Are Switch kites getting any better?

[_Jakobie]

I ride the Element6 her in Denmark and here is my 5 cents of reviewing the kite. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I can try to upload some close-ups of the kite.. Give me a list of things you wanna see. If you want it more private, send me a PM.

!!ELEMENT6 9m!!!

Elements : Small waves, chop, glassy flat. - Level: Advanced. Bar: C4X (55cm)

Full package: (Kite quality, colors, pullys, lines, canopy) Solid 10. The new kite”bag” has a strap to put on your shoulder! AWESOME! (However i prefer the big kitebag). The color is so bright that it almost hurts you eyes. The quality is in the high end, I did compared the things to a North Rebel today on my session.

Knots testet: Have been flying it from 17knot ( 9ish M/S ) to 27knots (about 14ish M/S) so far, know I can go higher, perhaps my max on this machine is 31 knots ( 16ish M/S) on a TT 140x43 Brunotti Youri Zoon 2016 with SP straps.

Steering speed compared to the Nitro6 9M: The element turns quicker, my setting is factory set for this one and the thing that caught me was that the element is full out stable! Its steady as a rock on the turns. For example, when you give it a big pull in the other direction while one a turn or in the air. The responds is very quick. You are 100% sure that the kite will catch you and bring you down easy.

Bar pressure: The bar pressure on the lightest setting, (On the tips) is light/medium, if you like not to get you arms pulled off, then this is the right setting. If I should compare to other brands, then I would say lighter than the Best TS 2016 9m, and a little harder then the Cabrinha Switchblade 2015 9m.

Relaunch/Self-launch: This is perhaps the easiest kite to relaunch, DEAD steady on the ground, no jumping up and down, no wobbling and when you got a friend to take it down, they can approach it very easy without running around. On the water the kite lays flat on the water and you do not have to do much to get it turned and up again.

Drift: If you let go of everything, maybe to relax a little while riding, the kite will follow the patch you “gave” it, I am not a specific wave rider, so cant say so much about it other what I mean about a kite that drifts.

Boost: On a skale on 1-10 (10 is boosting to the moon): 7 Not saying that the kite do not boost, its more of a lift, Compared to the Nitro6, the Nitro kicks you in the a** as hard as you want, the element is more like a lifting boost, you dont get the JOINK upwards as on the nitro, on the element you are giving a lift from start to top, you can feel when the lift is comming and it is so easy to get air on the element. You just have to go with it. Constant lift is very nice for me (not saying everybody like it), but when I am doing other stuff then just boosting to the moon all day, I like the lift to try new stuff.. I more and more like the way the element lifts, its different from what you usally gets in all-terrain kites.

Hang-time: If you want hangtime, get the element! Easy as that!

If you like jumping one day and old school like me the other, GET THE ELEMENT!

Ease of use: For riders who like a smooth ride and responsive steering, maybe are new to the kitesurf world or want to have a blast on the water with big airs, new school and hangtime enough to do EVERYTHING and afterwards still have time to look around before you come down, this is the perfect kite from Switch.

[galewarning]

@naishdude & jakoblondal: Thanks for posting, but still can't tell if the bridle will slip over the wingtip.

[naishdude]

@Galewarning,
I know , but it looks long, even on my Switch Element V4 in certain sizes it could, and for me the danger is in the fact that I downloop a lot in the waves, one mistake and the kite hits the water, then a a big chance is to have a bridlewrap around the tip, something we/I do not "like".

The same why I do not like pulleys is that if you drop your kite in the surf/ wave the pully can hook up into a line, all just Human non PRO faillures but with sometimes scary outcomes.

This is why ( and again) I would not buy the V6 for myself.

I can absolutely believe that this kite is great for Jacoblondal, especially because he has a lot of fun with this kite, he is also used to the NItro, but ( and correct me if wrong) never was on the Switch Element V4/5 to explain the difference?

Anyways, I am sure the kite is good if it has all the same qualities as the last ranges of Switch kites had, quality wise and Switch support......no idea about how it flies , but just my 2ct why it is not MY type of kite.
Cheers
Dude

[felixp]

You guys are going mad or have some kind of motive. Or just not kiting enough.
You have not flown the kite or seen it. This I can 100% confirm
This kite has gone through many tests in the Surf getting rolled and the average guy trying to hook it up.
Hooking up Not a Chance. With the swept tip bridal locations and pulleys. Will not allow for hook ups.
This has been tested and was on top of the criteria.
Yes in the past we had some issues with bridals being to long and hooking up. I admit.
We have moved into a new era of design.
Before speculating even more . Just buy the kite if you have so much interest.
Lots of others have.

