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Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

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espana2323
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Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby espana2323 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:58 pm

Hi,

I am new at kitesurfing. I completed end of last year the IKO course and I am now looking to buy some used gear. I already bought a Cabrinha 1X Overdrive bar of 2015, and considering the Cabrinha Switchblade kite of either 2016 or 2015. I am 75Kg (165lb), and was advised by my instructor to go for a 12m kite.

Can someone that used a 12m Switchblade of 2016 tell me the true wind range I should expect to get at my current level (beginner)? If someone has used both the 12m Switchblade of 2016 and 2015, can you please tell me if the wind range is the same? Looking at their wind range charts (below), the ranges appear to be a bit different.

Thanks for the help.

-Mike
switchblade_2016.JPG
Switchblade 2016 wind range
switchblade_2016.JPG (33.35 KiB) Viewed 9686 times
switchblade_2015.JPG
Switchblade 2015 wind range
switchblade_2015.JPG (25.71 KiB) Viewed 9690 times

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby grigorib » Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:04 pm

Mike,
At 75kg I think you will be able to ride 12m from 10knots up to 18-20knots on a regular board. You can add 10m line extensions and grab a door board and you might be riding in 8knots on the same wing.
Switchblade is an established, one of the best kite models. The 2015-2016 will fly very close or the same to you. Great kites don’t change much.

However, I am about 90kg and 11m size is my regular kite. Each 1m down adds to kite agility. As a new rider you might want extra cloth but I think even 11m is extra cloth for you.
Any 12m kite I rode felt slow, it’s not a great size unless you’re heavier rider.

If you keep riding you will have more kites, more boards to cover more wind range.
To cover more lowend - buy 7-10m line extensions and/or a door board. Consider it as a starter package and buy your 135cm board later
Get the 11m or even 10m depending on your prevailing winds.

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby espana2323 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:14 pm

grigorib wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:04 pm
Mike,
At 75kg I think you will be able to ride 12m from 10knots up to 18-20knots on a regular board. You can add 10m line extensions and grab a door board and you might be riding in 8knots on the same wing.
Switchblade is an established, one of the best kite models. The 2015-2016 will fly very close or the same to you. Great kites don’t change much.

However, I am about 90kg and 11m size is my regular kite. Each 1m down adds to kite agility. As a new rider you might want extra cloth but I think even 11m is extra cloth for you.
Any 12m kite I rode felt slow, it’s not a great size unless you’re heavier rider.

If you keep riding you will have more kites, more boards to cover more wind range.
To cover more lowend - buy 7-10m line extensions and/or a door board. Consider it as a starter package and buy your 135cm board later
Get the 11m or even 10m depending on your prevailing winds.
Thanks for the info. To be honest, in regards to the kite size, I was leaning towards a 10m kite, but I was advised from two independent instructors to go for a 12m one since the bigger size would help me now that I am a beginner. I thought to myself that they know better and that’s why I am comsidering a 12m kite.

I am curious to see what others have to say also about the wind range of the 12m Switchblade as well as to the comparison of the 2016 vs 2015.

-Mike

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby knotwindy » Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:38 pm

As a beginner you won’t notice any difference between the two wind ranges. Get the cheaper one and thrash it.
You don’t say what the wind is where you will kite but if you are a quick learner and the wind is steady, get the 10 or 11 if those are options. If not the 12 will be a bit slower to react which will help more in the beginning as well.
Just get on the water and have fun. You’ll get wet and crash no matter what you ride. Any of them will work.

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby rleshem » Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:49 pm

I am a little heavier and have a 2016 switchblade. I kite with friends who are at your weight and we have similar range. I would say on a twintip you will need 15-16 mph / 14 knots especially as a beginner as you are less efficient with a kite. The top end is around 25 mph for me so maybe 23 for you. The sweet spot of the kite is around 17-20 mph. The 10m sweet spot is 19-23 mph and you will be able hold it up to upper twenties gusts.
You can still use the 10m in the upper teens but you will need more skill and will have less power.
The 2015 and 2016 are fairly similar ( I flew both) but at point I would go for the 2016.

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby dylan* » Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:55 pm

rleshem wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:49 pm
I am a little heavier and have a 2016 switchblade. I kite with friends who are at your weight and we have similar range. I would say on a twintip you will need 15-16 mph / 14 knots especially as a beginner as you are less efficient with a kite. The top end is around 25 mph for me so maybe 23 for you. The sweet spot of the kite is around 17-20 mph. The 10m sweet spot is 19-23 mph and you will be able hold it up to upper twenties gusts.
You can still use the 10m in the upper teens but you will need more skill and will have less power.
The 2015 and 2016 are fairly similar ( I flew both) but at point I would go for the 2016.
this sounds about right to me at 65kg. if you ride in perfectly flat water and steady wind you might be able to ride in less but 10kn as stated above is a bit wishful thinking if you aren't on a foil, especially since a switchblade is one of the heaviest kites on the market.

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby ktflyer381 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:58 pm

On my 2015 12m SB I can stay upwind on my Shinn King Gee if the wind is a steady 10 knots, and I am 10 lbs heavier. You might need more wind initially as a beginner and board size has a lot to do with it as well, but 12 to 14 knots and I think you would be quite happy. If I had to guess, people are recommending a 12m because it is a typical kite to build a quiver around. If you get a 10 or 11, many of us would then need a 13 or 14 plus a 7 or 8 and end up with a 3 kite quiver. Depending on the wind and water conditions in your area, if you get a 12 to start you might just need a 9 in the future and be covered from around 10 to 30 knots.

Your first kite will take some abuse, don’t sink too much money into it. I know what a 12 looks like after climbing a tree to cut it out of the branches. I called that kite Treefinder and it taught me a lesson - if you are self landing and the area is tight, activate your safety in the water to land the kite. It will be wet but still in one piece.


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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby Guttorm » Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:33 pm

12 is a good sice for your weight if you live in a spot with good wind conditions, if your spot mostly have light wind conditions go for a real light wind kite 15-17m2.
Later you should have 7,9,12,15-17 to cover the hole wind range. If you have a kite friend of different sice than you, you can share kites and save a lot of money because you will not use the same kitesice anyway.
A lightwind kite and a true lightwind board will give you the best and easiest start for sure and you can keep and use them for many years to come.

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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby espana2323 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:35 pm

knotwindy wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:38 pm
As a beginner you won’t notice any difference between the two wind ranges. Get the cheaper one and thrash it.
You don’t say what the wind is where you will kite but if you are a quick learner and the wind is steady, get the 10 or 11 if those are options. If not the 12 will be a bit slower to react which will help more in the beginning as well.
Just get on the water and have fun. You’ll get wet and crash no matter what you ride. Any of them will work.
Thanks for the info. The wind where I live is 15-21 knots in the summer and 5-10 knots in the winter.

espana2323
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Re: Advise on true wind range of 12m Cabrinha Switchblade 2016

Postby espana2323 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:36 pm

rleshem wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:49 pm
I am a little heavier and have a 2016 switchblade. I kite with friends who are at your weight and we have similar range. I would say on a twintip you will need 15-16 mph / 14 knots especially as a beginner as you are less efficient with a kite. The top end is around 25 mph for me so maybe 23 for you. The sweet spot of the kite is around 17-20 mph. The 10m sweet spot is 19-23 mph and you will be able hold it up to upper twenties gusts.
You can still use the 10m in the upper teens but you will need more skill and will have less power.
The 2015 and 2016 are fairly similar ( I flew both) but at point I would go for the 2016.
This is the type of info I am looking for. Thanks a lot.


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