Honest review of BRM Cloud kites

[ankers]

hi all anyone had durability issues, stretch in canopy?

[tautologies]

hi all anyone had durability issues, stretch in canopy?

Nope. I've had quite a few now and never had any problems with that.

[rynhardt]

I'm going to chuck in some of my comments as well, for what it's worth.

I ride twintips exclusively, and bought the C2 17 mostly for inland riding where the wind is very gusty, and as a session saver for light conditions. As such I'm very happy with the kite.
Most beneficial attribute for me is its ability to remain in the air during a lull.
Most annoying attribute for me is that self-launch and landing is a bit tricky.

Upwind on a TT is fine, but not great. It usually takes me a few minutes to find the sweet spot - the kite is very trim sensitive.

During self land I take the kite down to the edge of the window, but find it difficult to get it to stay on the ground. So normally I walk up one of the front lines while it hovers above the ground. It's got so little power on one front line that even while flapping and turning in the air it's easy to hold.
With self launch I put my board upside down on the far edge and drag the kite out from underneath it.

I taught my wife to kite using the C2 17. It's an absolute joy to play with it in 10kn of wind, even on the beach. Turns are nice and slow, and the 100% depower is instantaneous. It does not hindenburg, and unless you try and crash it, it'll just stay in the air. If I was to teach anyone else I would rather use the 17 in 10kn than a 6 in 15kn.

[pcloud]

I have a quiver of C.5 s and love the kites. I am learning to foil this year. I also find self-landing difficult and would like to hear about tricks others have learned with self landing their Clouds. I bring the kite down close to ground at edge of window and then pull on upper front line. I am successful about half the time, otherwise the kite relaunches and I pull my safety. I usually have room downwind so it has not been a big problem.

[stenner]

I'm going to chuck in some of my comments as well, for what it's worth.

I ride twintips exclusively, and bought the C2 17 mostly for inland riding where the wind is very gusty, and as a session saver for light conditions. As such I'm very happy with the kite.
Most beneficial attribute for me is its ability to remain in the air during a lull.
Most annoying attribute for me is that self-launch and landing is a bit tricky.

Upwind on a TT is fine, but not great. It usually takes me a few minutes to find the sweet spot - the kite is very trim sensitive.

During self land I take the kite down to the edge of the window, but find it difficult to get it to stay on the ground. So normally I walk up one of the front lines while it hovers above the ground. It's got so little power on one front line that even while flapping and turning in the air it's easy to hold.
With self launch I put my board upside down on the far edge and drag the kite out from underneath it.

I taught my wife to kite using the C2 17. It's an absolute joy to play with it in 10kn of wind, even on the beach. Turns are nice and slow, and the 100% depower is instantaneous. It does not hindenburg, and unless you try and crash it, it'll just stay in the air. If I was to teach anyone else I would rather use the 17 in 10kn than a 6 in 15kn.

Now that's excellent information folks and from a very creditable source. From this l would consider a 17m, I think I could live with the cons pointed out by rynhardt because the unique pros offered by the kite. TT perspective is good to hear, thanks!

[BWD]

Tip about self landing, for c1 & c2 at least:

With most kites, it works well to steer the kite down to near the ground, then grab the upper front line, as stated before.
To understand why this fails with clouds, consider why it works with strutted kites: with strutted LEIs, once the kite is pulled into an orientation getting wind onto the top of the kite, the struts maintain the kites shape enough for it to be slammed to the ground and held there.

With clouds, this doesn't happen, the kite flutters and falls back in the window pivoting on the former upper front line which becomes the "upwind" and "inside the window" line. Often this allows the other side of the kite, formerly the "bottom" and now the side closer to the outside of the window, to fill with wind and start a spin upward across the window.

My solution, when tethering, assisted landing, or wind shadows aren't available, is to steer the kite down to the ground, and grab the bottom front line instead of the top. The cloud will luff and want to move back in the window when you do this, but since the bottom line become the line it could try to pivot around, it will try to turn toward the outside of the window, run into the ground, and end up on its back, on the ground, hanging on the former bottom front line usually with minimum tension.

This has worked well for me with 7,9,12m c2's and 17m c1. Try it in light wind first and remember to position the kite for landing with a little space downwind of it so it can move back in the window as it comes to rest.

[faklord]

Tip about self landing, for c1 & c2 at least:

With most kites, it works well to steer the kite down to near the ground, then grab the upper front line, as stated before.
To understand why this fails with clouds, consider why it works with strutted kites: with strutted LEIs, once the kite is pulled into an orientation getting wind onto the top of the kite, the struts maintain the kites shape enough for it to be slammed to the ground and held there.

With clouds, this doesn't happen, the kite flutters and falls back in the window pivoting on the former upper front line which becomes the "upwind" and "inside the window" line. Often this allows the other side of the kite, formerly the "bottom" and now the side closer to the outside of the window, to fill with wind and start a spin upward across the window.

My solution, when tethering, assisted landing, or wind shadows aren't available, is to steer the kite down to the ground, and grab the bottom front line instead of the top. The cloud will luff and want to move back in the window when you do this, but since the bottom line become the line it could try to pivot around, it will try to turn toward the outside of the window, run into the ground, and end up on its back, on the ground, hanging on the former bottom front line usually with minimum tension.

This has worked well for me with 7,9,12m c2's and 17m c1. Try it in light wind first and remember to position the kite for landing with a little space downwind of it so it can move back in the window as it comes to rest.

Like in these vids? In this case with Gong strutless:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dOXXb2uEVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT7lo7jAYW4

[BWD]

Tip about self landing, for c1 & c2 at least:

With most kites, it works well to steer the kite down to near the ground, then grab the upper front line, as stated before.
To understand why this fails with clouds, consider why it works with strutted kites: with strutted LEIs, once the kite is pulled into an orientation getting wind onto the top of the kite, the struts maintain the kites shape enough for it to be slammed to the ground and held there.

With clouds, this doesn't happen, the kite flutters and falls back in the window pivoting on the former upper front line which becomes the "upwind" and "inside the window" line. Often this allows the other side of the kite, formerly the "bottom" and now the side closer to the outside of the window, to fill with wind and start a spin upward across the window.

My solution, when tethering, assisted landing, or wind shadows aren't available, is to steer the kite down to the ground, and grab the bottom front line instead of the top. The cloud will luff and want to move back in the window when you do this, but since the bottom line become the line it could try to pivot around, it will try to turn toward the outside of the window, run into the ground, and end up on its back, on the ground, hanging on the former bottom front line usually with minimum tension.

This has worked well for me with 7,9,12m c2's and 17m c1. Try it in light wind first and remember to position the kite for landing with a little space downwind of it so it can move back in the window as it comes to rest.

Like in these vids? In this case with Gong strutless:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dOXXb2uEVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT7lo7jAYW4

Yes, same idea.

[rynhardt]

My solution, when tethering, assisted landing, or wind shadows aren't available, is to steer the kite down to the ground, and grab the bottom front line instead of the top. The cloud will luff and want to move back in the window when you do this, but since the bottom line become the line it could try to pivot around, it will try to turn toward the outside of the window, run into the ground, and end up on its back, on the ground, hanging on the former bottom front line usually with minimum tension.

Shit. That's brilliant! I have to try this next time!

[pcloud]

Thanks BWD, I knew someone would have a better solution.