Who's leading the light wind category these days??
 

Well, its time to replace my light wind kite and I'd like to know who is leading this category these days. I've been very happy with My 14m Royal Era and would buy another however, I think the poor economy has made its mark on this sport also and I believe this company is out of buisiness.

Im considering an RRD Obsession but I was hoping to get some input on this topic....

There is no question that the Flysurfer Speed III 15&19 meter kites are the light wind champions. They r pricey but if u want to be very powered in 10 knots they get the job done. They also jump huge!

Actually, I really don't believe that the Speed is in the ball game if you look at it objectively. There are tons of dedicated riders that promote the benefits of ram air, however in looking at results of open course racing that measures effectiveness of a kite on all points of sail, no one considers to use any ram air.

I’d agree that in theory a ram air should simply be better, but it's clearly not the case. I even tested in very light wind a while back against the speed and we were worried that this thing would kill us, but it never came to happen.

Obviously, I’m bias due to my affiliation with Cabrinha, however factually speaking the Cabrinha 16 and 13 Crossbow IDS kites have won nearly every single light wind course race in the world (now racing to as little as 4-5 mph). Additionally, they have a significantly better wind range than nearly any other kite including other Cabrinha kites. The other detractor from ram air kites is their performance in gusty conditions. I actually got to see this first hand yesterday with the kite collapsing many times. It was however very gusty from 12-20 at the time.

If you are looking at any good light wind kite, make sure to make the proper line length adjustment. At a minimum you will want to go with 27-30 meters of line and maybe more depending on how light it is and the size board that you have.

In general it's pretty easy to get a ride in a crossbow. Give one a go if you can and see for your self when compared to other kites.

Kent,

I can't wait to hear some responses from the guys here in Tampa.

I personally don't have much of a desire to ride in 10-12kts but there are people here that swear by the foil kites and will argue with you about the range and the ability for them to handle gusts.

You do make a point about their performance in course racing. However, the guys here will probably say they never do course racing so they are happy with their performance.

Either way I think this will make for a good discussion.

Danny

Good, bring it on! I actually prefer debating objective results for kites. Things like light wind performance are very easy to objectively test. Either you can plane and ride up wind in light air or you can't. I feel pretty good about my chances in this test. To be honest, the only way that you can actually test the truest light air performance would be to use on of my course boards as they will allow us to get into the lowest ranges of wind. In short, there is tons of money on the line for light wind racing all over the world. If they worked, someone would use them. Ram guys generally get pretty fanatical over these things for one reason or another. I'm just looking at results and my experiences. Maybe I'll take a ride on Dr. Light Winds kite next time I see him out and check it again.

One thing is for sure and not really open for debate... when it goes bad on a ram it goes really bad. I started on rams before 99.9% of the people on this forum ever rode. I had my fair share of swims and still continue to see some pretty long ones for ram users when it goes wrong. This really doesn't exclusively apply rams in very light wind as no good LEI will launch in the lightest stuff anyway. In truth as long as you get it up quickly, a ram is probably better in this area.

In any case, think what you like, but if you really want to know the truth check it out for yourself. I hope I'm wrong because I'm not above buying a ram to kick Damo's ass in light wind racing if it helps!

Crossbow vs. Switchblade
 

I have a quiver of 2008 Cabrihna Switchblade III's. I am bent at Cabrinha for not making any more 16M SB's.

I have demo'd the 2010 16M Crossbow and it falls backwards out of the wind window in light winds, while my switchblade stays right there. I am very worried about what I am going to buy to replace by SBIII when it is completely worn out.

Now that Cabrinha took away my favorite kite, I am keeping an eye out for a kite to beat my 2008 SBIII 16M. Still looking...

Howdy Gator,

I hear ya, but i'd also offer a few suggestions on the CB. I have found that if you fly the kite in the center knot position on the back line that it is very easy to over sheet. You really have to run it on the last knot and run with some depower to avoid over sheeting. The kite is very, very good in the light stuff. I hope you can give it a go again. I'd also suggest running it with the pro bar upgrade kit and 5 meter line extensions to get the added push you are looking for.

