Anyone else having a hard time deciphering manufacturer marketing **** from actual flight performance?
Is there a good site for choosing a kite? I'm not experienced enough yet to be able to look at a kite and figure how it will fly. I've only learnt on a Torch - love it, fast & responsive but wind range is poor.
From what I read on http://kitesurfingschool.org/kite.htm, we could classify kites as TRACTOR, ALL ROUND or SPEED. I think I'd like to try a Tractor for those variable days in waves & downwinders.
Tractor (Wake Style, Wave, Gusty Wind):
Moderate - Low AR
High Lift
Moderate Lift/Drag
High - Very High AoA
All Around
Moderate AR
Moderate Lift
High - Moderate Lift/Drag
Low AoA
Speed (High Jump, Freestyle) - I gather these are best for cutting & body dragging upwind?
High AR
Moderate Lift
High Lift/Drag
Low - Very Low AoA
Can anyone take a stab at classifying some of the popular options out there as above? Ozone Edge I think must be a 'Speed' kite ..
Look at the kite AR and that'll give you a pretty good indication.
This doesn't always hold true though, especially with the different delta style kites and the myriad of crossovers between the different styles (delta, delta-SLE, SLE, SLE-C, high depower-C, etc).
Best just looking through the beginner-intermediate kite recommendations and talking to your local schools and kite shops to find something that suits your experience and conditions.
After all, you wouldn't just buy a car based on the brochure... right?
true enough - would be nice if they published some specs tho. I did fly some bridled flat looking learner kites in the 2 lessons I've had - didn't like them at all, sure they sat there but they were hard to 'work', slow two handed pigs to fly. Might as you suggest, try some demos - if I love one I'll flop out the credit card.
I would like easy upwind - so something with a high aspect ratio that sits forward in the window and moderate lift/drag (leading edge not too fat) for faster turning/light bar pressure. I don't really want a wave rider, reading a bit more about that I see why it's nice to have a bit of a tractor you can park sitting further into the window so you don't overfly it shooting down the face of a wave. I'm sticking to the freestyle board in chop & waves for now - maybe next season I will play around with a surfboard and go for a wave kite.
Guess I am looking for (to compliment the 9m Torch) something kinda swept back with a bridle (BOW?) to provide a bit more low down grunt and cover a wider wind range than the Torch. I like the kite to be a like my wife; volatile and sensitive to touch but if you position her right, a smooth ride.
Slingshot Octane? Airush Varial? Ozone Edge? .. others to try?
I'd go with another Torch if you've already got one.
Great kites, especially if your familiar with them.
I forgot to ask... how much wind range do you want out of this kite?
Modern high depower C's like the Torch don't have a bad wind ranges, but they're also not light wind weapon or mega-depower kites. The 12m C's of recent years tend to get ~80kg rider going in 15kn with the optimum range of ~17-20kn, and a top end of ~26-28kn... so a total 13kn wind range.
If you want more range than this then your going to have to go to a high-depower bridled kite, which means compromising on the C-feel that you seem to like with your current Torch.
Demo, demo, demo. You'll find something that'll put a smile on your face... and when you do, that's the one. ;)
On the forums you will only get people's opions.
Go to a shop, like West Oz kiteboarding if your in WA he has a good range tell him what your looking, buget and what you are used too and im sure you can demo the kites as well.
The only way of deciding on a kite is by trying them.
Sound advice thanks guys. OK so I guess my frustration with the manufacturer hype has a lot to do with my ignorance - some are starting to make sense now. Many thanks kitewpower auz for the practical run down. I'd like to try the C4 & the Lithium. Octane write up sounds good too.
I took your advice & went to Pinaroo Pt - the AKS team there kindly hooked me up with a couple to demo:
9m Ozone Edge - it was a bit overpowered for me on the day (72kg newbie in something like 25 knots) but **** it was nice to fly - it pulled smooth making it easy to switch etc, turned nicely - all very predictable. No rope chafe on my fingers - bar etc seemed nicely made. Managed a bit of apparent wind, I had to edge hard upwind to bring the ****er under control. A lady there made it look easy to get good air and then AKS Darren made it look incredible. Once I get better at unhooking and doing some lil newbie jumps on the Torch, I think I will be back to look at this again.
8m North Rebel - not as 'smooth' as the Edge but handled the gusts well. Very easy to keep under control and good pull for riding switch etc. Responsive & quick to turn but not much pop compared to the Torch. Great for waves too I guess. Some there thought it presented a bit of bar pressure but I thought it was a pretty easy one handed fly. I am considering this for those high wind days when I am too scared to take the Torch out or for a down wind run in the surf. Could also double as something for my wife to learn on in lighter winds if she gets into it - might be the excuse I need for spending approval 
Kona you're right on re the car analogy - though I've bought a few unseen. Some specs do help to narrow things down though (if you think know what you're looking for) when wading through so many options. 4 Wheels not 3, 150-200KW, ~1.5 tonne A/C cheap as with a big boot
A 13 knot wind range on a kite seems like a big wind range. I ride a bridled kite and am comfortably get about 11m wind range. So if a C kite gets this much range then that to me is pretty awesome. I learnt on c kites and I was only getting about a 7 knot wind range.
Get out and demo a few, marketing hype. I don't think I have ever gotten the mileage in my cars, as advertised on the brochures, same with kites.
KR
i just! get going at 17knts on my 7m meter 2010 vegas and wil call it quits at bout 25-27knts max. ideal wind is 20knts for unhooked riding. weigh 60ish kgs
I would classify kites in the following groups,c,c-hybrid,bow,delta if your looking for a kite that gives a bigger windrange than the torch then i would go for a c-hybrid,as youll probably not like the turning speed of the others as compared with the c,try the park and the c4.
Have ridden in wellington nz for the last 10 years and i dont think there's many places that are as gusty as here,but the new style c-hybrid kites seem to manage most of the time,i do go bow for my real high end kites as 15-35knot days are not uncommon here.
