Light Wind Kites

[Whitey]

Just bought a new toy. 19m Speed 2, I have put enough time on it now to know that I do not need the light wind kites I already owned. Have posted a couple of great light wind kites in the gear section just in time for the summer sessions.

[bigairal]

i saw you buzz thru three rooker a few days ago....great seeing you...anyway, what is your kite quiver with the foil kite included...what is the low end of the speed and the high end....what is your next kite down and what mph/knot range will you plan on changing kites...also i heard the bridles are a pain in the butt from howard, what is your opinion. thanks for the info allen

[Whitey]

6m, 8m, 10m, 12m, 14m Cabrinha Switchblad III's
7m 2006 Waroo just to try one.
13m Ozone Edge. Really great kite.
17m Cabrinha Contra
8m Slingshot Octaine for the quick loops.
19m Flysurfer Speed II for the rest of the summer and beyond.

Wind range is now 8 knots to 39 1/2 knots, only because I have a lot of respect for 40 knots.

Howard's wrong, they are not a problem at all if you understand how they work. Take the time to look into it, you will find a whole other world out there. The new foil kites acutally have quite a few really nice attributes, unassisted launches and landings, no pumps, no unhooking and hooking your lines up, easy relaunch in under 10 knots and above, no bar pressure, just put it out in front of you and enjoy the ride, it is the most stable kite I have ever put in the air (in light wind).

[bigairal]

thanks for the info. i would like to try your foil kite if you would not mind giving it up for 10 minutes. hopefully see you tomorrow at the race...allen

[inferno]

:confused:

thats a lot of kites!!!!!

any chances you would want to part with the 8m octane :)
i hav ea 13m and 11m fuel, im looing to finish off the set with a high wind kite...
either the 8m octane or the 7m fuel

[Whitey]

Sure. The Octane has been bitching about the neighborhood latley. I sent you a PM.

[Unimog Bob]

8kts huh? that is some bold talk! I'll bet you $1 Scott can go upwind in lighter air than you on my 14 ERA and his jimmy lewis. Come on what do you say. It has been far too boring on the forum since Bobo/Magnum/Steve started his 12 step program for talking smack.

Bob

[inferno]

instigater...
or is it instigator???

[kite-4-life]

Sorry to dissapoint you Bob, many others feel the same way.
I am now into sipping whine and watching paint dry.
Humor is highly over-r(egul)ated.
Life is good...:rolleyes:

[Steve-O]

I would like to be there if that bet goes down. I can ride some pretty light wind with a 17M Contra and a Flightdeck.....last Sunday when Whitey was riding the Speed I was leisurely crusing along and Whitey comes along whizzing by me like an F-16 and he has got me by 50lbs+......your right about one thing though the forum has been pretty boring and your gonna lose a dollar.

I have always been a fan of German Engineering.

Smack it up, flip it, rub it down.....oh no!!!!!!!!!


by the way Contra 3's just went on closeout 14M and 17M $1099

[Tom Stock]

Facts are, that foils have a bigger range and are better in light wind than even most modern bow kites.

Modern inflatables are starting to become more and more like foils... flatter profiles and bridles.

There was a test done awhile back with several kites (foils, c's and bows) connected to a scale, depower measured while being pulled behind a truck at a constant speed in dead air. The foil won, bow was 2nd.

The big problem with foils, is surprisingly not water relaunch... thats no problem at all. The problem is that they fold,collapse, taco, and loose drive in gusty conditions and unfortunately tampa/st.pete have some pretty gusty conditions.

The peter lynn venom is an awesome foil, but it's actually more of a C kite. We tied the 12 to a garbage can a few years ago at east beach and watched it fly itself while we ate lunch. We never landed the kite after riding, just connected it to a pole and walked away as it flew.

The kite was awesome. I really like foils but the conditions aren't ideal for them here most of the time. The extra weight and structural rigidity of the SLE's makes them a better choice in gusty conditions or for freestyle where you are constantly stalling the kite and getting moments of slack in the lines. But for steady wind and free riding (read light wind) the foils smoke sle's.

Bayflite has that foil for sale on his website: http://www.stpetekites.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=38

[Steve-O]

Gabe is in for $100 Chad for $1000.00 Chad needs some money....LOL

I don't think Chad is betting on the kite as much as he is on Whitey......