I'll say that we tested the 11 CB against the 12 Sb and found that the bottom end was similar, but that the quick reaction to bar control on the CB was fantastic and gave the CB the edge over the SB. Unhookers will still really like the SB, but if you need the bottom end, i hope you try the CB one more time. as you may be aware, we do have a CB in a 16. this has tons of grunt and i'd put it up against even the older SB 16 for sure. Any demo 16 CB's in your area for you to try? i know it's tough to find one, but if not pls PM me so that we can see how to move forward.

PS. on the other hand we can also just wish for more wind!

Just how light do you want to go?

The 14m Era was a great light wind kite - one of my favorites. You should really look at the 13.5 Kahoona (1.75 lbs lighter than the 2010 13m Waroo!) and some of the light wind 2010 Ozones for equal if not better performance than the Era. The RRD Obsession is an awesome kite, and they have the Religion coming out soon as well.

I believe that currently it's hard to beat a Flysurfer Silver Arrow if you are a heavier rider in under 12 kts. It's not a good kite for me because I am overpowered with it at around 14 kts. Also, you have to get used to the way the Flysurfer feels but you might be the only one riding some days when others are sitting on the beach wondering how the hell you can do it. A bit pricey too, pushing $3k usd.

I feel like once a kite gets much bigger than 15m it becomes heavy and innefficient (especially LEI's) - lots of drag and slow turning speed. Better to have the smallest kite possible and a good board. For $3k you could get a sweet LEI and a surfboard or race board.

But any kite needs "some" wind and if any kite goes down in under 5 kts it's nearly impossible to relaunch. As for self rescue I think LEI has an obvious advantage but I think it a bit of a non sequitur to say an LEI will perform as well in the super-uber-light wind speeds, from what I have seen.

Thankfully kites and boards have gotten a lot better the last few years. 13 is my big kite now. Hard to believe I used to fly a 20m Wipika! :confused: (wanna buy it? ;))

Let us know which direction you take and how your choice works out.

I rode Mark's 15 meter Speed 3 in 23 knots the other day at east beach. Yes I was lit but not overpowered. This kite is a 21 meter inflatable and everyone else was riding 8's and 10's. To me that is amazing range and the safety release is amazing.
Granted it is not for beginners because the huge launch and 100 meter flight r extreme but in 11 yrs of kiting I have yet to ride a kite with that much power, depower, lift, and float.
Btw.. The Speed 3 is a closed cell foil, not a ram air, and it relaunched super easy.
I'm not a flysurfer rep and am not pushing their gear but damn.... I was impressed.
Unfortunately they r expensive, but worth every penny If ya wanna b lit in 10 knots

Jay,

Good points, but if you think being lit in 10 knots is still light, you really need to try some new light wind boards. Any decent LEI or RAM will do this. I guess that in the end, maybe there is no difference because the board is really the largest factor.

My point still remains that I'd sure like to see any Ram air tested on different points of sail against a good LEI to see the facts. That's upwind, reaching, and down wind as all are important in fun factor. That's getting home, going fast, and ripping down wind. As a point of fact, i don't even use the 16 as my 13 is fine down to 6-7 on the boards i generally use.

Everyone here has very valid points. In my opinion, the 3 very best lightwind kites that I've riden are (in no specific order):

• Cabrinha Switchblade 1
• Cabrinha Switchblade III
• Cabrinha Crossbow 16M IDS

I am 215-200lbs and ride in light winds when there are 19M Flysurfers in the the air. I haven't riden a flysurfer, so I can't compare. But riders on the 19m flysurfers are always surprised that on my Switchblade 1 and my flight deck, that I can keep riding in sub 10mph winds.

I sure wish Cabrinha STILL MADE SWICHBLADES IN 16M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you listening Pete????

The Crossbow 16M has the same low end that the SB1 has. Just more bar pressure.
The SB3 has more high end then low end. I need like 12mph to ride the SB3.
The SB2 VERY similar to the SB3. Don't count it out either.

I look forward to riding some foils so I can compare!!

Wow, ripping in 6 kts! Impressive. I would really like to see that. The big problem is still if it drops to 4 or 5 kts...then I'd be surprised if anything will work. ?

I was able to ride an RRD Hypertype 15m in almost as light of wind as a Silver Arrow 19...but not quite as low....and "not quite" translates "less performance" in light wind. I'm a lighter rider so that's a big advantage. But I would still love to see any LEI that can TRULY match the light wind performance of the Silver Arrow.

