13 2008 Waroo

[bryanleighty]

on Sunday the wind was pretty light when I rode the 13m..
Dan was out on his 16m waroo.. He was on his skywalker lightwind board.. i was on the skywalker 130x40.. i could keep w/ the wind but not go upwind well.. he was able to go upwind ..

i was going to switch to my lightwind 140X49 board when the wind died completely and we both put our kites down.

earlier i was riding the 13m when others were riding their 15 and 16m kites.. its got a lot of power for its size..

I also know you are looking to lose some weight.. i'd think that if I was in the 180lb range the 13m would completely replace my 16m waroo. As it stands at 200lbs I will need to keep my 16m in the car for those really light days.

Yeah, I'm down to 179, and I don't usually want to ride unless it's 15+ so a 13 should work no problem.

I'm kinda over just cruising back and forth in 11mph these days ...

It seems like most companies are getting quite a bit of power (efficiency might be better) from their 13/14m kites these days. I can easily be powered on most brand's 13m kites (at my size) in 13 knots on a "small" board. So, the 13m Waroo isn't in a class of it's own in that regard.
I would go so far as to say if I wasn't totally powered up on a brand's 13/14m in 15 knots, I would consider it a p.o.s.

On the other hand, because I can just cruise around and sight-see on a Glide (or similar light wind board) on almost any SLE between 9m to 17m in solid 10 knots, I don't see the point in getting a BIG kite, when almost any kite will do if just cruising on a good LWB.

Since all I can do in ten knots is cruise around, putting up a bigger kite than what I am pretty powered up on in 13-15 knots doesn't make much sense to me anymore. Pretty sure you and Tom are saying almost the same thing (that a big kite, if you have a light wind board, isn't all that necessary anymore). Although Tom isn't big on riding in sub 15, I will a lot if it's nice outside.

Funny, 'cuz 4 years ago I had a 20m RRD. 20m !! lol.
I didn't have the Glide yet, though.

I had a 21M nemesis.

F'in pos.

I will never again ride a kite bigger than a 14m.

[WindRyder]

I know that I am smaller than you guys, but this is an interesting point about not riding larger kites. When I first learned on the new bow kites, my first kite was a 16MCrossbow. I got it in May 2006. I rode that kite in anything from 10kts to 20kts switching between Big Bessie (LW 169 with the hibiscus flowers) and the LF Aura 130. That kite was a bus!!!! But, I didn't really know any different. I'd borrow my friend's 12M Switchblade from time to time, but always preferred the bigger kite until I got a 12M and 9M that Fall. That's when I quit with the "I need a big kite" as the 12M was my go to in all conditions. Fast forward just a bit, and my biggest kite is now the Era 10M!! I weigh around 135-140, and use this kite in as little as 10kts up to 22-23kts switching between my SuperPhatty and Crazyfly 125. Amazing how kites have evolved. I, too, find sub 12kts blah, but at least rideable if it dies down to that point. Roy has found that the 12M Era is his go to as well. If he can't ride that, we just leave the beach. Maybe we have all become wind snobs!! LOL

[southbound]

This is a great thread for me. My 2006 12m Waroo has been my go to kite for the last 2 seasons. I weigh 200lbs and ride my 12m 80% of the time (9m the othe 20%). Last year I would have replaced with a new kite, but nothing stood out for me. This year I probably don't have a choice since my 12m may not make it through another season.
Based on reviews I am pretty sure I will replace my 9m with a 2008 9m Waroo.
I was thinking a 11m waroo or 12m nemesis to replace my 12m waroo, but based on this thread it sounds like the 2008 13m waroo may be a good replacement.
It sounds like the 13m has more power and is faster than the 12m waroo.
A few additional questions.
-What about top end, can you 13m handle the same amount of wind as the 12m did? When out on my 12m it was rare that the wind picked up so much that I needed to come in and rig my 9m.
-I know several people that had or tried 2007 13m waroo's and for the most part that felt like they performed like Big kite (not in a good way, slow turning, non responsive, not much fun in the waves...). Can anyone compare the 13m 07 to 13m 08?
-Any comparisons between the 12m nemesis and 13m waroo?

Any advice/feedback will be greatly appreciated.
-rick

You are right about the 07 13M...

As for the 08 13M, I would guess the comfortable top end is right around 25. Slightly less than the 06 waroo 12M. But thats no big deal because if it's a solid 20 you will be on the 9m anyway!

Don't forget,if you buy the 13M and decide you don't like it, there is a 30 day no questions asked refund or exchange option.

Best will then resell it as a used kite at which time I will promptly snatch it up

You really can't loose... Best isn't gonna leave you hanging as long as you don't sit on it for a month before you decide.