Regarding the difference.
I honestly have to say that the E5 to the E6.
There was a lot of things that we needed to improve on.
We did and introduced a much better kite.
Improvements
Structural stability
bar pressure
Over head stability
Relaunch
Turning speed increase
Better looping
No bridal tangle.
Jumping was improved .

I'm sure more reviews will start to surface soon.


Its been improved tremendously
I was there through the whole Element from v1 development and the whole testing faze of the E6
Having a hands on experience .


You can take what you want from it. Honestly its not Basis. Its true passion from doing what I love and have been for a long time.
Not getting caught up in bullshit. Plain and simple.
Attached is a pic of the kite perfectly drifting and sitting in the sweet spot when riding a wave.

[naishdude]

Felix, there is no motive, and I am not going mad, and I can kite everyday for a full day so not enough kiting is not the case...
please read exactly what I wrote, and do not get too overexited in your answers.

This is a dicussion, not an act of war or bashing it, you give your opinion I am giving mine...no need to search more behind it ( your words: I/we have a motive)

I was for a long time a Switch kites adept, from the beginning on, and still have a lot of simpathy for the brand, but not so attracted to the right now nearly desperate sounding salestalk you produce, it starts to sound pathetic, and why...just because some people react with doubts to a new product ?

If you go public be aware that you can get critics too, but deal with it ( as you are donig now by sending an V6 around the world to test right now ), instead of seeing conspiracies behind it.

You will always have pro's ad con's remember the startup with Switchkites? over time It proofed itself to be a marketplayer!!

I can understand you are passionate about the kite and want to defend it, which you do by all means.
Do not take it too personal, over time the product will show what it is.

Amen..

Dude

[dwarf]

Naishdude... just zip it mate. You were boring when you was pimping switch but even more dreadfull now you are bashing it. You have not flown or even seen the kite. Who are you to tell a company what they should or should not do. Get of your high horse dude, its pathetic and you are putting fellow Dutchies to shame with your moaning.

[naishdude]

Naishdude... just zip it mate. You were boring when you was pimping switch but even more dreadfull now you are bashing it. explain bashing,? never been bashing just questioning,

You have not flown or even seen the kite. Who are you to tell a company what they should or should not do. Get of your high horse dude, its pathetic and you are putting fellow Dutchies to shame with your moaning.ur right never seen or flown it but it was promoted here and I have questioned a few things... still thought a forum is to get info ...and put a opinion, its called a discussion nothing more, nothing less

so questioning is moaning or bashing, I think a forum is to ask and get aswered, I never attacked , as I still like the Switch stuff no matter what, but being critical is ...well its your opinion, ..

Dude

[GTC]

Hi naisdude,
If Switch kites don't suit your preferences, which seems obvious, just grab another brand. There are dozens of kite companies out there.
Whether you like it or not, Switch has made a decision by releasing this model (although I'm a bit skeptical) and they are not going to change.
You have not tried this kite so your opinion is irrelevant for most of us, at least for me.
Regards!

[galewarning]

Suggestion to calm things down... The forum moderator needs to change the name of this thread to:

Switch Kites ARE Getting Better and Don't Dare Post Anything to Challenge That!

@ The Motive comment - We could challenge the same back. Is your motive to negate, squash or marginalize any challenge or comment that might not put a Switch product in the best light? Sorry you have to deal with skeptics, but that's inevitable. Sorry, if you are letting emotion get the best of you in a public forum. I thought this was an open forum. That's the reason I came looking over here from the Switch.com Forum, as an alternative objective source for info. Guess I might be wrong...

@ The suggestion that we can't comment because we haven't flown one yet. What, just lay money down and buy sight unseen? Believe a manufacturer's word about everything? Seriously?

@ The question of are we mad and not kiting enough? I'm absolutely guilty on both counts. Been mad for years and never get to kite enough.

Re: My bridle questions - I've had some bridle wrap issues with both the Nitro4 and an Element4. The latter can be easily fixed by a simple bridle mod, without any perceptible performance hit. The N4 can also be fixed, but I don't like the performance trade off. The N4 incident was my first full-blown death spiral incident and it made en indelible mark on my kiting experience. I'm gonna make damn sure to not buy any more kites with a high probability of bridle wrapping.

[Faxie]

+1000 hrs on numerous models and sizes Elements and onyl bridle wrap I've experienced was with selflaunching my V3 13m. What am I doing wrong?

Lost count how many times my V3 7m has been eaten up by 1,5-2m waves, never had a wrap with it.