Course racing is perhaps a whole different matter and you may be looking for different characteristics in a kite.

Agree, the board is a HUGE factor. In either case, it's great to see such improvements in light wind kites by almost all kite brands, and with boards as well.

Board is the big factor here.

As far as kite goes, do you want grunt in light wind or just on a plane.

Smaller kites and big boards can get u on plane, but big kites can provide that grunt you might be craving. How soon do you want to be able to load and pop? That is huge for me in light wind. Not really interested in mowing the yard.

The Flysurfers are amazing for raw power, would have to agree with Jay on that one but they are pricey as Roberto mentioned. I can ride a 19m in 10 with my 131 and be very powered.

One note about the Crossbow 16M ...I have been teaching a student that is 340lbs and that freakin kite with his bad board technique can get him on a plane in 15knots. The board is only 145X43cm. If he had a bigger board he would be money. Think about that.... 340lbs. I don't think any of the above kites mentioned except maybe a Fly 19 could pull that off. Even more amazing is I can hold that kite down in 20knots at 150lbs. I can't however hold down the Fly19 in anything over 14knots.

The crossbow and the Fly are just two completely different animals.

Good luck. Lots of great choices out there.

Thank you all for the good information. It will help me make a decision that I will feel good about when moving forward with replacing the Royal Era 14m. In my search for a low wind kite, my interest is not based on trying to ride in super low winds such as 8knts or even 10knts. Believe me, I would not even waste time heading to the beach if that’s all the wind that is projected. There are times that a forecast does not fill in and its those days that I would like my “Light wind kite” to be perform in the lightest wind possible for those conditions.

Considering that kite manufacturers are in the business of selling kites, the marketing information and “hype” can be misleading. I think the push for selling those damn SS Machines was a great money making boost for the company but the kites where not the best light wind products as advertised. I certainly do not want to make the same mistake of purchasing another one of those POS…

What about the RRD’s, Waroo’s and Ocean Rodeo’s? Are they just not in the race?

Gary, ive heard a lot of good things about the 13.5 Kahoona... but have not rode one myself..

i believe Big Air Al has one and loves....

-Danny

I had the 1st generation Cabrinha 16m Crossbow. It was a light wind machine. Rode from 8mph to 20 mph. If new XB is anything like the old one I would say at least give it a try. Ocean Rodeo 12m rise what I use now. I weigh 180lbs and ride that from 12 to mid 20's very happy with this kite. Nobody really carries OR on the east coast. But they are very common on the west coast. Ofcourse company is in Vancouver BC Canada free Tim Hortons doughnut with purchase. With the cost of kites these days you do want to choose carefully...Jordan

Would like to point out a couple of important facts. You can no more put the different models of foils into a group and comment on their characteristics than you can put the Nomad, CB ten, and the Turbo Diesel 1 in a group and comment on their traits. (I pick those kites because I have personal experience on them)

The Flysurfer Speed is out in three very different models.

Speed 1 not in the ball game. Do not buy one you will be disappointed.

Speed 2 very powerful kite, very stable, will not collapse in 12 to 20 winds, at least in the several hundred hours I have on them it has not happened in those conditions. Depower on the 19m speed2 is there but once the wind gets to the mid teens high teens you are looking for a place to put it down. Super kite in 9 to 12 kts.

Speed 3 the latest version and completely different kite. Loads of depower. I know Steve O can ride this comfortably in much higher winds than the speed 2 he is referring to.

I own a larger quiver of Cabs and 4 of the flysurfers. I enjoy riding them all. Relaunch is very similar between the Cabs and the Speed2 and 3. Yes the foils float on top of the water for about 45 min before things change.

The CB and SB are very different kites from the speed2 and speed3. These two models of foils are very very high aspect kites that must be flown and ridden in a different manor than the Cabs. Much like two sail boats doing a down wind leg of a course race, one a mono hull with a large spinnaker that can point straight at the mark and the other like a high aspect catamaran that has to reach off a little to get things rolling.

I would love to see someone with the extreme course racing skills of Damo or Kent take the time to get comfortable with the proper techniques of riding one of these new foil kites, then go for a test run on their high tech course boards testing against each other then switching kites and doing it again. I'll provide the foils give me a call. I would love to give it a go with you guys until the first "tack gybe" on this board with 4 monster daggers sticking out of it. I have the kites down but this board is a new world for me.

