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Hi All

I am a new member to this kite forum and I wonder if any other members could give me their opinions.

I have not been kitesurfing for around 4 years due to having a young family. I am looking to get back on the water now children are older, so hopefully once lockdown restrictions lifted I be able to get some one to one refresher lessons booked in.

My current quiver set up is a 2010 Best Kahoona 11.5 and 2013 Best Kahoona 2013 with a best redline performance bar. All in very good condition.

I have been considering updating to some new kites and control bar for this year.

If I sold my Best kites and control bar probably would not get much money for them now as quite old.
So is it worth me just continuing using my current set up this year whilst learning again and does not matter if they got damage and then look to buy new quiver may be next year.

I know the current market brands control bars and safety systems would have changed a lot compared to my best redline performance bar.

Any one who like to comment and give some advice. I would be grateful.

Thanks

Adam

Hi Adam, welcome back to the sport !

Import is that the safety system works fine.

Then I would use your current gear to get back into it with normally quiet some crashing.

Once you feel comfortable riding, try to test new gear and find something that’s suits you. Might be still this year, because if you can regularly kite Progression will be fast.

Enjoy!

I would say your gear is probably fine to resume with. I was using a Kahoona just a couple of days ago. Inspect the chicken loop to make sure it is working ok and the bar. Do an even length line check and flying line inspection.

My experience with the 7.5 tells me that the Kahoona is a fairly backstally kite, particularly when underpowered. Therefore expect to need some trim in for beginner style conditions and learn how to sheet out or pull the front lines to recover a stall.

They are fun kites imho. Don’t be surprised if you have to reglue a valve at some point!

PS if the bar is MF flagging it is usually reliable but older bridles may have a bit more risk of tip snagging. Only of real significance if you keep dropping the kite or drift launching..... To mitigate this slight risk practice how to completely release the bar before you start flying the kite.

Before you drive to the beach first time with the old kites, test at home if they hold air...it could be that the valves got loose and air will leak

I learned on a Kahoona. Might even have been a 2013. I believe few crashed more than me - never had an issue

I agree with Toby - as long as the equipment is in good working condition you should be fine.

That said if you more or less know you will continue kiting it wouldn't hurt getting some new stuff (not saying you need it). Highly unlikely that you will ruin your kite getting back in to it again. And you are obviously less likely to experience a kite ripping. They will be more stable and maybe the safety system will be slightly better (I still got a bar from 2014 and that flags as far as I know the same way a new bar would - not sure how that was for Best).

I rode several different Best Kahoona's for several years, 5.5, 7.5, 9.5, and even 14.5m. Fine kites and the redline bar is good too, I just wish I could get parts for my two bars that are now defunct, literally worn out, so I finally gave up trying to keep them going and got a North Navigator. That said, if you ride a Kahoona in high winds and then a Naish Pivot, as I did a year or so ago just to see, the difference is amazing. The Pivot is so much better it is like day and night. No wonder I now have bought over seven Pivots since 2016.

Your kites are good years. You could not give me a free 2012 kahoona as it has no potential beyond the beginner ti intermediate stage. But your years are good.

Be careful with the Redline performance bar. The chicken loop release is defective in 2 ways. First, the steel detent ball that the chicken loop line goes through was not most likely not chamfered and will cut through the line ( black cuff mostly, red cuff was mostly ok). When it fails, you will not be able to reload the CL.

Second, the plastic that locks in the steel ball at the end of the CL line (not the cuff), is a defective design. If you are more than 180pounds (80kg), the plastic elongates. Once this happens, the CL will start to release on it's own and eventually not stay closed on even a light power stroke.

However, many light weight kiters have successfully used this CL for years before it stopped working at all.

If you are over 180lbs, do not use this chicken loop. But the rest of the bar is fine.

Hi All

Thank you all for your replies, comments and knowledge.

I really appreciate it that you all taking the time out and replying to my post.

Hope you are all well

Cheers

Adam

^^ +1 for the comments on the Chicken loop. Can do things to help it with tape if you understand the engineering but it was not a great unit imho.