12m Cabrinha Switchblade

Oh and would you look at that ive got one for sale

have you got a big light wind board?

try demoing one of them on your 12m and see how you go.

The first thing you need to do is get good at trimming your kite on the fly and feeling the power. You can't just park the kite and pull in the bar to get max power. You need to get it flying fairly fast to generate air speed then ease the bar in to take the power. Generally the bar has to be further out to start with to avoid stalling (this is generally true but can vary with different kites).

The action I use is to have the bar fully out, pull in to initiate a turn, push out, pull in to turn, etc. As I get up and riding I'll ease in the bar until I feel the kite starting to choke then ease the bar out. I generally get maximum power on an up stroke with the bar about half way out.

You need to be able to fly the kite in light winds without crashing it because there is no way it will relaunch. You also get lulls and you need to be able to keep the kite in the air. A small reduction in air speed means a huge reduction in power so the kite can easily drop out. In extreme situations I use a stall turn where you stall the kite to spin it at the edge of the window and send it back through the power zone.

Massive diving of the kite to get power is not effective. You need to do gentle up and down motions without zooming the kite all over the place or getting stuck at the edge of the window.

As for a board, the ultimate light wind weapon will be dead flat and wide with straps. You can use a twintip or a skim but a sheet of ply with straps is excellent. My board is 135x48cm. Excess length is unnecessary. The key elements are flatness and width. Rocker makes for slow boards and can be like losing 2m off your kite size.

Fins are not necessary but they help with landing jumps or carving (particularly to toeside) if you technique is not great.

You need straps because in very light winds there can be times when just keeping the kite in the air is an effort. The last thing you want to be doing is dicking around with a strapless skim or surfboard.

Surfboards are fun for moderately light winds but they are bad for very light winds. The fins and the rocker line create way too much drag and the lack of straps make them very cumbersome if you're struggling to keep the kite in the air. A surfboard in moderate winds but with a small kite is loads of fun if there's some waves to play with.

My mate (95kg) and I (80kg) use Switchblade 12m in light winds. Numbers are unreliable but we are often out having fun when others don't even bother coming to the beach. (The other day I was riding and jumping when others with popular major brand kites could not get off the beach. Another Switchblade rider turned up and joind me having fun ... until the wind dropped off completely.) I suspect your T2 might match the SB for bottom end. I don't know.

Would have to agree with Stamp.

However, if you must, then I believe the 12m Switch will work for you with a mal or a big fat fish. I'm old and 87kg and can have heaps of fund with my 12m beast on a 5'10" fish.....looking to get a mal though.

http://www.flysurfer.com/Content/303/?mnid=1059&mnid=1712

This kite has been specially designed for light wind.
Main problem that most of the kites have in light wind is the weight of the kite it self.
big kites are heavier and it makes them hard to water relaunch. Silver arrow is a very light kite and it makes it easier to water relaunch the kite.

Note: I know PL & FS fans will hate me for this but foil kites don't like waves, so I assume that you will use the above mentioned kite in light wind with small waves.

Good Winds
Alex

For seriously light wind advice head to Darwin in the dry. The light wind kitesurfing capital.
16m kites are the norm for ave-big guys on our hot breezy dry season days.
The rebels are popular but other brands can do just as well.
Size does matter, end of story. Use as small a kite as possible to improve the experience, but the bigger kite will always be more powerful.
But, the bigger and bigger they get the less benefit you retain, that's why 18-25m dinosaurs are extinct except for special occasions.

Depends on your definition of light wind.

Wet season... different kettle of fish.

Can kite easy in 10 to 12 knts and 2to 3 foot surf with 10mtr rebel and 6'4 nsp fish lots of fun and a lot less people out..

Z said...

I have been on a similar quest for the past few years!

Difference is that I mainly kite at Botany Bay, but go to Narrabeen as well...

I am currently 97kg ...

Here's my first hand experience...