Whitey,

I'd love to give it a go on a foil to check it out. I do know that at the beginning of last year's world cup that a few guys tried to give it a go in the very light stuff, but it didn't work out. I'd suggest if they can be competitive that Damo might be able to make it work. As racing has fast become the largest competitive aspect in the sport world-wide, we are keeping our eyes open to tools that work. I believe that DR. Lightwind here in Miami has a new Speed, I'll see if i can take his out.

Damo and I are heading to Puerta Vallarta on the first of March for the start of the world cup in course racing. I'm sure that we will see the best stuff there. While i still personally think that LEI's may in fact like racing on old wooden booms when compared to products in the future, I'm still kind of hung up on the objective part. If you through 20K-30K to racers at world cup events, if RAM's worked, they would use them. Several WC events were run in winds that fell to less than 6-7 knots. I believe the Gebi can speak the the factual basis of this. Bruno won every race and there were RAM's on the water. If we thought that there was a silver bullet out there, we would take the tool and use it.

I don't think that the needs for course racing are much different, they just take the subjective nature of testing out. Which is better up wind? Which is better on a reach? Which is better down wind? These are things that we test all of the time and it's easy to do. This isn't like freestyle where riders prefer one kite over another based on feel alone, these things are measured in angles, numbers, turning speed, etc.

I will agree on the point that a good RAM should fly before any LEI. I think that the weight alone is a big factor here. On our new boards, if a kite can fly then you can use it to go up wind.

Back to the very first post. I don't know who is leading the way. Back when we had the Contra 14 I think Cabrinha was clearly the front runner when compared against the SS Machine and a few other kites that were marketed for the low end. Now, i know that Cab is a top player in low wind and that there are only 2-3 other kites on the market that are in the same arena. I guess it comes back to trying them for yourself. It sounds like there are plenty of RAMs in your area and I know that getting a ride on a Cab isn't too hard. I'd be interested in hearing the outcome.

I agree with Kent on this. I think the board is more important than the kite in light winds. I also think his "money talks" approach to Foil vs. LEI is more than valid. If Foils were better, it seems they would win and riders would use them to make money winning. Sort of end of story (at least for racing purposes, maybe not free ride as Jay alluded to).

I am of the opinion that all kites are getting pretty darn good these days.
Seven years ago, some kites truly sucked, and others just sort of sucked.
There was a "suckiness differential" worth knowing about in deciding on which kites to purchase. Now, it seems most kites are pretty good. I personally am more apt to make a kite purchase decision based on customer service/warranty reputation these days when it comes to buying a kite. Anyway.... just my opinion.


Kent, what is one of the "best" light wind/race boards out there for your average joe (not looking to win a race) - but for "mowing the yard"/ sightseeing the girls on the beach in 7 to 11 knots?

I was just looking at Alex Aguera's new boards on YouTube. Seen some others as well. He claims he can easily go upwind in 7 knots on a 13m Xbow.
I met Alex several years ago in St. Pete (as you know, he's from St Pete) and liked him a lot, and trust his word.




Thanks for any inputs.

Don't get me wrong here. I am not suggesting that the new foil kites are the answer for getting on the podium at a course race, not the case.

I just wanted to shine some light on the comments being made about RAMs as a group. Folks are referring to SA (silver arrow) here and the new kites are not silver arrows. That is a type of fabric that you had the option of having a Speed 2 made out of. The Kite that Jay rode was a Speed 3 deluxe. These are two completely different kites. That is what I was trying to point out.

As for the original post asking who's the leading light wind category? I don't think he was referring to course racing. The foils obviously have not won the course races, but for your average rider wanting to spend a Saturday cruising the beach, throwing a few jumps, riding some small waves, while not having to constantly worry about staying upwind, it is not fair to say "the speed is not in the ball game".

I did this for several summers on my Contra 17, and now I do it on the foils. The Contra worked great, I had a blast on it, I just hated to pump that monster up on a summer day.

Well technically, your statement is correct the speed is not in the ball game ("the speed" is what the speed 1 was referred to) But the speed 2 and speed 3 are in the ball game big time, given that the game is not course racing, but just having fun in the sun ridding on a very light wind day.

Kent, I value your opinion and respect your experience in the sport, and wanted to add some missing information to the thread.

