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Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 4:16 pm
by GTC
Hi all, I've just recieved a Switch Combat 9m. No wind yet so I can only post a few pictures. As you can see the quality is on par with any other leading brand but the price is much more affordable. Right now, I fly it with a non Switch bar but when I purchase a 7m I will pick a new bar.

Bag and Pump.

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Inflating/deflating valve
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One pump
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Rescue Handles

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Rub pads and bumpers

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Carbon wingtip battens

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3 different conections on the front lines. Just one contection on the rear lines.
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Hope to test it in the next couple of days...

Regards!

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:40 am
by JamesVegas
Amazing price and looks well built. I wonder how long it will last, they must me making money somehow so are they cutting corners on the materials? Time will tell I suppose but it does look nice.

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:28 pm
by recoprianto
Direct sales and no free kites. That is how.

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:26 pm
by J-GAR
I have been riding Switch kites for the last 6 months. They are built very well with top quality/name materials. Mine are holding up very well and just as good or better as any other top brand out there with top quality materials. As Reco pointed out, direct sales and no free kites are some ways they keep the prices so low.

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:41 pm
by GTC
I got an Airush Razor 7 which I want to upgrade to another Combat 7. I put them face to face and both kites got a a good contruction but the Combat got bumpers on the entire leading edge, Razor doesn't :o .

Last two days I tried the Combat in light wind and I'm pretty impressed.about the low end. I rode with the 9m and a 131x50 skim in max 14knt and I was able to go upwind :jump:

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:34 pm
by HendrikVdP
can anybody compare the feeling of the combat to a vegas ?
coming of 2008 vegas 12 and 9 and looking for new kites
tested a vegas 2011 in 10 and 14 and those kites are great , i like the forgivingness and the ease of jumping on them compared to the 2008 ones

now the combat is intresting but wondering if it's not too hardcore for the gusty winds in NL/BE
i think i would go for 13 and 9 to replace my current setup , 75kg an 134*41 board

can anybody compare combat to vegas ??

grtz !

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:50 pm
by naishdude
HendrikVdP wrote:can anybody compare the feeling of the combat to a vegas ?
coming of 2008 vegas 12 and 9 and looking for new kites
tested a vegas 2011 in 10 and 14 and those kites are great , i like the forgivingness and the ease of jumping on them compared to the 2008 ones

now the combat is intresting but wondering if it's not too hardcore for the gusty winds in NL/BE
i think i would go for 13 and 9 to replace my current setup , 75kg an 134*41 board

can anybody compare combat to vegas ??

grtz !
Hi Hendrik,
I assume you have to compare the vegas with the Nitro...the combat is to my opinion a real hardcore Ckite, where the 2011/12 Vegas is a more moderate C kite as RPM or C4.

Maybe put your question on the Switchkite website in the forum, you will get an perfect answer from the people involved, there is also a header, with teamriders, and their specific kites, where you could ask to test the kite...
http://www.switchkites.com/headquarters ... forum.html
Greetz
Frank/Antwerp :wink:

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:50 pm
by zerium
After riding the combat for less than 6 months I can say I'm done with Switch. The Combat is a nice feeling kite and I will continue to fly my 13 but, if anyone wants an 11 hit me up I'll make you a good deal. These kites have had nothing but issues. I've sunk about $200 into repairs after owning my combats for about 6 months and I've moved onto another brand. Been kiting since 2008 and never had issues with any other brand. Flown SlingShot, Flexi, Best, Cabrinha... Maybe Switch will learn how to make a top quality kite but, so far I haven't seen it in the Combat.

Recap of my issues: Kite deflates upon crashing hard( first session on 13, 5th on 11m - retaining clips pop off of the LE connectors), batten pockets torn out (1st session on 13m), 3-4th on 11m, 11m center strut nearly torn off of the kite (this was blamed on me crashing the kite in the waves) I sent them the forecast for the day (0-1ft), bar is now tearing up on the grip, center line snapped after not showing much wear. Oh and my leash snapped on the third session.

I'll throw in this one caveat, I'm learning a lot of unhooked passes so the kite crashes hard. But, I only kite probably 6-10 times a month and I'm not riding this gear any harder than any of my previous.

The batten pocket is a known issue, they send you these plastic inserts to try to fix it. It won't, the force of a crash will be directed away from the plastic and out the side of the batten pocket. Instead of paying for the repair (or replacing my defective kites) switch just offered me a store credit. Hard to want to spend a credit when the gear is falling apart.

I used to be a team rider, I quit. I can't successfully rep a brand when all my buddies on my beach see me swimming in with a deflated kite, rescuing my kite after lines snapped, rescuing me after the kite deflated.

Goodbye Switch Kites, hope you get it together at some point. Really wanted to like the underdog but, quality is just not there.

Buyer beware. You get what you pay for.

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:50 pm
by MattyRossJa
GTC you have any pics of the bar and safety release etc?

Respect

Re: Switch Combat. Detailed pics

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:09 pm
by AmericanRonin
I've had similar issues with my 9m Combat to what Zerium pointed out. Mine went down hard on flat water on only its second use and deflated in the water. Took it to the local place in town to have'm patch up the bladder and it turns out that not only did the bladder rupture but the valve was already starting to come off as well. All this after literally only two uses. The canopy had two rips in it after one use as well.

In Switch's defense, the Combat did exactly what they said it would. It was extremely stable in the air and you definitely knew where it was at all times. I'm sure the Combats have their merits as far as performance goes. It's just their endurance I'm taking issue with. I only paid maybe seven hundred dollars for the whole thing (bar, lines, bag, kite, etc) and now that it's had to be repaired after just two uses, what could I reasonably ask for it in terms of selling? Not much.