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Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

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Mitchel_12000
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Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Mitchel_12000 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:53 am

Like the title says, has anybody tried using the Viron 3 as a stormkite? I use a 10m Soul (Great kite by the way) most of the time and I'm looking for an additional kite for extending my high end. I'd like to have a relaxed (not to nervous) kite to fly above 30kts with a twintip. I weigh around 70kg.

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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Janus » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:06 pm

I've got a Soul 6m, It is not nervous.
Got the 10m as well, and for TT you better step down 2m, so go for the 8m. 10-6 is doable but you really miss the 8m.
Had a Viron 6m for the early learning fase off my son. He's outjumping me nowedays.. it has no lift so you will be really disappointed in its performance compared to the Soul. (but great for learning, auto restart, very easy kite)

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Slappysan
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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Slappysan » Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:01 pm

Nope. I tried it in 30 knots years ago and what make it good for teaching make it terrible for anything else.

1. Even in 30 knots it has almost zero lift
2. Upwind is horrible, forget using this kite with anything but a hydrofoil, even then, just get a Peak 4.

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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby jakemoore » Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:36 pm

I've got a 6m Speed4 lotus and 8m Soul that I love for HF. And in the past 7m Speed 1, 8m Pulse II, 5m Pulse, 7 and 5m Hyperlink. I've come to the conclusion tube kites are better in the top end of their wind range and make better storm kites. I've had great foil kite sessions in nuclear winds but also seen enough wear on kites and seen enough near miss that I've only recently come back to small foil kites for hydrofoil. Somewhere between 20 and 25 knots any light weight advantage and of foil kites have is mitigated by the challenges of launching and landing, increased wear and bridle tangles from the kite flogging even with an assisted landing and greater sensitivity to changes in bridle length. And the high L/D performance of foil kites make a challenge in the wind direction changes that come with strong winds. For me at 85 kg 10m is my smallest foil kite for TT and I prefer to drop to a tube kite in 7-9 sizing. Or I rig a tiny kite and stay on my hydrofoil and that is where a small Viron might be fun but a Peak even better.
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fernmanus
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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby fernmanus » Tue Mar 16, 2021 12:42 am

. I've got a 6m Speed4 lotus and 8m Soul that I love for HF. And in the past 7m Speed 1, 8m Pulse II, 5m Pulse, 7 and 5m Hyperlink. I've come to the conclusion tube kites are better in the top end of their wind range and make better storm kites. I've had great foil kite sessions in nuclear winds but also seen enough wear on kites and seen enough near miss that I've only recently come back to small foil kites for hydrofoil. Somewhere between 20 and 25 knots any light weight advantage and of foil kites have is mitigated by the challenges of launching and landing, increased wear and bridle tangles from the kite flogging even with an assisted landing and greater sensitivity to changes in bridle length. And the high L/D performance of foil kites make a challenge in the wind direction changes that come with strong winds. For me at 85 kg 10m is my smallest foil kite for TT and I prefer to drop to a tube kite in 7-9 sizing. Or I rig a tiny kite and stay on my hydrofoil and that is where a small Viron might be fun but a Peak even better.
I agree. Very strong wind is by nature turbulent. Tube kites are the way to go in strong, gusty winds. Get something with 5 struts as well. The 10m Soul is just incredible for more moderate winds.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:53 am

It won't work, as a "Storm" is average wind 52 knots, so way too big no matter which kite, for 70 kg.

But in 30 knots as you write (near gale), and a bit above, 6 m2 sizes can be used for twintip yes, way too much for waveboards and hydrofoil.

8) Peter

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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Mitchel_12000 » Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:19 pm

Thanks for all the answers. No Viron for me then :-). I guess I have to start searching for a nice Ozone Edge or something then.

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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby kitexpert » Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Edge? It is a high performance boosting kite, in small sizes I'd say it is for pros.

Some easy low aspect wave kite is much much easier, very stable and it eats gusts, unlike high performance kite. Small Soul I wouldn't suggest at all for nuking winds, it is too fast and aggressive kite, it flies from the edge to another and gives short power spikes. It was quite unpleasant when I tried it in highish winds with TT

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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Slappysan » Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:43 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:53 am
But in 30 knots as you write (near gale), and a bit above, 6 m2 sizes can be used for twintip yes, way too much for waveboards and hydrofoil.
The Viron is not a typical kite, it's kind of like a inverse Peak, it's power for size is much less than normal. I'm 75 kg and I've flown the 6m in 30 knots and it's barely enough power to go on surfboard. I would put it at somewhere between a 4-5m LEI kite. It also has the worst upwind of pretty much any kite on the market (as it's not really designed to be used to kite with, it's designed as a very fancy trainer).

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Flysurfer Viron 3 6m as stormkite?

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Mar 16, 2021 8:02 pm

Thanks, I didnt know it was a very different low power kite.

Eventhough I was just comparing in general, to other 6 m2 kites, which would work for TT in just over 30 knots for 70 kg, but never when close to storm winds, more than 20 knots more wind, and average, not gusts.

8) Peter


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