 Fanatic Skyrider 141x37.
Common winds here are 8-20 kts during summer (pretty stable), 15-35 during winter (gusty).
I am still getting up on board, not much free time (no wind last 45 days either o.O) and i need bigger board so i can progress and later use as wannabe LW if possible.
Haven't tried raptor yet but everyone saying it will be a little small for me till i get better at "driving". Got a good deal on this Spark board (2011) and was wondering what condition the board likes.
Didn't find anything clear in online reviews, just good grip, allaround board. Can i use it for that 12-15 kts days? They said raptor will be nice when i am powered up, but when i am not, will this board work?
Got 8 and 12 Switchblades, 175 cm, 70 kg's, small chop, nothing serious, into freeriding and jumping, my main goals.
71 posts
12kts - no, i bet $2 you want plane on it with 12 switchblade untill you became light wind magician, but that's pretty boring discipline
15kts - 99% yes
Considering weight and your quver I would say it could be almost perfect all around board to use it from 15-35kts, but light wind no.
Light wind boards are really big, almost no rocker, designed just for riding around. Doing transition or switching to "toe side" is considerably harder on proper light wind board. But they can plane in almost 30% less wind then normal sized boards and usually save the day.
QLD
593 posts
Plenty of good 12m kites out there.
switchies above 10m are just too damn slow, get rid of it and get something else.
the 8m will be fine.
How big is your spark.
We do a lot of LW around here and 150cm is your minimum for this stuff.
181 posts
Well, got 12 and 8 SB (haven't used 8 on water yet - a friend did and he says i should ride it till it falls apart, 12 is for "trashing" till i start to rip upwind i hope).
Spark is 140x42 flattish, i am always close to 70 kg (66-72). It will be here in a day or 2.
Got 132x40 Raptor (still haven't used it) and some old Daikine 141x38 with more rocker than earth's orbit (noob shopping) :\
Summer sessions can be fun for 1-3 hours. Always marginal 8-13 kts but there is the time when some1 turns on fan and there are stable 17-22 kts. 11-17m what i saw.
I intend to do winter boarding now till i get upwind with no problem (stronger gusty'er winds; 13-15 kts with 25/30 gusts) and buy some 13-14m "less bow" (probably hybrid?) faster kite next summer. Or maybe get some door and try to use 12m in that marginal winds -.-'
And yes, my 12m is a bit sluggish and it will probably help while i am "studying" but i really think ill get bored with it pretty fast when i watch others. I am still a bit scared of pull while powerstroking o.O
QLD
593 posts
Wow, you're into it!
Good to see someone trying out so much different stuff so early on.
An LW TT will get you do what a 14m will do on the TT's at thyou already have, when under your 12 switchie.
So it's 6 of one, half of the other. But big board will get you even more LW grovel
when you do get your 14,15, 16.5, 17, 19, 21, Foil super kite etc
keep rockin it m8, good start
181 posts
Yeah, probably faster bigger kite and LW board would do the trick after i get some board skills. So i can switch from lw tt to all around tt depending on "windage".
Foiling looks so cool, but.... 1 day...
A friend rips his 15 m flysurfer in that crappy conditions, that thing just stays in the air. Maybe 1 day too... :D
