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Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

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ronnie
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby ronnie » Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:35 pm

[quote="ronnie"]
You can see in these two videos of a C1 8m Cloud, that when he is in the earlier stages of learning to foil and fly the kite, he has the kite luffed more.
Then, in the Patagonia video a couple of months later, he is riding with hardly any luffing. I think that is because he is more comfortable on the foil and more tuned into the kite (or it may be because the wind is steadier).[quote]

[quote="rowboat"]@ronnie -- Nice theory, but since those are my videos I can tell you it's incorrect.

In the first one at Crissy in SF Bay I am luffing because I am overpowered, riding my Lift slalom foil with an 8m C1 in 19-23mph wind. In the second video in Patagonia I am not luffing because I was perfectly powered, again on the 8m C1, same foil, in ~15mph wind. Luffing in the first case was simply due being sheeted way (way) out. Riding at Crissy often results in this, because it's so much windier out in the bay vs. at the beach. This is exacerbated by the efficiency of the foil; you need _some_ kite to get off the beach, but once you get up on the foil out in the bay, a 5m would often be enough.

So, I am still learning, but it's more about learning how little kite I can get away with, not so much about trimming the kite.

I would agree with the comments about visual/auditory feedback on sail/kite trim. As an experienced small-boat sailor, I trim by feel, and I brought that experience to my kiting. Use telltales and the sound of the sail is a big part of learning to trim a sail, and that's a great way to "turn the negative into a positive" on the Clouds. I don't think of the luffing as a negative anyway, but that's a great way to spell out how it's a feature :)

Btw, if you are a Cloud rider and would like to connect with others, there is an active Facebook group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cloudriders/

Thanks for the review and the discussion - always interesting! [quote]

Thanks rowboat - always good to get the real story rather than guessing.
I did think there was more wind on the water, but didn't realise it was that much more.
Nicely powered on an 8m in 15mph is impressive - no wonder you were whooping in Patagonia. :D

Randahl
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby Randahl » Tue Apr 01, 2014 12:51 am

After another great weekend of flying my 14.5 C2 with a foil board, I had to come back on and give more feedback.

I decided to go out on San Diego Bay, which I never would have done before because it is pretty risky with very few good exits and a lot of traffic. But the water is flat, and the scenery is nice. The wind was light, I checked the charts after and it dipped to 8 mph at some points but stayed mostly 9-12 mph. I made a go of it because I was confident in my kite staying up. There were some points where I was in a shallow spot with a flood tide running me under the kite and the wind lulled where I thought it might hindenburg on me but it didn't.

I can't say enough about the quickness of the kite. Trying to get going when the current is going the same direction as the light wind, sometimes I had to go for 5-6 dives before I was foiling. The cloud keeps going back where you tell it to the power zone. I'm not confident to throw loops in yet, but I imagine a loop or two would have replaced my several dives.

There has been some discussion about the luffing as a downfall. I decided that the luffing is great feedback for tuning your sheeting, which on a strutted kite might be hidden from you. I think it does help you be a better sailor.

This kite is simple, it's light, it packs small, it looks good, it flies well.

I haven't flown it much on a twin tip. When I did I felt like I should have been getting good upwind and I wasn't getting upwind at all. I tried to jump and didn't get much pop out of it. Maybe I'm not flying it right.

For lightwind and a foil it's awesome. I'm very glad I got this kite.

ronnie
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby ronnie » Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:36 am

Oceanadventures - any prediction of when we might see the video of the Average Joe's opinions and the relaunch video?

OceanAdventures
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby OceanAdventures » Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:07 pm

ronnie wrote:Oceanadventures - any prediction of when we might see the video of the Average Joe's opinions and the relaunch video?
Things have been real busy, and right now I'm short staffed so roger is out teaching lessons and I'm at the shop and barely are we in the shop together much less with time to sit and finish the video. I may just have to sum it up myself without roger just to get the video done.

ronnie
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby ronnie » Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:21 pm

OceanAdventures wrote:
ronnie wrote:Oceanadventures - any prediction of when we might see the video of the Average Joe's opinions and the relaunch video?
Things have been real busy, and right now I'm short staffed so roger is out teaching lessons and I'm at the shop and barely are we in the shop together much less with time to sit and finish the video. I may just have to sum it up myself without roger just to get the video done.
OK - busy is good. :) Maybe the Average Joe's thing has helped.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Randahl
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby Randahl » Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:09 pm

I would be interested in reading other people's relaunch experiences.

ronnie
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby ronnie » Fri Apr 18, 2014 6:31 pm

Randahl wrote:I would be interested in reading other people's relaunch experiences.
Hopefully we will see the OceanAdventures video of the relaunch method for the C2 Cloud soon?

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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby OceanAdventures » Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:28 pm

ronnie wrote:
Randahl wrote:I would be interested in reading other people's relaunch experiences.
Hopefully we will see the OceanAdventures video of the relaunch method for the C2 Cloud soon?
Thank you for your patience, never got a chance to video the review, the written will just have to do but I'm uploading the Relaunch video to youtube now. My internet is slow so it may take a while, what our youtube channel and it will appear when its done. About to go teach a lesson so ill add it to here when I'm done.

http://www.youtube.com/user/XLKitesFWB

ronnie
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby ronnie » Sat Apr 19, 2014 11:40 pm



Thanks for the video. Its a different way of relaunching, but good that drifting in deep water actually helps.

tirlibi
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Re: Average Joe Kite Review - Cloud C2

Postby tirlibi » Sun Apr 20, 2014 6:38 am

Hi guys,

I'm considering to buy a C1 / C2 to replace my Switchblade 10M and I'm lost between the different sizes. I surf mostly in 12 - 17nd, which size should I buy ? 8m ? 9m? 10m? I'm thinking of taking a 8m…

Thanks for your advices


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