I know you are responding mainly to Kent, Whitey, but just want to say "I hear ya", it's why I pointed out that racing vs. free ride is different.

I honestly think that most kites are pretty darn good these days and that we are knit picking over stuff (to a large extent). If you guys rode the crap that Jay, Kent and even I did (slightly after them) around ten years ago, you would get what I am trying to say.

In a nutshell, I am advising Gary not to stress over the kite (just get whatever within reason), but also make sure to buy a "race board" for ME to demo. ;) :D :p (even if he doesn't want one).

Visuals might help. :D

Yep, i agree with all of you guys. This was a great thread and it's nice to see so much interest in light air kites. I really want to hop on a Silver Arrow when I can to check it out. I have heard great things about this kite.

Regarding the good light wind boards, for just riding around the new generation of course boards are probably not ideal as they generally need to be ridden flat. I actually ride the exact same board as Alex has in the video which was shot in La Ventana. This is actually going to be the new Cabrinha race board.

If you are looking for a good light wind directional, any twin fin race board from the last 2 years will work fine. While the North board wasn't competitive around the race course, it was easy to ride and worked well in light wind. The NJS from last year is good too. Both of these boards ride well on edge and are fun for reaching. You may not have to go as wide as race boards though.

I'd guess that a flat rocker board of 17-19 inches in width will be great. I personally like quads for the control, but twins in light wind are great. I've even seen some surf style fish boards work nicely.

If you really want to push it, the Alex board is really amazing! it's hard in the legs, but kills it upwind, reaching, and down wind. At the La Ventana event we were course racing on 7's - 9's and the water was very choppy. Adam Koch, also racing on an Alex board hit 36 knots off the wind with a set up very similar to mine. It's funny to think that we are using the same set up in 6-7 mph! I actually like the feel of these boards, but they are not much for jumping, etc.

Not only have the kites come along way, but so has this forum. It is nice to read a very constructive thread with lots of good input and a respect for each others opinions and viewpoints. Just like bad kites are a thing of the past, I hope that unproductive threads are in the past as well.

Thanks Kent for the info on boards. Sorry I so blatantly changed the direction of this thread, btw.
Yikes... I still have a couple more questions.

If I got one of his boards, I would be riding in it in sub 13 most likely and trying to race the windsurfers out at the beach. I wouldn't even want to jump it, so no worries on that one.

If you had to guess (in per cent) what is the speed/ability/difficulty-in-riding difference b/n a 2 year old production North board and one of Alex's new boards? I know in racing 2% could mean the diff b/n win/lose. But, for a guy like me, who cares about 2% (?) is my take.
Or is it night and day difference?
Also, Is riding an Alex board really tough because you have to ride it flat?
Is the difficulty level of riding it a deal breaker? Or am I assuming it's harder than it is?

Thanks again, I appreciate your inputs. It'll be cool to see Cabby have that board as a board offered in a line up. I could be wrong, but I think once people (at least 30 year old plussers) start getting a taste of race boards, many might want one for light days and to cruise. I personally would put my money into one way before I put into into a monster kite. I come from a sailing/windsurfing background and just love sailing around though. :mrgreen:
Also, I got to ride the new S-Quad 5'9" out at Cocoa and really liked it. :)

In terms of success on a forum, I think rational/respectful discussions are only possible when people aren't trying real hard to sell stuff or push an agenda.

Good question. Actually, I'd rather compare the Alex board to the NJS board that Sean Farley used to wind the worlds last year. The North board was really never competitive on the course, but is still a fine light wind board. This is probably proved by the fact that North's top racer used the NJS board at the worlds.

Just 2 weeks ago i had the chance to race with Farley, Damo, Richman, etc. in La Ventana. It was a great test and total eye opener. Farley came with the same board from last years' worlds. This would clearly be the benchmark as he was unstoppable at the event last year. Damo, Shawn, Adam, and myself had a variety of Alex boards.