In the last week, I went out on a bunch of kites and boards, to try out light wind combos...
Winds were around 12 - 15 knots ... according to Seabreeze - Sydney Airport
These tests were all done at Botany Bay (near Presidents Avenue) - ie flat water

Thanks to many friends, for letting me use their gear!

I have NO affliation with any brand or shop ...
I own Rev 15m Nobile 555 (134x41) and Airush Exile (135x 47)

In reverse order... ie least upwind to best upwind performance

Rev1 15m - Nobile 555 (134 x 41) - 1/10 poor in light winds
Rev1 15m - Airush exile (135 x 47) - 4/10 ok in light winds, but lost ground
Rev1 15m - Underground (144 x ??) - 6/10 better in light wind, had to work hard to maintain ground
Rev1 15m - Slingshot Glide (149 x ??) - 8/10 Good light wind combo, relatively easy to keep ground
Running the Rev 15m on the Glide was absolutely great! ...
Rev's are my main Kites, and I normally struggle with it's low end...
BUT with the Sligshot Glide .... it was a TOTALLY different experience....
The board makes a HUGE difference!!!

Bandit Dos 12m - Nobile 555 (143 x 41) - 4/10 ok in light winds, but lost ground
Bandit Dos 12m - Slingshot Glide (149 x ??) 9/10 Great in light winds, could maintain ground well...
The Bandit Dos 12m was AMAZING!!! Especially with the Slingshot Glide!
I was out on Saturday (14th March) between 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, on Botany Bay (near Presidents Avenue) ...
I had no expectations that I would get going at all....
But to my surprise... with the Bandit DOS 12m and the Slingshot Glide, I could hold ground !!!
FWIW: It was a Black and green Bandit DOS...
Seabreeze said it was 12 - 14 knots at Sydney Airport at that time...!!!

Bandit Dos 14m - Airush exile (135 x 47) - 6/10 ok in light winds
Bandit Dos 14m - Underground (144 x ??) - 8/10 great in light winds
This is by far the BEST light wind kite I have flow so far!!!!
SOOOO much grunt....
I had the biggest smile on my face after running this kite....
I probably annoyed all my friends by going on and on and on about this kite!!!
It was effortless to ride this kite upwind in light winds...
I LOVE this kite...
I flew the Bandit DOS 14m back to back against my Rev 15m on the underground 144, and the Bandit had HEAPS more upwind than the Rev!

Later this week, I will try a Contra 2 17m on the Slingshot glide...
Hopefully I will get another go on the Bandit DOS 14m , this time with the Slingshot Glide...
I think that will be the winning combo!...
I will let you know how that goes...

Enjoy!
Z

Hi Z

The Underground board thats around up there, forget the guys name who owns it, and who is very generous with it, is 1.44x46

I was there yesterday with the same board and a 14M Ozone Light XC, and have been out on most days that the wind has been light and onshore this last few weeks. I tend to go out from the beach opposite my shop, I'm sure you have seen the lone Ozone kite way upwind and offshore?
I've not seen anyone out the back with me, the combo of that kite and either my Airush switch 1.44 x 44 or the Underground 1.44x46 (better for lower wind and super upwind angles)

The Dos 14 was out yesterday but could only manage about 100M off the beach, it was the only other kite that made it out the back and into the better wind in the middle of the bay. Richard got out back on his 16M Airush Lift C Kite for a while after I came in.
I only came in because my kite had dried off after all the rain and I had enough after 2 hrs cruising and jumping around out in the middle of the bay on my own. I wanted to pack up in between the rain showers, I got drenched and stuck in the storm on Saturday.

@Good64
You will need a big and faster modern kite AND a bigger board, just getting abigger kite will not get you out in those winds we get on the East Coast at this time of the year and in summer too.
I know a 16M CB IDS will do it combined with an Underground 1.44x46 or Plasma 1.44x46, or Glide, or the large Airush Switch.
Surfboards with straps dont have really good bottom end, because the straps are set too far back for light wind. If you can take the straps off them or only use the front strap maybe they will work ok, but you tend to need to ride them more edged than you do for a smaller and wider twin tip. Riding the shorter wider TT's flatter gives them excellent upwind and low wind performance.

