I basically got both kites for less than the price of one new '07 kite. The Octane rides like a 14M and is a very quick kite. I bought it first and got an unbelievable deal on it. The TD was also a bang-up deal and I had no intention of buying it. Was going to the shop with Amber and Roy so that Roy could get booties and Amber a wetsuit. It was a school demo kite that was flown 2-3 times total and the price was ridiculously low. I figured that I liked the kite (I had flown Roy's the previous day) and did not have an SLE so why not? Plus, I may be able to dump 1-2 Machines now.
The Machines are quite slow turning because of their size which I think has really been a hardship for me as far as my learning curve. With these 2 new kites I should be able to learn some new things. The Octane is one of the fastest kites out there from what I hear and the Machine (although they are similar construction) is one of the slower ones. Yeah, I'll get worked a lot while adjusting to the new kites but I have flown the TD and really liked it, it is a Ferrari when compared to my old dump truck Machines...I expect the Octane to be even faster!!!
