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Kite type for gusty weather

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Madraoulas
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Kite type for gusty weather

Postby Madraoulas » Tue Jul 27, 2021 11:44 am

Hallo guys, I would like to change my kite (RRD Passion 10.5m 2019, 3 strut kite) and want to buy (same wind range 12-26knts)a new kite for very gusty conditions (10-20knts...or 15-30knts).
Can you please tell me what characteristics I must search for?..I would like an RRD kite but every proposal is welcome

P.S...just riding, no jumps yet ..53years old, 1 year kiter..25 years windsurfer

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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby bigl » Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:29 pm

i just got an RRD Addction Y25 / 2020 (5 Struts) ... so far it seems very nice, stable and good depower, big windrange, and medium or less barpessure für long sessions.

i kite a lot at a very gusty lake as well. I rode the cabrinha switchblades für some years since the RRD Obession became a freestyle kite. They are very predicteble kites and easy to use (easy to learn jumping) the only bad side for me where the higher barpressure on the bigger sizes esp the 14m ... and maybe the they could be a little faster turning für some tricks. But they behave very good in gusty conditions.

Since RRD and Cab share a lot kitedevelopment it is no Probem flying them on your RRD Bar it very similar to the Cabrinha. You only have to change the Ends or add some Pigtails.
Last edited by bigl on Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Madraoulas
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby Madraoulas » Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:42 pm

bigl wrote:
Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:29 pm
i just got an RRD Addction Y25 / 2020 (5 Struts) ... so far it seeem very nice, very stable and good depower, big windrange, less barpessure für long sessions.

i kite a lot at a very gusty lake as well. I rode the cabrinha switchblades für some years since the RRD Obession became a freestyle kite. They are very predicteble kites and easy to use (easy to learn jumping) the only bad side for me where the high barpressure on the bigger kites esp the 14m ... and maybe the they could be a little faster turning für some tricks. But they behave very good in gusty conditions.
Thank you..I also have an RRD Y24 Addiction 8m 3strut 2019..can you please tell me more for y25 Addiction?..Do you feel comfortable with it?..which size do you have?

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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby bigl » Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:25 pm

As far i know they are not very similar. The Y25 and the Y26 are much more Freeride + BigAir, while hte Y24 is more Freestyle + BigAir.
The Y24 is faster turing but with less power(pull) and you need more kiteskills to jump. The newer is more sheet and go like other 5-Strut Freeriders.

I bought a 13.5m (its a LW model with a little different shape than the 10.5 and smaller) because my 14m Switchblade hurt my arms after longer sessions esp. in winter with gloves.
I rode it only once yet starting with 13-16kn in the moring and war increasing to maybe 18-20 kn in the afternoon. Im a heavy rider with 120-130 kg so normal rides were more on a 10-12m.
First it was ok some riding and maybe a little jump and later it was getting better and better. I thing i would have even liked a couple kN more go really high. I was far from touthing the adjuster. The range seems very big. This session was at a lake close to the sea so it was not really gusty (like short bursts) but the wind picked up strong für several minutes that day, so i thing that is a little similar. With good wind you get a very nice hangtime even with my weight. And good things is, it has no pullies so it is also quit responsive für such ab big kite. The smaller not LW models are maybe even turn much better, i thing they are not that stretched (smaller aspect ratio).

For even high winds i bought a Norht Orbit 11m 2020. Probably an 10.5 Addiciton would have been good as well but i got a nice deal on that Orbit as a demo kite, and i read a lot it gets very good in strong winds.
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby sarc » Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:35 pm

Read my review of the North Carve in the review section. I was very pleasantly surprised of the performance in gusts. I was comfortable in savage 30kn to dropping from the sky conditions that were rideable but not fun at all in my trusty 5-line North Rebels. The depower and resistance to luffing is very very good. It's now my go-to kite for gusty weather (I have a 2020 6m).
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby edt » Tue Jul 27, 2021 5:06 pm

You have to demo the kites in gusty conditions to find out for sure. The amount of depower, the aspect, freestyle, big air, freeride, wave kites any of those can be a good kite in a gust but there's no single one thing they all have in common.

To work well in gusts, what a kite needs to do is first of all not fall out of the sky and hindenburg if the wind suddenly shifts and drops and it needs to react well to inputs no matter where it is placed. I never ride RRD kites so I'm not sure which kite in that lineup is the right one.

Unfortunately when people give demos it's always in a place and time where the wind is smooth. Who gives a demo when kites are dropping out of the sky?

One thing I have found though it's not a rule by any means just a guide line is that kites with shorter bridles and less pulleys or no pulleys almost always react better in gusts. Long bridle kites tend to have a lot of lag and lack the direct input you need to react instantly to a gust.
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby tautologies » Tue Jul 27, 2021 8:47 pm

Nice man!!
All the naish kites are tested in extremely gusty conditions, but the triad is especially geared towards the level you are at and the riding you do right now and it is similar to the boxer with a luffstrut. You could try the boxer too, but I think the triad is the correct one. I use the boxer mostly with a foil and on snow. I have had a brief run on the triad. The slash is also super forgiving but jumps a bit more traditional than the sheet and go style of the triad, but it definitely handles extremely gusty conditions well.

https://www.naishkites.com/product/triad
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby thewindego » Tue Jul 27, 2021 10:11 pm

Its often gusty and turbulent where I ride in the summer. The core XR series has been great for me. Some good friends ride Moto and they do fine as well. They are really different kites so a generalization is probably not possible. Getting a chance to test different kites on a given day is not usually possible either. Almost all new freeride models from name brands will be more than good enough IMO. Pivots also I can say only good things. No RRD around here anymore.
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby dracop » Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:05 pm

Given you identify as an Intermediate, I would prob suggest an Evo SLS. Lightweight, handles lower wind speeds great as well as strong wind, reactive, and a good all arounder for different styles.
An OR Aluula Flite 12m might work for you too.
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Re: Kite type for gusty weather

Postby Windigo1 » Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:40 pm

sarc wrote:
Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:35 pm
Read my review of the North Carve in the review section. I was very pleasantly surprised of the performance in gusts. I was comfortable in savage 30kn to dropping from the sky conditions that were rideable but not fun at all in my trusty 5-line North Rebels. The depower and resistance to luffing is very very good. It's now my go-to kite for gusty weather (I have a 2020 6m).
I agree with that I tried twice a friend 10M Carve in super gusty wind blowing over 35 knots, people on 7m were leaving because that had too much wind and I was boosting to the moon on the Carve and it felt stable and very safe. This is one of the best jumping wave kites I have ever tried it also goes upwind very well and it has that massive wind range. It's also pretty fast and powerful for a wave kite. This is a 100% unbiased opinion I don't own any North gear.


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