Moving from Switchblade to FX

[Goavegas]

Hi everybody,I was considering get new kite by end of season and was considering Cabrinha FX,I ride Switchblade now and wanted to know opinion from people who knows both kite or switch from Switchblade to FX.Any comment will be appreciated.

[mikelet]

Done the other way in 12m , FX to Switchblade .
FX pros:
Best jumping kite ever owned , it literally rips you off the water, it feels very intuitive when sending it and you always know where the kite is without looking at it. Almost impossible to stall or hinderburg when landing bad or past the kite, it always drift a bit and recover to wait you at 12' .
Nice powerful kiteloop , IMHO way better than i.e . the overrated Ozone Enduro.
If you plan to crossover the FX (surf,freeride) i strongly recomend to add 2m extensions to the Cabrinha Bar ,to tame the kiteloop power a bit...
FX cons:
It lacks upwind , it will always work much better on a fast board ,specially if you are a heavy guy, while on the switchblade you can point a fewer degrees plus upwind in any board with a nice and steady pull....
Low end and High end way better on the Switchblade....i feel more comfy when maxed out compared to FX....
Being on the correct size for the wind strength in the FX is a must to enjoy a session ..

Hope that helps!

[Cab Driver]

FX can go upwind like a rocket, but it all depends which bridle mode is selected. The bridle mode gives the option of freestyle (unhooked), kiteloop, or freeride settings. PM me for more info.

[NorCalNomad]

Bullshit on “upwind like a rocket,” it’s a bridled C kite. No bridled c kite is going to go upwind like a rocket. That’s like saying the Apollo is amazing for unhooking.

If you want to do more freestyle oriented stuff while taking a slight upwind and wind range hit then a bridled c kite is good.

[mikelet]

" Bullshit on “upwind like a rocket,” it’s a bridled C kite. No bridled c kite is going to go upwind like a rocket. That’s like saying the Apollo is amazing for unhooking.

If you want to do more freestyle oriented stuff while taking a slight upwind and wind range hit then a bridled c kite is good."

SoTrue, i really don't want to say nothing , but the statement "upwind like a rocket" smells like a rep from here to China . Don' t get me wrong i understand is your business , but even a newbie can read in between línes , i was trying to be fair on my feelings on the kite ....or maybe i sounded like the kite it was a dog ,not my intention at all ,i really liked the FX so much and yes it goes upwind of course but fact is Switchblade is better at this ...that's all ,in a perfect world i'll have a quiver of FX's and a quiver of DRIFTERS ...but after some years of dedicated kites from Cabrinha and some other brands and swaping board styles during sessions i finally realized i'm happy on the middle road : Switchblade....

This gave an idea for a new post : All time worst kites going upwind !!.......i remember a few

[dylan*]

everyone has different experiences.. for me the switchblade has such a strong downwind pull sometimes i have a hard time edging against it. i can go upwind MUCH better on c kites because i can edge them forward in the window easier. other people have the opposite experience though, i figure rider weight has a lot to do with it.

[Goavegas]

For what I ave seen on the water the FX does not go so good upwind as I go with my switchblade,but still does it's job.Considering to keep my Switchblade 12 and 9 which are a little worn out,this are the kite I start kiting with so they have taken some beating,and add maybe a 10-8 and 6 FX.

[rleshem]

Here is a comprehensive test.
I ride switchblades and was also thinking about FX but have yet to try one

http://gleiten.tv/index.php/video/actio ... 0es542&/1/

[ichabod]

I've never quite understood the obsession with 'upwind ability'. Perhaps its just the type of kiting I do but even on a C I never find myself thinking 'damn I wish I could get upwind 10% faster". With any kind of decent power all kites go upwind fine don't they?

[badgb21]

For what I ave seen on the water the FX does not go so good upwind as I go with my switchblade,but still does it's job.Considering to keep my Switchblade 12 and 9 which are a little worn out,this are the kite I start kiting with so they have taken some beating,and add maybe a 10-8 and 6 FX.

That sounds like a sensible option.
The FX does seem to get heavily discounted by retailers and you see a lot of not so old used ones for sale.
Is this coincidence , was the market flooded to launch them maybe or do folks no like them?

Can anyone comment on power/size, for low end is it like for like or maybe a 1 metre more needed for the FX?

I've never quite understood the obsession with 'upwind ability'. Perhaps its just the type of kiting I do but even on a C I never find myself thinking 'damn I wish I could get upwind 10% faster". With any kind of decent power all kites go upwind fine don't they?

I totally agreed with you, until I got a kite that wouldn't go up wind! It is the most frustrating thing. I'm a Cab fanboy, but the kite in question was an early 13m Contra. (15m & 17m were fine) They have changed the design since then I understand it's ok now.