Strutless kite in development on Maui

[norcom]

I'm really liking my Airush Lithium Zero 18m strutless! Though it's pretty much almost impossible to relaunch at 6mph but I can get going in 8mph with the monster door and it's worth getting out on the water. I'm now wishing someone would prototype some 20m+ strutless or 1 strut kites for even lighter days. To each their own, I'd rather be riding than not.

[volume311]

Curious about the C2, why the change in area down by 1m?

[shlow]

IMHO, the switchblade sits nearer to the edge of the window than the cloud. The cloud has more direct power, ie more of an "on/off" as compare to the SwitchBlade. Cloud has faster turning and drift as compare to the Switchblade. The upwind ability of the SwtichBlade is more than the Cloud due I think mainly to the fact that SwitchBlade sits nearer to the window than the cloud.

Relaunch ability is comparable for the 2 kites. Cloud launch take off when it is more in the power zone than the SwitchBlade whereas SwitchBlade moves to the edge before relaunching. SwitchBlade jumps higher and hangs more than then Cloud, in my opinion.

My preference is to use the Cloud on the lower end of the wind range and the SwitchBlade where is the higher end.... maybe this is the reason also for the lower height and hangtime for the Cloud.

I am 93kg owes a Cloud 17 and SwitchBlade 16. In my setup there is also a Switch Element 13, and I am Bandit VII 7. I usually ride with a 132x43 board. Local condition is low wind range from 10 to 20 knots. Hope the above helps.

[ronnie]

IMHO, the switchblade sits nearer to the edge of the window than the cloud. The cloud has more direct power, ie more of an "on/off" as compare to the SwitchBlade. Cloud has faster turning and drift as compare to the Switchblade. The upwind ability of the SwtichBlade is more than the Cloud due I think mainly to the fact that SwitchBlade sits nearer to the window than the cloud.

Relaunch ability is comparable for the 2 kites. Cloud launch take off when it is more in the power zone than the SwitchBlade whereas SwitchBlade moves to the edge before relaunching. SwitchBlade jumps higher and hangs more than then Cloud, in my opinion.

My preference is to use the Cloud on the lower end of the wind range and the SwitchBlade where is the higher end.... maybe this is the reason also for the lower height and hangtime for the Cloud.

I am 93kg owes a Cloud 17 and SwitchBlade 16. In my setup there is also a Switch Element 13, and I am Bandit VII 7. I usually ride with a 132x43 board. Local condition is low wind range from 10 to 20 knots. Hope the above helps.

Have you tried the bridle modification on your C1 Cloud 17m?
The modification is described at the bottom of the 'Kite' page on the Boardridingmaui website.

There is a thread on it here:-
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2383359&hilit=cloud+bridle&start=0

And another quote dated Feb 7 from someone who tried the mod at the top of the 'Testimonials ' page.
http://boardridingmaui.com/testimonials.html

[turfAndsurf]

The following is what I posted on the previous forum:

"I have also have tried the new bridle setup on waves with the wind ranging from 12 mph to 16 mph. I thought I was a little overpower but it still drifted very nicely when I would go down the line, and turned as fast as before. If it had been the original bridal setup I would not have even put the 17 Cloud up in this wind range. I would have been pulled out of the waves. If the wind still gets up to that range I will put up the 13 Cloud because it just turns faster and I don't feel overpowered at all. If it is about 10-12 mph I will put up the 17 and not worried about getting way overpowered like before."

I would also add that I was worry about that re-bridling would take away from the low end but that is not the case, in flat water I can still go out in about 9 mph on the 5'7" LibTech Ramp surfboard, on the surf I still need at least 11 mph to make it worth it on the same board.

[golfaroo]

I'm really liking my Airush Lithium Zero 18m strutless! Though it's pretty much almost impossible to relaunch at 6mph but I can get going in 8mph with the monster door and it's worth getting out on the water. I'm now wishing someone would prototype some 20m+ strutless or 1 strut kites for even lighter days. To each their own, I'd rather be riding than not.

Would you care to share what your weight is and what the high end is for you please?

[norcom]

I'm really liking my Airush Lithium Zero 18m strutless! Though it's pretty much almost impossible to relaunch at 6mph but I can get going in 8mph with the monster door and it's worth getting out on the water. I'm now wishing someone would prototype some 20m+ strutless or 1 strut kites for even lighter days. To each their own, I'd rather be riding than not.

Would you care to share what your weight is and what the high end is for you please?

I'm around 175lbs. After about 15mph the kite gets quite scary. If it's blowing 13mph I'll usually rig the 2012 Switchblade 16m.

[golfaroo]

I'm around 175lbs. After about 15mph the kite gets quite scary. If it's blowing 13mph I'll usually rig the 2012 Switchblade 16m.

Thanks! Nice to have that small of a gap in your quiver ...

[flaps1111]

Has anyone tried a 5th line bar in a Cloud using the leash attachment of the leading edge? just for security reasons .

[ronnie]

Has anyone tried a 5th line bar in a Cloud using the leash attachment of the leading edge? just for security reasons .

No but I did check the possibility of keeping the original C1 cloud bridle dimensions and just allowing the sliders to slide further toward the centre of the kite.

I had planned to make an IDS type bridle mod using 3.8mm Formuline, but Greg's mod seems to be working for most who try it, so I have decided just to use his mod.

Because it has no struts, it has much less pull when flagged out like that than my 13m Crossbow IDS kite.

These photos show that the 17m C1 would flag out very well if just the inner and lower V's were modified, but modifying all 3 V's would allow it to flag out as much as possible.

The upper photo shows it flagged out if the inner and lower V's were modified. Modifying the outer V would allow the kite to flag to its maximum.

The lower photo is just to show that the two V's that I piggybacked onto the bridle were the same size as the originals.