Wipika Airblast vs Naish Rhino2???, Naish X2??, or Slingshot Fuel? Whats best?
David
kiteski and buggy and am experenced with 4 line foils. I have never
used a control bar, only handles. I live in Wisconsin about 30
minutes from Madison and the wind isnt the best. I am thinking about
buying a Wipika Airblast 11.8(16 flat) and a twintip board. Does any
have any suggestions or is there anything wrong with the Airblast, I
have heard a lot of good things about it and I just want to know if it
will be a good kite for me. I want a larger, higher AR kite because I
dont want to have to buy another one because they are so damn much
$$$!! (I want to be able to grow into this kite) If anyone has and
input on this please reply! This is a hell of a lot of money and I
want to make sure I am getting the best. Thanks alot,
David
P.S I am 168 lbs and I will be kitesurfing on a lake and sometimes on
Lake Michigan, which is a hour away.
Trevor McRae
Hell of a kite. Excellent construction, wide range( I have been out in 25kts
and still hanging on no problem because the kite will depower in the power
zone you don't have to bring it to the front of the window like most kites)
they have been the best all round kite I have flown. Check out their website
www.oceanrodeo.com
I also own a 12m ocean rodeo which is my kite of choice when I arrive at the
beach and it's crankin already. Again it flies like no other I've tried.
I fly both these kites in all kinds of wind on the ocean and the lake.
Surfer T
"David" <d_he...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e4ef015f.03010...@posting.google.com...
Jeff Ruoss
Are you sure that the 16m Ocean Rodeo will handle 25 knots. At 25
knots the wind would make the water completely white capped with some
spray. This is one step away from Gale Force winds. I have been
riding for two years and have never heard of anyone safely holding
down a 16 meter kite at that wind speed. This includes my 250 lb.
friend who stowes his 11.8 Airblast once it goes over 20 knots.
Please be careful what you post. David is a newcomer to kitesurfing
and posting information that may be misleading could have tragic
results. Ocean Rodeo's website lists the Bronco 16 meter can be flown
by an advanced rider to 17 MPH. Your statement of sailing this kite
in 28 MPH is 50% more wind speed then Ocean Rodeos recommendation.
The lifting force of a kite is equal to the square of the wind
velocity. Thus you are stating that you are flying this kite at 170%
more power then the maximum rated power by the manufacturer.
Trevor we have never met but I implore you to be very carfeul flying
such a large kite in close to Gale Force winds.
David,
I have never owned an 11.8 Airblast but have flown one for about a
total of an hour in 16 mph winds. The kite turns faster and easier
with the bridle attached. Unfortunatly the bridle likes to tangle and
can be a hassle when launching. This kite is more difficult to water
launch because of the high aspect ratio. Below 12 MPH it is extremely
difficult. The 2001 Airblast had serious delamination issues that
caused Wipika to warranty a majority of the kites manufactured in that
year. The 2002 kites did not delaminate. The Wipika kites were one
of the best kites designed by Bruno Legaignoux. He holds the patent
for the Inflatable Kites and left Wipika to make his own brand called
Takoon. Bruno is arguably the best Leading Edge Inflatable designer
in the world. The Takoon kites are very impressive.
My recomendation is to try and get deal on a used 2002 lower aspect
kite. The Naish Aero, Cabrinha CO2, and the North Toro are all well
constructed kites. You can usually find geat deals at
http://www.ikitesurf.com. I cannot comment on the Ocean Rodeo product
as I have yet to demo that brand. I agree with the 16 meter kite.
It sounds like you already have good kite skills. If you really fall
in love with the sport you will need two kites to take more advantage
of a larger wind range. As for twin tip boards go I recommend going
with something about 160 cm. Advanced riders drop down to about 140
cm. Slingshot, BIC, Naish, and Litewave Designs are all good choices.
I do NOT recommend using a board leash. If you take the time to
learn how to body drag upwind prior to using the board it eliminates
the need for a leash. I learned with full bindings wich kept the
board with me 90% of the time during a wipe out. With bindings
immediatly bring the board to your butt when falling and ride on your
stomach until you regain control. I also recommend riding with loose
bindings to reduce the risk of knee injuries.
Have fun on Lake Michigan. I was there for a contest in September
unfortunatly there was no wind.
One last comment be very carefull when riding in on shore winds.
Every fatality I know of to date has been in on shore winds. This
includes the recent loss of a good friend, Peter Nordby who owned Zero
Gravity Kiteboarding School in Corpus Christi, TX.
I apologize if this message came across grim at all. I have an
extreme amount of passion for this sport.
Feel free to e-mail me direct at:
Jeff Ruoss
Local Cabrinha Team Rider
Alameda, CA
"Trevor McRae" <sur...@home.com> wrote in message news:<QJ1T9.1151$H7.2...@news2.calgary.shaw.ca>...