Please help me out. How can you be "totally lit in 13 knots" on a kite and then be "able to ride it to almost 25 knots". :confused:

When ever I'm totally lit on a kite and the wind doubles in speed which is at least 3 to four times (really more) the effective force / energy. I find myself in self preservation mode (along with everyone else on the beach who was "totally lit" before the wind doubled) trying to get the thing on the ground ASAP to get a much smaller kite.

I am sure you can ride it in 13kts and in 25kts. Just as I can on my waroo, ozone, and switchblade. But I would think the "totally lit" must be at the 25kt end of the window not the 13kt end of it.

Not sure about the physics. All I can say is today's kites are INSANE.
It blows my mind even, trust me.
Just ask anyone who watches me ride the kite if the statements are true, though.
Totally lit doesn't mean overpowered, not to me, anyway.
To me it means I have the power I need to have a blast.

I am totally powered up in 13 knots on my 130 Flexi, doing unhooked tricks on the 14m Era.
I can easily do 10 foot jumps at this wind speed.
At 25, the kite is too litt for unhooked, so I just go huge. Killing power is as easy as sheeting out a little. It's no big deal.

The sweet spot on the kite is right at 17 for me.
At that speed, I can unhook or go huge, it's nice to do one and then the other.

The secret is in the trimming of the kite and in being able to edge hard at it's top end, or edge just the right amount to haul ass in 13 knots and let the kite build apparent wind.
Lots of people (imo) kill their kite's ability to build apparent wind. I only weigh 165, that can't hurt.
I can feel the same way on my 9m Waroo from as little as 16 knots (on small board) up to 30 knots.
Again, I can't explain the physics and today's new kites blow my mind, compared to those of just 2 seasons ago.
I can say, in the light stuff, try to haul ass and build apparent wind.
In the strong stuff, I treat the kite more like a C-kite and try to kill it's power by edging hard upwind.

Plenty of people have witnessed this, so I will just wait for them to say "Yep, been there, seen it" :)
It's the low end that takes some practice "milking".
Trust me though, if it's blowing solid 13 knots, I will have a huge smile on my face (in flat water, non current situations).

The first time I handed Tom my 15m Hyper (in about 12 knots) he got blown off and had to come back.
I then handed it off to Donna, and she tore it up.
Maybe let's ask Tom how it's possible to be litt in that wind. LOL..

I should add, the fun at 13 knots wouldn't be possible without the board I have. The board is at least half of this equation.

Simple... two words: apparent wind

In light wind you keep building apparent wind until you are hauling and effectively "lit".

In heavy wind (25) you don't let the apparent wind build as much since you are ALREADY lit.

The efficiency of modern kites lets them build a LOT of apparent wind. And this is what makes new kites have such a huge wind range.

This is why I can ride a 9m in 17 these days, but a few years ago I needed a solid 25-30 to ride my 9m C kite.

Thanks for everyones take on this...
It looks like the 14era is the best choice for my size.
Now ill have to see if i can swing the 13hundred dollars for this damn thing...i was thinkin 10 and change for the 13roo...or 11 and change for the 15roo...looks like ill have to knock off a few banks before christmas.....j/k...
-disclamer- if any banks get robbed in the tampa/st pete area i had nothing to do with it...
:)

i just got my 15 roo, havent had much time to get a good feel for it, but if you ever see me out there ill let you take her for a spin....

hopefully this weak front will give me the chance to go head to head with bobs 14m era....

bob you gonna dp on tues?????
or against scotts HT 15m.......

quick review.... it doesnt seem to turn as quick as the above but it has more of a grunty feel to it (but i havent tried it on its fastest setting yet)... and is probably the best bow kite ive unhooked on so far, no need to pull the depower at all, no backstall either.... landed an railey to blind on the second try and i havent even tried one in almost three months.... next time out ill start looping it and see how it does....

Thanks for all the inputs Danny.
Hoping to try that kite out. If we ride early, maybe we can switch back and forth. I think Bayflite might have one I can demo, as well.

Unhooking is easy peezy on the Era. It's a tad more technical on the Hyper (you actually have to depower the kite to the proper tuning point before un-hooking :rolleyes: ..... ;) )

Just, please, don't call the Waroo, Era or Hyper bow kites.
It makes me feel semi-queezy to think I am on a bow kite. :)