Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Cloud Kites A Caution

Forum for kitesurfers
lightandfrost
Medium Poster
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 1:48 am
Kiting since: 1999
Weight: N/A
Local Beach: N/A
Favorite Beaches: N/A
Style: onshore waveriding
Gear: N/A
Brand Affiliation: SOKG (Self Organizing Kite Group)
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 9 times
Contact:

Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby lightandfrost » Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:12 am

If you are considering purchasing a Cloud kite we provide the following caution.

First there is nothing wrong with the design. These kites fly fine.

However this kite requires high pressure to function properly. The designers own videos suggest pumping the kite with a hand pump until you can barely push the plunger down.

This pressure puts allot of stress on the input valve and the restraining material around the internal bladder and of course the bladder itself. Should a failure occur, the bladder can easily become damaged to the point where local repair is difficult. Even small pin holes can become problematic. This means replacement parts are required.

The problem with owning this kite is the companies lack of support for anyone living outside the USA. The company dose not offer international sales/service/shipping.

And if you think you can use other bladders of similar size be advised that where these kites bend near the tips, the bladders themselves have a external padding as protection. Other bladders of the same general shape length and size just explode when installed.

In closing if you intend on using or purchasing these kites for use outside the USA think twice before you buy. Your kite may enter bladder purgatory.
These users thanked the author lightandfrost for the post (total 2):
dkazhdan (Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:06 pm) • sonny2727 (Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:12 am)
Rating: 6.06%

james
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 701
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 2:18 pm
Gear: My own
Brand Affiliation: My own
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 43 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby james » Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:48 am

You need help..

Rather than talking to Greg, the nicest guy in the entire industry who has built from nothing you decide to put some official light and frost warning out there?

Seriously what Is lightandfrost? Your posts are always written in the third person like you are reliable respected research facility?

Why couldn’t you have mailed Greg and asked for a bladder to be sent out? Or bought one from a USA dealer? Maybe even the dealer you bought the kite from?
These users thanked the author james for the post (total 2):
SalmonSlayer (Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:31 pm) • stevez (Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:07 pm)
Rating: 6.06%

User avatar
Beardytello
Frequent Poster
Posts: 393
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016 3:07 pm
Local Beach: Isle of Man
Gear: North / Spleene / Ozone / CrazyFly / Mystic
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby Beardytello » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:14 am

I regularly refer to myself as "we"

It goes down really well in work.

"We disagree, to the dungeon's with him"

kite_hh
Frequent Poster
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:33 pm
Gear: Cabrinha, North, own
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby kite_hh » Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:40 am

Wow. That escalated quickly.

I have no experience with those kites nor do I know the history of above posters.

I do like the simplicity of BRM Kites and am intrigued by the ideas.

To me it seems that lightandfrost did exactly what james suggested.

james: "Why couldn’t you have mailed Greg and asked for a bladder to be sent out? Or bought one from a USA dealer? Maybe even the dealer you bought the kite from?"

lightandfrost: "The problem with owning this kite is the companies lack of support for anyone living outside the USA. The company dose not offer international sales/service/shipping."

How else could such a statement be made?

Do you have reason to believe to believe he didn't? If so, I think you should let us know. Otherwise I find the statement: "You need help.." offensive and uncalled for.

Regarding the "we": This is plural and not third person. Why he chose to use the plural is beyond me, but I find the post well articulated and easy to read. Hence the "we" is the least of my problems. After all it just means more than one person. So it could be him and his friend. Nothing less, nothing more.

Cheers everybody, keep calm and carry on. :-)

james
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 701
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 2:18 pm
Gear: My own
Brand Affiliation: My own
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 43 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby james » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:24 pm

Ok, if the op knows there is no international shipping h how did he buy the kite?

There is a dealer network in the USA, as the op says. So clearly a dealer is able to supply the bladder.

Either he didn’t try terribly hard to get what he needs or he wants someone else to sort it out for him/them in the process of throwing shade at cloud kites service.

