Wave SST - Upwind?!

[GuillaumeCoteMenard]

Anyone of you can give me your opinion on SST upwind performance.
I find it a bit harder going upwind on my SST than my others wave kite (Neo).
Any tips to help upwind performance with SST?

[norcom]

I have the 10m and 12m SST's. The best way I found to get them upwind is by walking. They're just not that good of kites. Search the forum for some upwind techniques like keeping the kite under 45degrees and board control. Most wave kites don't have great upwind but this one is pretty bad in my opinion.

[bjw]

I've spent time on an SST and an Eleveight and there is no comparison. The Eleveight flies upwind and the SST struggles upwind.

[TilmanHH]

I agree. For Foiling it´s nice because you go upwind like crazy anyway. But for waveboard it´s going upwind badly.

[jumptheshark]

Gotta read between the lines. When the SS people start pronouncing that the SST is really popular among foilers! It really means, the wave guys don't like it.

[knotwindy]

Haven’t ridden on in 3 years but the older one had this odd upwind feel. If you were underpowered of course it wouldn’t go upwind well but no kite does. The SST could be ridden way overpowered and also, like most kites, doesn’t go upwind well like that. Powered comfortably there was a sort of “cam” feeling on the bar where you could pull in slowly and would reach a point where the kite would kind of bump forward in the window and go upwind well enough. But even slightly under or over sheeting it wouldn’t do it. Not sure about the newer versions.

[ciscokitesurfer]

I sold my SST kite quiver because the upwind suck and the down loop pull too much. Also, I own a quiver of NEO kites. I can tell the difference. The only good quality of the SST kite is the drifting better than NEO kite.

The SST kite is good for foiling or if you kite on a side offshore wave spot. You can install large fins on the board to help you go upwind. The upwind is not bad. The NEO kite goes upwind better.

Cheers

[GJibb]

"SST" and "Upwind" shouldn't be used anywhere within any regards with kitesurfing without the word "struggle" and "unsatisfying" and "difficult".

I do agree with Norcom regarding "The best way I found to get them upwind is by walking", made me laugh.

To help going "upwind" I would suggest being so overpowered that you should be riding on a smaller kite... That's the single only way I have ever made ANY headway with that kite.

[Bartolo]

I've spent time on an SST and an Eleveight and there is no comparison. The Eleveight flies upwind and the SST struggles upwind.

Which Eleveight kite are you referring to?

thx

[Surfkiternew]

I find the Neo worse than the SST in every way

If u dont like Jump High.drift .wave .surf freestyle..than u are right