R1 18m vs 19m

[WH Lithuania]

Thinking to get large race/freerace kite for lake conditions. Ozone R1 V2 or V3 are considered as they are known to handle gusts well. I mostly ride in gusty continental lake conditions with both 633 and race wigns. I heard 17m is not that ultralight wind kite, so considering between 18m and 19m. Maybe somebody tried both kites in gusty conditions and could share their experience? I also have Ozone Chrono V3 13m ultralight that I love it for freelancing so the new R1 should not overlap too much with my Chrono.

[Mossy 757]

There's something about R1V2's that I can't remember, like they originally only had a 15 and a 17, then made a 19, then made an 18 later on and because that 18 benefits from more R&D I think people like it more than the other two. I'm probably totally messing that up, but bottom line I wouldn't worry so much about the size as I would about getting the kite that people think 'works' the best.

Also, if your largest right now is a 13m Chrono UL then anything bigger than a 15 will be a LOT more kite. For what it's worth, some guys on big kites still lose to dudes on 15m R1V2's...there's something to be said about being able to move the kite more and have it weigh less for freeriding. In a race, you want as much sail as you can hold down, which necessitates sizes larger than 15, but until you're in that top 20% of racers, it might not really change the way you ride or how little wind you can get out in.

[WH Lithuania]

There's something about R1V2's that I can't remember, like they originally only had a 15 and a 17, then made a 19, then made an 18 later on and because that 18 benefits from more R&D I think people like it more than the other two. I'm probably totally messing that up, but bottom line I wouldn't worry so much about the size as I would about getting the kite that people think 'works' the best.

This is not the first time I hear 18m is the best size. Could be because of more R&D. I actually tried 19m shortly on 70cm strapless board, but it was too much to handle gusts. Haven't got a chance to try on a bit bigger board, but more and more I believe that 18m could be the right size.

Also, if your largest right now is a 13m Chrono UL then anything bigger than a 15 will be a LOT more kite. For what it's worth, some guys on big kites still lose to dudes on 15m R1V2's...there's something to be said about being able to move the kite more and have it weigh less for freeriding. In a race, you want as much sail as you can hold down, which necessitates sizes larger than 15, but until you're in that top 20% of racers, it might not really change the way you ride or how little wind you can get out in.

There are some days here that I really feel my Chrono lacks the power as I like more power. So really looking for something significantly larger.