I must say that I haven't kited much and was really just racing to see if i should take it up again. I was surprised to see my performance up wind against a guy like Farley, who is a total professional. I'd guess that my speed was similar, but that my angle was crushing (nearly 2 to 3 degrees better). He of course still beat me as i fell on many tacks and my performance down wind was nearly embarrassing. But, Farley was clearly better than Damo last year and this year I'd say that they weren't really racing on the same course. Damo's speed was amazing and his angle probably a degree better than mine. I think that clearly Damo and I had the best angle up wind at this event and that I'd guess that the Alex board was no less than 3 degrees better upwind from the NJS and probably close off the wind. Farley is known to always be fast down wind so it's tough to tell. Shawn Richman was also on the Alex board and fly's down wind better than anyone minus his little brother, so i know that this board works off the breeze too. Adam Koch hit 36 knots in a puff on a very wide Alex board with huge fins!

So, i totally love riding course boards even for fun. i enjoy the jibes, tacking, and being able to ride nearly anytime i go to the beach. we have a large group of Formula windsurfers here in Miami, may of which are top level. I'm betting that in winds below 12 knots that I should be winning around the marks this weekend.

In short, i think that you would like a course board. they are hard to get the hang of to start, but with the right fins (less lift), they can be easy to control. An older North twin fin, last year's NJS, or even the new Alex board are all great. I bought the board from Alex because my main interest is racing and i think he has the stuff right now. we will find out in less than 4 weeks at the first cup race in Mexico. I sure hope more people get into this as i can see the days of the tudor mistral race tour coming back to FL.

Thanks for the thoughtful response. :)

I am not (at the moment) so interested in racing, as much as enjoying the ride.
Sounds like a course board could bring some more fun to kiting at sub 13.
But who knows, if course racing came to St. Pete, I might become interested. I am doubtful that I would ever do well, but beating my own times is what my personality is all about, so I would most likely enjoy racing at an "friendly" level.
I know I would definitely enjoy course racing more than a downwind deal. :)

I forgot to mention what i like best about boards like these... i ride in the bay quite a bit and this board allows be to kite in areas that you would normally never kite in. I can ride up wind to stilltsville, over to Soldier Key, Boca Chita, Elliot, etc. 10 minutes of riding up wind will put you in places that it would take 20-30 minutes to get to on a twin tip. I must also say that with the very good rocker on my board that riding down wind is a fantastic way to end a great day of riding.

I agree that a 13 is probably as big as you need to go on one of these. It's kind of interesting that you can nearly float on the board from brief periods of time with out wind in your kite. I'd assume that the board must have 60 liters of volume.

Interesting that you say that, and I am glad you did.
I am most interested in a board like this for "sight seeing" in sub 13 knots, treating my rig more like a sailboat. Most sailboats don't go out for 2 hours and cover the same tack 200 times. :confused:

When I go sightseeing, I love to cover a huge area (3 or more miles upwind if possible, and probably an area 10 miles square) and just check stuff out for up to 2 hours. Few things are more fun (for me anyway, Masters in marine ecology) than freaking out some fish or dolphins that never saw ya' coming :)
I wouldn't ride sub 13 back and forth in the same spot.
So the more freedom (higher pointing upwind) the better.

Good to hear what you said in that regard.

Thanks again, Kent.

@Kent just got a 2010 CB 16
 

I've been riding an old 2005 CB 16 with a monsterdoor in light wind and can hang on to ~20kts when I have to. I've gone straight from it to my 9m SB. I had to replace it and I went with the new 2010 CB 16.

A couple weeks ago I went out in really light wind and could not even water relaunch it. I struggled and tried everything I could think of. I tried reverse launching, I tried getting it to flip on its back, I tried holding the lines as high as I could reach but I couldn't get it to get off the surface of the water.

I tried it again this past Saturday http://kiteboard.ning.com/profiles/b...little-session and had a blast when it was in the air - even when I had to work it a bit. But man, when it drops, it's a biyatch to get out of the water again. I had to dig my door into the water to get some more resistance. Eventually I got it to flip over by moving to one side and quickly back the other way. It rotated up and then fell on the trailing edge which put it perfectly positioned for a hotlaunch. It worked, but man what a chore.

In light air, I need to have the best relaunch possible. I heard the 2011 CB is going to correct this, but I haven't found anything on the web to support this. I'm contemplating bringing the kite back and getting an old contra 17. If only my old CB 16 could just hold on a few more years.