I know it will never happen....but healthy smack is fun

[Skyway Scott]

What are you guys betting on again? A kite?
Hmmm.... the board is far more important in light wind.
I will ride upwind of that foil on my 9m Waroo using a Glide in 8 to 11 knots (I don't need that 14m Era) if the Whitey has to be on a board less than or equal to 135 by 41. I have done the same thing to Bob on his 14m Era a few times.
The foil isn't going to make up for the board, if forced to ride a small one.
The board is way more important in light wind.
What are you guys betting?
How can you lose to a 9m Waroo in sub 11? :)

Oh, I have ridden that 19m II. It's a nice kite.

[Tom Stock]

Scott is right on this one... big kite == drag. Small kite and big board will go upwind better in most cases, within reason.

However, I still believe a big and efficient foil and a >good< 130x41 *may* beat the 9m + glide.

That said there have been many many many times when Scott went half a mile upwind of me on his 9m waroo while I was on my 16M waroo in light wind. We were both on the same board. I pretty frustrating because I knew it was because I was on a big kite... lightwind efficiency defeated by drag.

[Steve-O]

Thanks Bob for making something interesting to talk about on the forum.

I am not sure where the different boards came into play here. I think to be fair, boards should be the same.....it is the kite as the thread states should be the variable.

[Danimal8199]

Where should this friendly comp take place, flat water at east beach?

[Steve-O]

It's an interesting proposition to have a light wind challenge if you will. I enjoy cruising around trying to maximum every ounce of the wind speed. Being light myself....I certainly feel I have an advantage. It wouldn't be hard to find a day to hold something like that around here.

Speaking of light wind the strangest thing happend today. A few of us shot up to Sand Key to do a downwinder. Spring time downwinders are very enjoyable for me. Anyway, the sensors were showing 15mph+ winds. I get a view of the water texture and in absolutely confirmed the sensor reading. Alot of texture and whitecaps on the water. None of us even hesitated for a second to pump up....and as a matter of fact we all didn't bring light wind boards as the wind looked and felt great. Long story short it was a slog fest.....there was just no power in the wind. Talk about sucker wind. All of sat there scratching our heads. I tried a 14 Era, a 14 Contra 3 and a 14 Switch 3 and none of them were doing the job. I bet Whitey was killin it somewhere with that damn foil. LOL!

[Tom Stock]

It takes approximately 10 knots of wind to negate 1 knot of current... so I would guess a current was killing you guys.

[Unimog Bob]

Steve-O My bet was Scott could go upwind better on his Jimmy Lewis and my 14. His Jimmy is a surf board and I was trying to be funny. I'm not much for gambling but I figured if I said bet anything Scott would be all in. It does sound like a fun comp now and If Scott wants to ride his 9, I'll ride my 14. I think whitey should have to ride my 05 SS Doyle WSW stuck me with. That thing won't go upwind hooked to a ski boat. Lets pick a day and do this thing, I aint Skeeered

[Steve-O]

"I think whitey should have to ride my 05 SS Doyle WSW stuck me with."

Careful Bob, let's keep this fun....that's crossing the line IMO.

I remember the 05 Doyle board. What a piece of crap. Blame Doyle for that one IMO. On that note, the Glide is hands down the best light wind TT ever made.


Tom.....a strong current is the only explanation.....but it usually works in our favor going downwind north to south especially with a north wind.

[Skyway Scott]

Geezus... it's 1 am already? AND I missed a night session?!
What a joke. I zoned out on a project and totally missed riding. :(

Anyway, my point was the board is much more important than the kite in light winds, imo, that's all.
And yeah, I would bet on it.
It's like the cat hulls that only need 90 horses on 'em and cruise and get great mileage.

I don't think it's as obvious to many as it used to be. Boards are getting better every year. 4 years ago, not many TT boards were very good in the light stuff. I still remember when the Glide and similar came out, then G.S.'s Super Phatty.
Since then, boards like the Flexi 130 have done some insane stuff for the low end of "regular" boards.
It still blows my mind I am on that thing in like 11/12 knots.

Anyway, yeah, that 05 SS thing was a downwind sink pig, unless you were LIT.
Imagine trying to learn to ride and go upwind on that. That's what a lot of guys did several years ago.
No wonder it took so long for many to go upwind.
Anyway, I will always put more faith in a board than kite in marginal winds. :)

[Unimog Bob]

Just teasing you Steve and I don't take the time to do that if I don't like you. I actually like that board for down winders or holding down too much kite. It is just not good at going upwind in light air, then again that doesn't happen very often in the gorge where it was designed. I say the next weekend it is only forecast around 10 we pick a spot and see what happens. I've got my $1.00

Bob

[Steve-O]

Sounds fun......but I don't see it ever happening. The Whitey has been silent for some time now and I am sure would rather stay clear.....completely understandable....

