Hello All,
I've been reading this forum for all the Pansh advice I can get (don't wanna afford a name-brand foil, since I have never flown one) and decided on a A15 12m. Got it yesterday and flew it today. I'm hoping this thread can help anyone considering a Pansh, as I intend to document my "journey" with it here. The info I have found here has been very helpful.
A bit about me....I've been kiting since the c-kite days, but don't get much water time due to our low winds and gusty winds and tree-lined lakes (small launch area). So I do mountain board with a kite as much as I can. I'd say i'm a decent kite flyer (LEI kites), and have flown small 2-line foils (2m, 3.5 meter) with a skateboard on asphalt. My goal is to GET ON THE WATER MORE hence my interest in foil kites. I've also recently gotten a hydrofoil board, the Slingshot H4 wing. Amazingly enough, got up and rode it on the first pull behind a boat. First time on a strapless board, first time on a hydrofoil. Not bragging....just amazed. I skate a lot so maybe that helped? Totally addicting, even behind a boat. Can't wait to try it and learn how to hydrofoil with a kite ! Just need MORE WIND. Or a foil kite !
So I've always wanted a 4-line foil, but just to expensive....can't justify it. But obviously, they are the hot setup for low wind and a hydrofoil. Enter Pansh ! Read this forum, including the 48-page one focusing on the A15. After much thought....I took the plunge and got one. Comparing the kite to other foils is impossible for me, but the stitching and such compared to my LEI seems a bit less durable. I have Switch kites (9m Element, 14m Nitro) and they are pretty bulletproof...and heavy. Especially the Nitro. But maybe foils don't need to be as bulletproof? I do not know. I also got a very nice surprise in that my kite has orange highlights, orange is my color. Nice. Overall, first impression of this kite is very positive. Note that you get zero instructions, so if you buy a Pansh kite you need to do your homework.
Today's first flight was EXCELLENT. The wind was literally 3-5 knots. I had a normal LEI bar, and hooked it up. Getting the kite inflated took a bit, but once it did wow it is so fun to fly. I could not believe how it just hung in the air. Or how it seems very difficult (maybe impossible?) to get it to "hindenburg" ( a big problem here....with winds going up and down and shifting directions)...the kite just drifts back. At one point it overflew me at zenith ( I did this on purpose to see what would happen) so much I turned around so I could see it..CRAZY ! No LEI can do that. To my amazement the kite just floated back, happy as a clam. SWEET ! Really cool to stall it and bring it down straight downwind of me too(yeah, try THAT with a LEI !! ) and then move the bar out a bit to get it to go up again. I could even just make it sit there....wow. This may be what I'm looking for....
My bar (franken bar...I like to build them up to get exactly what I want) has about 24 inches of throw, and around 14 of depower. Played around a lot with trim settings. With trim set to full power, the kite steered REALLY well but I think was choked unless I moved the bar pretty far out. With the trim set at mega-depower, the kite flew well but the steering lines where super-slack so I had to grab them to turn. Very interesting. Seems like I can't access the total AoA range of this kite using my normal bar, unless I include the trim system. Also, it seems to me the kite likes to fly with a lot less depower than I am used too. I ran with it too, and that was so fun.....the kite would just hang there at 10 o-clock with minimal adjustment by me. The bar pressure is non-existent, just like the forum told me. I think I prefer a bit more bar pressure ! But no big deal.
Probably the next step is to keep it on this bar (it has 20 meter lines) and try some landboarding with it. I probably could have done it today, but did not have the landboard with me. Bummer. After 2 solid hours of flying, time to go home so I landed it straight downwind by stalling it, then grabbed both steering lines and pulled them in, and walked them up to the kite. Easy. Not sure how this would work in stronger wind though. Folded kite over, unzipped the zipper. Rolled up my lines to the mixer (nice to see one live and in person...what a cool concept) and then rolled up the kite (keeping the bridle in the kite) , placed the bar on the rolled-up kite, folded it over and put back in bag. Wow, so easy. Ha ha we'll see how these scary bridles treat me next time I get this kite out, that is a HUGE difference to my LEI.
In summary, I think the Pansh folk are making a decent kite. For me, the price point allows me try a foil and fly a kite (and hopefully landboard and/or hydrofoil) in low winds. Would love to compare it to a fancy-pants foil, but those don't exist here. We only have like 3 or 4 kiteboarders in the area. Learning about foils is also going to be fun, I like things that fly and foils are very different than LEI.
I do have some questions.....
The Z lines where mega-slack at all times, as others have stated about this kite. Should I shorten them a bit? Or just leave it alone? Not even sure what they are doing....but they must be doing something useful.
Not sure what type of bar I should build up for this kite...right now I am thinking of a 2:1 pulley bar (my first ! ) with a clam cleat for trim. No 5th line, flag to single center line. OR....build a bar (isn't that a store...oh wait that is for Bears) with a ton of throw and a clam cleat for trim, no 5th, flag to single center line. Any comments on these two options is appreciated. I got a set of the 15m lines from Pansh, so that is what I intend to use for this dedicated bar.
When flying a foil..is it possible to get a ton of depower when the kite is moving through the power window? To me, today, it did not seem like I could depower it as much as I could my LEI kites...i can loop them (in higher wind too) and push out the bar and the pull is minimal. Trying to understand foil kites here...looked like it will fly with power hanging on just the A (maybe A and B and C? ) with fully slack rear lines. This is obviously different than LEI. Depower on the fly is sort of IMPORTANT to me since our winds are gusty. And by gusty I mean 2X the wind speed is typical. You learn good kite flying skills flying here...I laugh hard when go to coast, kites so easy to fly ! Anyway, having quick access to the kites maximum depower is why I am thinking of a 2:1 pulley bar...but how much can you depower this kite? Is 90% or so even possible for a foil when it is moving? Like I said, I'm learning. But so far, LOVE foils !
Thanks for listening. Sorry if this is long and jumps around to much. I'm not a writer.
If anyone has any questions about the kite, please feel free to ask. And I'll post again after mountain boarding with it. If that session goes well, may try some water with my hydrofoil.
F-Bear