... big fella ,,, hey, that's me,,,, anyway, here's my take on the new Zepher from a super-heavy weight perspective:
I've been a North Rebel fan since 2008 and a Rhino fan for years before. I have tested many kites and struggled to like anything else, always coming back to the Rebel. For my so called style, the Rebel has every thing I need from power, quick turning, direct bar feedback and super stability. Hard act to follow in my opinion.
Then I came across the new 2013 Zepher. I didn't like the previous incarnations, not my cup of tea. It had a few things on paper that I didn't like so with hesitation and insistance of my friends, I tried it.
On paper and using my previous tests of other kites as reference, I had pre-concieved ideas. I don't like bridle delay, I don't like folding/bend in LE in powered situations, I don't like how bridle kites handle gusts, I don't like the disconnected bar feel and I even don't like the relaunching technique in light winds. Sounds like I'm asking alot but if the Rebel can do it, why can't others.
As I took off on my first run I immediately noticed a direct connection to the kite, it felt like a perfect blend of bar pressure and quickness in response. Yep, turns quick and impressively for a so called 17m. I got it to turn really fast some times and reminded me alot of my 12m Rebel. Being heavy allows me to stomp on the back of the board and get the kite to turn very fast indeed so when I managed to catch a wave and carve really hard, the kite whipped around, just like my 12m. Yep, I'm starting to like this kite.
Hmmm, its quick enough, how about I give it a couple of loops and load up, lets see if I can bend or fold the LE. If your under 100 kg then you won't know what I'm talking about, I suspect most people will have no idea what I'm talking about here. To get an idea, under-inflate your kite then dive the sh!it out of the kite, load it up and you'll see what I mean. Anyway, to my surprize, it didn't fold or bend, it did flutter a little on the trailing edge but nothing like other kites I've tried. I suspect its fluttering because its going so fast across the window. I was staring at the zepher and an Edge on the beach after I noticed the LE is a little bigger around the quater strut, maybe this is the reason for it being more stabel.
Hmmm, no folding, ok, how about I test its upwind, surely it can't be better than my Dyno or Edge. It goes upwind nicely and I even found, once I was up to speed, I could pull the bar all the way in and it didn't stall but gave me enough power to charge upwind. It felt as good as my Rebel 14m upwind. The old Zephers would slow down on me in this situation and I'd have to sine my way back to speed just to maintain this speed. I even felt the Edge does this, but not the Zepher.
As Eddiemorgs mentioned, I tried it recently in gusty conditions and the kite ate 'em up but with a little bit of bounce in response, almost like a kid who's had red cordial and just been asked to sit still. I jumped back on my 2012 Dyno shortly after and the Dyno was alot steadier and power delivery was very smooth compared to Zepher but here's the thing, I really like the spritely feel, like someone just had one too many coffee's. It acts almost as if the kite were a smaller kite in stronger winds, and as mentioned earlier, very much like my 12m. The Dyno needed to be going fast to develope its power (like the Edge) where as the Zepher only needs to given one or 2 swoops and its on. The Zepher wanted to play some more so handles gust very well. Can't say what its like from a lighter persons perspective but I found it easy, like smaller kite does in gusty conditions.
I didn't have any waves in my recent test, just wind chop waves. Its all we have at this location this time of year but I wanted to some how test its drift. I did try in Bali in the waves but I wanted to test it here. I tried to run straight at the kite, as if to attempt to drift the kite and it sat there, infact it surprized me. In proper waves in Bali, it didn't drift like other wave kites but damn it did just enough that I could have a lot of fun. If you concentrate you can get it to do it. When I tried the same thing on a 2011 16m, 18m Dyno or a 19m Edge, there was no way they were going to drift, impossible but the Zepher came close. Its a 17m after all but it did a great job for what I wanted from it and coupled with my heavy weight, I could manage to chuck the kite around like a wave kite.
Another big plus, the Zepher is such an all rounder that it felt fun on a TT as well as my surfboard and although I didn't try it on a big directional race board yet, I can feel it will do it well on that also. If Eddie is kind enough, I'll try to use it with my Sector 66 and see how the Zepher goes. This is one area where the 2012 17m Dyno is great, get that board speed and you have all the power you want.
To keep things in perspective and not just a gushing love fest, I do have a couple of minor things I didn't like as much about the kite. Despite the fact that the ktie is aimed as a light wind kite, it won't do what my old Dyno can do, it doesn't have that low down light wind grunt that I need. The Zepher would be my 'good' wind kite which we don't always get in the "Sh!t wind capital of Australia". Yes it is a 17m but it doesn't have the static power for my super heavy weight. 12 to 15 knots and above the Zepher comes alive when used on a surfboard or TT but may have better bottom end when used with a race board.
Jumps are easy and has ok hang, my Dyno had better in that respect but I think with a little technique change, I would get it to hang better. I only tried jumping on my TT in light conditions so if I use it in 'good' winds it will perform well. Eddie was doing much bigger jumps than I've ever seen him before, and he hung alot longer than I'm used too seeing him do. I'd say him riding Evo's has taught him how to handle the Zepher so well.
I tried Eppo's Zepher in Bali and I did do a few kiteloops but out of respect I didn't 'give it to the kite' but I felt it had potential for sure. I did a couple of backloop kiteloop transisions and it didn't feel like it wanted to spank me. My ankles can't handle hard landings anymore so gentle landings are important to me, which the Zepher did nicely.
The bar is ok, love the way the bungie hides away in the bar ends so you can leave your bar tidy when packing up, but damn that punch out isn't very practical, especially if you have your right hand indisposed and you need to punch out with the other. In my opinion, nothing beats the 5th line or IronHeart punch out. Relaunching, especially in light winds requires a bit of input. So you'd have to change techniques, learn to relaunch the Zepher. I was lead to believe you merely pull one side of the bar but it didn't do this. My old Core was truelly automatic in this way, almost leave the bar and it finds its way to the edge, all by itself. I found you needed one hand on the middle lines, pull in an arm full in then as the kite tips over, pull one side of the bar and she starts to come around to the edge of the window.
Punching out to flag on one line is fine and again, IMHO not as convienient as the North 5th line but when you want to recover, you have to pull in a very thin front line to pull in to get back to the bar, then with 2 hands, re-assemble the chicken loop. I found this a little cumbersome. Wasn't easy but I'm sure with a bit of practice, you can get more efficient at it. I reckon Epic (or Blade) chicken loop re-assembly is the easiest by far, done with one hand.
Anyway, overall, its a great kite and from a heavy weight, not the light wind king but it does everything nicely. I really like it and highly recommend it.
cheers for now,
Robbie
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but getting out on days when every other man and his European girlfriend is out on the water is a rare thing 
