I've said it before but just to be clear, I own a 9m Method and have had it a couple of months, I am not related to the company in any way except my purchase.
I have purchased previously a second hand kite from the Australian Switch distributor (he used to be a retailer) at that time he presented photo's showing both the best and worst of the kites condition and I'm satisified with that purchase. I got the kite pre-release via conversation with the australian distributor following the purchase of my other kite and a large degree of pestering
. Switch have been both responsive and engaging via email both leading up to my purchase and since.
This is my second kite, I'm 6'1" and 100kg my main kite is a 12m Eclipse Kima (I have also flown the other Kima sizes) and my comments should be taken with the understanding that I have one seasons experience and that I have flown the Kite twice.
First up some photo's
Out of the bag the kite looks well made, the material feels good (whatever that means to you) solid but still light, all the high drag points are clean (leading edge connection etc.) the strut connections are strong and clean and form well to the kites intended shape (unlike the Kima which is very rough in this respect)
Has a single and well sized inflate and deflate valve. the one pump system is integrated, well made and again clean and tucked away nicely
Like I said I have flown the kite twice and have hardly enough experience to comment (but does anyone really) my thoughts are roughly aligned with the comments of Hunter S and Tightlines. The kite turns very differently to the Kima, the turn radius is much larger and therefore the turn is slower but also smoother and holds power unlike the Kima. I'm told flying it on 20m lines helps with the speed thing but what do I know, I'll try it one day and see. The Method also requires less input to initiate that turn. The first day I flew the kite was pretty gusty and it seemed smoother through the gusts. The kite drifts well, I've slacklined it twice to the point that the Kima would have turned inside out but the method just drifts back until it picks up some line tension.
I ordered a bar seperately though the aussie wharehouse last friday it arrived yesterday (wednesday) despite the public holiday. Obviously I haven't used it but, initially I had thought the style looked like the north bar but having it my hand it is not, the safety is chunkier than the north being the most obvious difference (the idea still looks the same though, picture with pencil for scale)
The safety feels light and easy to operate, unlike my 2010 Airush smart bar it would also be difficult to release by accident. The bar has the mini fifth with above the bar basic depower cleat, front flagging is via a single line from the bottom of the Y in the front lines (no pulley)
There are a couple of superficial things I would change, at the time I was suspect about black kites and the impact the sun may have on them so I bought white, if I were to do it again I'd do the opposite. The second is the bag, it is well sized and comfortable for a single kite, but it's be good to have the option to upgrade to a larger bag similar in size to the one the Kima came in as this way I could have both kites in the one bag (assuming I were to get rid of my Kima).
Ultimately I'm happy with my purchase but what do I know if you want to find out you need to fly one and as in life there are no free lunches. Switch have simplified the shopping by providing a good price from one place so rather than shopping around for price as you would in retail you'll have to shop around for somewhere to demo (I know from conversation elsewhere on this forum and places like facebook they do have them around so ask if you are interested).
On the reatil thing, there is one thing I would say, the points Woody's makes are fair but I'd ask where will Woody's or any other retailer be (assuming I'd bought from them or any other) when I'm on the other side of the world or up North or down south and how they'd plan to support me in those situations as murphy would have it that that will be when the trouble happens (know your gear, know how to look after it and how to repair as much as you can).
I also believe Woody's when he says retailers don't make much out of a single sale which means the manufacturer and distributor are and in this case. One of the things I do in my day job is spend a good deal of time navel gazing on what the economic power that is china is doing, in doing this we speak to many well connected and exposed investment banks and their analysts. The thing that starts to come up a lot lately is wage price inflation in China when this happens and it costs $50 a day to put someone behind a sewing machine in china not $5 how much will we pay for a kite then?
The BWS's, Switches and any other should be taken as a wake up call to the industry in my view. I wouldn't want to see an industry devoid of retailers but I don't want one without competition (serious competition not just another brand name) either.
ur makin me blush.
