Airush 2016 Vantage

[droffats]

I got two session on an 11m 2016 Airush Vantage last week. The video is from only the hydrofoil session. Overall, I felt that the Vantage is a lot like an Ozone Edge with a little more bar pressure. Although the wingtips are quite different, they feel and jump similarly. The Vantage might have a harder time relaunching in only the lightest wind (under 10mph). In appropriate wind for it's size, it realunched great

On the twintip, it seemed to boost about like the Edge, which is to say, exceptional.

From the foil:



- Stafford
www.adventurekiteboarding.com

[mikesids]

Hi,
Interested to know if you ( or anyone else reading this ) have had a chance to assess the Vantage with a lot of depower on while foiling? I have a couple of Ozone Edges ( 9 and 13) and I have noticed that when highly depowered ( eg in gusty conditions) they become difficult to steer and tend to head down towards the water which is not helpful when you are foiling and trying to control the power to the foil by flying the kite higher. Airush claim that a pulley + bridle system gives you more depower by enabling a greater angle of attack while still maintaining steering by keeping some tension in the back lines. Have you found this to actually be the case?

I love the Edges for boosting on a twin tip and on a free race board , but depowerability is more important for a foil ( for me anyway) so I am considering other options in higher aspect kites in the 8-9m size range. I don't see me getting a foil kite in the near future - too complicated, and at the end of the day I am a freerider not a racer.

Cheers

[droffats]

Sounds like what you are looking for is steering ability while depowered. Plus, a lighter kite tends to stay in the air better in lulls (in general). The edge is 5 struts and built pretty robust, that makes it a little heavier. I also find fully depowered it doesn't turn quite as well as with more back line tension.

They pulleys don't give more depower as much as they give a softer feel at the bar. What I mean is, every kite has a limit to the amount of depower you can give it before it inverts or hindinbergs. However, my experience is that the pulleys make a kite a little less "instant on" in a gust. Less "yank".

I have found the best kites at turning while depowered are wave kites. But a good hydrofoil kite is the Ocean Rodeo Flite 10m and 12m. They are built light and turn very fast. 3 struts. But they are light wind kites, not built to get rolled in the surf or spend the whole day at the top of their wind range.

Keep in mind we sell all three brands, so take it with a grain of salt. I am sure other's will recommend their favorite hydrofoils kites.

Thanks,
Stafford

www.adventurekiteboarding.com

[iwave]

I'd like to know a bit more about the boosting ability of the Vantage.

For example, I am thinking of the Vantage 2016 13m (to use with a twintip). How good would it be for boosting, big-air, old school, lofty jumps, hovering tricks (e.g. Jesus Walk)? I am also curious if it is good in lighter winds, in the range 10 to 13 knots, I am 68 kg. And also to use for tandem kitesurfing (I would say a good kite for tandem is a kite with a good wind range, a lot of depower, a good low-end power base, and which does stay too much back in the wind window)?

@ Droffats, You said the bar pressure on the Vantage 2016 is not as light as on the Edge, but would you say it's still in the light bar pressure range? Or rather medium bar pressure?

Thanks!