But I got to say......it shot some life into the forum.

[Skyway Scott]

I don't see it ever happening either. Especially the part about purposefully going out and riding in 10 or less. I have to mow my own yard twice a week these days, as is. I don't want to mow Poseidon's as well ;)

http://www.scottfears.com/images/pos.png (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwW0BVE8m4&feature=related)

I guess everything is on youtube these days?

[inferno]

let me know if you guys ever decide to have a contest to see who can hold the biggest kite down in the most wind....
when you do.... im in :)

[Skyway Scott]

I will take that bet. I will just pump up a 23m and sit on it in the sand in 40 knots :)
Be careful when betting to word the bet properly.

[toby wilson]

let me know if you guys ever decide to have a contest to see who can hold the biggest kite down in the most wind....
when you do.... im in :)

YEAH!!! I'll enter THAT contest ANY day!!! Not many will have a chance...I don't see many other riders on a 16M Thruster in 28-30, maybe more... :)

[inferno]

YEAH!!! I'll enter THAT contest ANY day!!! Not many will have a chance...I don't see many other riders on a 16M Thruster in 28-30, maybe more... :)

i dont see very many riders on a 16m thruster period :)



sorry couldnt resist...

[toby wilson]

Well don't blame me if you guys don't recognize a great kite when you see one...I am sure you will see a turn in that trend very soon...All in good time...all in good time my friend...you will see...

[Tom Stock]

I wouldn't say the glide is the best light wind board ever made, but definitely the best board slingshot ever made.

[Tom Stock]

Anyway, yeah, that 05 SS thing was a downwind sink pig, unless you were LIT.
Imagine trying to learn to ride and go upwind on that. That's what a lot of guys did several years ago.
No wonder it took so long for many to go upwind.
Anyway, I will always put more faith in a board than kite in marginal winds. :)

Hah my first board was an 04 SS SX-132. What a sinker! UG was king then.

[Steve-O]

So Tom, in your opinion.....what is the best production light wind TT out there?

[Skyway Scott]

You guys are cracking me up.
The best light wind TT production board ever made was the biggest, flattest, ugliest P.O.S. you ever laid your eyes on. Daryl designed it with UG. It was the UG XXXL :) It was basically a floating square the size of your average couch.

Seriously though. These brand duels and light wind duels etc. are a little silly at some point. Every one already knows that the Hellfish had guys LITT (talking JUICED) in 6 knots. Hell, it was ALL over the f'n place, on every forum (all 4 of them back then) in every other post.
They had videos and sh.it to prove it.
Every kite has been obsolete since then, so what's the point? :twisted:

[Steve-O]

Scott....your right....let's get back to boring! :)


Did you ride this morning? I don't know how I missed it but I did.....looked beautiful down by the bay. Wish I lived closer....

Checked the wind around 8 and it showed 12....went on about my day and then wham!!!!! Someone didn't need a lightwind kite this am.

[Skyway Scott]

I am currently slammed trying to get this done http://scottfears.squarespace.com/board-of-directors/ for a not for profit and couldn't ride this a.m. It sure looked nice out.
Once it's done and I am paid, I Cname it and the URL says acaret.org (no, my name won't be in it all the time).
Here is the original. http://www.acaret.org/

I am trying to do it all in 2 days. There is a lot of backend file mngmt. you can't see that is slowing me down. :(

I would like to ride tonight, if it blows, though. :) Just gotta crank this thing out.

I will lay out bets if you guys are really that bored.
I would really prefer to slam the Hellfish though. Many of you don't remember that frickin' fiasco.
What a bunch of lies that scam was. Litt and jumping in 6/7 knots was that lame sack of cra.p they tried to sell gullible light wind wanna be's.
It made me want to puke reading the propaganda b.s. We had quite a few forum fights over that one.
I won, is all I can say. No one jumps and is litt in 6, never will be.

[bayflite]

the hellfish was a great kite.
it sux that you didn't get a chance to try it in real winds.
anyway...you seem happy with the waroo.
ALL KITES ROCK!

[Tom Stock]

The hell fish was the best kite ever made, it made everything else obsolete! Plus, you could use it as a thermal blanket, and you could be seen on the control tower's radar when jumping at lassing! Easily repaired with aluminum foil tape!

Best kite ever!