I have a 14M 08 Ozone Light and a used Underground 1.44x46 for sale now, also have the CB and the Plasmas on special.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Need some clarification here.

Z = 97kg on14 BDos 46cm wide board gets out 100m ( ??assume that means gets upwind)

steve = ??kg on 14m Ozone 46cm wide board and goes out a bit further to better wind.

please fill in the question marks.

RAL INN said...

Need some clarification here.

Z = 97kg on14 BDos 46cm wide board gets out 100m ( ??assume that means gets upwind)

steve = ??kg on 14m Ozone 46cm wide board and goes out a bit further to better wind.

please fill in the question marks.

Hi RAL INN,

I was not out yesterday....
I think Steve saw a mate of mine, who owns the 14m BDos

I was out on Saturday on a 12m DOS and Slingshot Glide, 45 cm wide, I think ....
And I was holding ground, quite easily ...

I am not sure how heavy Steve is....

Hope that clarifies things....

Enjoy!
Z

Simpler Solution

Lose the gut, buy a 7 or a 9m of 'any' model & move to Geraldton

problem solved & youll never want to grovell like your Constipated in light wind Crap lol

RAL INN said...

Need some clarification here.

Z = 97kg on14 BDos 46cm wide board gets out 100m ( ??assume that means gets upwind)

steve = ??kg on 14m Ozone 46cm wide board and goes out a bit further to better wind.

please fill in the question marks.

Are you reading something thats not there Tony?
The Dos had its owner hanging off it on Sunday Z was not there, I reckon Chris is in the 85-90kg region (sorry Chris?).
We both had identical boards.
The Dos has a line length issue or rider technique might be better not sure but yesterday I observed it flying backwards. Yes he may have come unhooked but I don't think so.

Next time I'm up there and that will likely be tomorrow, I'll see if I can ride the kites back to back, I suspect they have vey similar bottom end. I'll check the lines or advise on how to.
I'm fading away and now weigh approx 74kg, according to the reality machine (scale) in the shop.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McCUpwind

Kadkhah said...



I have tried a 10m Psycho 3, it is a powerful kite but it is very hard to water relaunch it after a wave smash into the kite. ( In the wind condition less than 15 knots its less likely to have this problem)

Ozone is one of the best brands in manufacturing Paraglide wings / Paramotor Wings / Speed Riding kites & snow kiting kites (ALL FOIL KITES), Have you ever asked your self why they are not manufacturing a foil kite for water?
?

Good Winds
Alex

Psycho3 was the hardest to relaunch of all FS kites. Generally FS kites stay in one piece if hit by a wave... LEI is more rigid and likely to tear. relaunch that ;)

As far as ozone goes....... what??? they tried to make the 'Vision' and failed. and they know that LEI are easier to make and sell more numbers.


IMO, water with waves requires a skilled kiter not any particular type of kite. BTW, who is that guy that wins the wave nats all the time??? and what does he fly?

mike

Yeah..... we are all full of sh 1T.

Anyway, back on topic. A FS speed2 15m or speed2 19m will have you kiting in 10kn.

The 19m will have you going in 7-8kn in flat water. As mentioned already the board and water surface makes a huge difference. A big flat board in smooth water works well and you can build up apparent wind and then go upwind. This is very hard to do in the surf as teh chop and waves slow you down too much.

Another option is to try to ride a Mal and smaller kite.

mike

Hi Goog,
There are LIMITS!
If you want to kite waves, forget abt it if wind is less then 15-16 knots!!
Yes,you could fly 20 m kite, but big kites are ALL slow>not much fun with riding waves, plus for the same reason you can not do much on the flat water.
For waves I would not go any bigger then 11 m,regadless of you weigh/board/skills.
Just find something else to do and wait till wind is 20+.
Good luck