User avatar
rynhardt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 977
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 3:51 pm
Local Beach: Langebaan
Favorite Beaches: Langebaan
Style: Freeride
Gear: Cloud C2 17
Hoff Twinwave
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby rynhardt » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:37 pm

lightandfrost wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:12 am
If you are considering purchasing a Cloud kite we provide the following caution.

First there is nothing wrong with the design. These kites fly fine.

However this kite requires high pressure to function properly. The designers own videos suggest pumping the kite with a hand pump until you can barely push the plunger down.

This pressure puts allot of stress on the input valve and the restraining material around the internal bladder and of course the bladder itself. Should a failure occur, the bladder can easily become damaged to the point where local repair is difficult. Even small pin holes can become problematic. This means replacement parts are required.

The problem with owning this kite is the companies lack of support for anyone living outside the USA. The company dose not offer international sales/service/shipping.

And if you think you can use other bladders of similar size be advised that where these kites bend near the tips, the bladders themselves have a external padding as protection. Other bladders of the same general shape length and size just explode when installed.

In closing if you intend on using or purchasing these kites for use outside the USA think twice before you buy. Your kite may enter bladder purgatory.
I live in South Africa. I own and fly a BRM C2 17, which I bought from Greg directly, several years ago. I've never needed to buy spare parts but I don't foresee that being an issue.

As for higher pressure, I can't say I need to pump the C2 17 harder than any other kite.
Besides, the only part that gets affected by the pressure is the 'restraining material', and most typically the stitching. Not the bladder and not the valve, unless the dacron and/or stitching of the LE is damaged.

I've fixed a lot of delaminated valves over the years, and for sure you want to make sure you install the bladder correctly on any kite. If you have experienced bladders 'just exploding' on you, well, maybe it wasn't installed correctly, or you forgot to fold over the ends, or left your scissors in the LE :rollgrin:

kite_hh
Frequent Poster
Posts: 213
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:33 pm
Gear: Cabrinha, North, own
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby kite_hh » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:45 pm

james wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:24 pm
Ok, if the op knows there is no international shipping h how did he buy the kite?
I don't know. Ask OP!

Maybe he visited Hawaii, picked one up because he liked the idea and brought it back home? This is a pretty international forum that goes well beyond northern America.

Edit: I just looked at the BRM Website, because I wasn't sure if i remembered correctly.

On it it is written: "international service not offered [...]
Due to the high cost I won’t supply gear without an agreeable plan for its service."

This offers two insights:
1. It makes the statement of OP regarding international service true.
2. It is not a secret this service isn't offered. :naughty:

Mossy 757
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1860
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 5:10 pm
Local Beach: First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Style: Kitefoil
Gear: Delta Hydrofoil and board. Cabrinha Velocity 9m, Flysurfer Sonic2 11m, Ozone R1V2 15m
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:14 pm

james wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:48 am

Seriously what Is lightandfrost? Your posts are always written in the third person like you are reliable respected research facility?
I've been wondering this TBH :lol: :rollgrin: :lol:

User avatar
Beardytello
Frequent Poster
Posts: 393
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016 3:07 pm
Local Beach: Isle of Man
Gear: North / Spleene / Ozone / CrazyFly / Mystic
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby Beardytello » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:25 pm

Mossy 757 wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:14 pm
james wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:48 am

Seriously what Is lightandfrost? Your posts are always written in the third person like you are reliable respected research facility?
I've been wondering this TBH :lol: :rollgrin: :lol:
Beardytello read through some of LightandFrost's other posts with mild amusement.

Bill C
Frequent Poster
Posts: 241
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2006 8:01 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Portland, Oregon
Has thanked: 109 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Cloud Kites A Caution

Postby Bill C » Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:01 pm

Instead of a 'Thanks' button for lightandfrost, there ought to be one for 'Your an idiot'.
These users thanked the author Bill C for the post (total 3):
SonnyRider (Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:07 pm) • james (Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:13 pm) • jonysan (Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:19 am)
Rating: 9.09%


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ARK, Brent NKB, Breze, Chriz76, Google [Bot], ham-er, jaros, lifeinthehood, mrcrss, vp and 143 guests