Kent - is it true that the 2011 CB 16 is redesigned to improve the water relaunch? Are there any tricks to make it easier to get the damn thing back in the sky?

thanks in advance:confused:

Getting back to the LIGHT wind kite topic yet another way to impact your riding in LIGHT winds days besides types of kites, boards, line lenght, etc. (and I don't mean to be sarcastic in any way) is to get LIGHTER! I remember when I lost 15 pounds. Holly cow! that made a difference in my kite size selection. another incentive to lose weight for summer ;)

Dear Tross,

I just saw your post. Yes the kite is great in the air and I agree that it is a biotch to relaunch in the light stuff. Originally, I would just swim it out, old style to get her to fly. I understand that there may be a bridal modification that makes it quite easy. I actually haven't even unpacked my gear since the world championships in May! I'll talk to Cabrinha Todd to get the mod and provide you with the info. Hang in there, I'm sure we can help you out. Thanks for riding Cabrinha.

Kent

@ Kent - Thanks!
 

Dude,
Thanks very much! I would greatly appreciate if you could help connect me. I bridle mod would be awesome, but I'm still a bit weary that I should move to either the 2011 CB or a 2008 Contra 17. If you do get some info, please send me a msg at trossytrossman at hotmail dot com.

thanks
Tross

Catching up on this thread!!!
 

I know this thread is a bit old, but we are still suffering light wind madness.

I got a chance to ride yesterday on a 15M Speed 2 out at Honeymoon in 8knots. There was a ton of surf, very choppy conditions, and a current that was working against you the entire time.

With that said, I rode for about an hour with this kite and a 139X43 twin tip.

As Eric said earlier, being light helps as I weigh 150lbs soaking wet.

I was amazed at the kites ability to create power in such light conditions on a not so big twin tip nonetheless.

Cabrinha has also launched for 2011 a dedicated race board. Can't wait to try one as I could probably ride daily down on IRB if I wanted to. Boards certainly will last alot longer than kites.

Here are some YouTube links that I found.

Enjoy, and I look at kiteboarding in the summer as sailing more or less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJq6SrDYxDE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4763XQI6uQ

Just wanted to throw it out there but "winning" the light wind challenge is not just about riding, how about the relaunch aspect? In light wind if your kite goes down and you can't touch, how well does the speed and new cabs relaunch?

They don't.....thats why I take a car battery and electric trolling motor with me when riding in the really light stuff.

I second that. If you are riding either style kite in 8 knots and go down in deep water. Good luck on the relaunch. Add some inexperience to the mix, and its a recipe for disaster. Add some waves and current and well you get the idea. No bueno!!!!

Riding ultra light wind is all about keeping the kite in the air. Period. The main reason it makes it so tough to work with beginners in light conditions, IMO.

One final thought......Don't choke up on your knots thinking you will get more power in light wind. In fact, you will likely get the opposite effect of oversheeting the kite and causing the kite to backstall.

The Flysurfers live by this rule and actually get more powerful the less you pull the bar towards you.

Here is another great video explaining the tuning of a bar and the effects of not having a properly tuned bar. The info in the video I think can be applied to any brand kite.



There are so many folks out there that don't understand bar tuning, how its done, and the effects of a properly tuned bar vs. an improperly tuned bar.

I've experienced this first hand a few years ago when I first started riding. kite went down at honeymoon with a strong outgoing tide , couldn't relaunch and was getting dragged out to sea. got my first lesson in self rescue that day, I believe Craig was the only witness.

That was the day that gave me the idea to buy the car battery and trolliing motor.

That's actually the reason I stopped riding foils in light wind in the first place.
A very long swim off the beaches of Sorrysota about 8 years ago (only went 100 yards, but took 1 hour) with a fully soaked 12m JoJo was enough for me.
I sold it within 5 minutes of hitting land to Rob Hassle and never considered placing myself in that position again.
I realize most kites won't re-launch in really light wind. But at least an inflatable can do as it's name implies. :D

I also realize that most ram-airs have sealed cells. So did the Jo-Jo.
It won't matter after ten minutes of soaking, I don't think. :-?

I should have clarified here what light wind means to me.
Less than solid 9 knots :)

I would feel totally safe on any foil relaunching in solid ten or better.
The problem (I found) is that some foils are so darn good in really light wind, that you don't realize just how little wind there is. Then, if your kite goes in the water, you suddenly realize... holy cow.. I was riding in THIS!

Just wanted to clarify. I am talking wind so light that it might drop to 4 (easy to do if only 7 or 8) and you might have to swim in.