Strutless Gong Kite Reviews?

[nikalaitzian]

if the warranty is like the wings they made THANKS but NO thanks...

[OFK]

The price on their website includes VAT, but if you create your account with USA address, then you will see the price to be adjusted without VAT. For example V3 right now is 499 euros, adjusted for USA address is 415.83 euros, shipping is additional - around 50 euros and I did not pay import duty. I am in SF Bay Area.

Maybe this has changed somewhat ? On the Gong website FAQs...

All orders placed on our shop are made in TTC. We refund you the 20% French tax on proof of payment of your local VAT.

Now apparently they require proof you paid local taxes.... wouldn't even know how to do that.

UPDATE: I reached out to Gong for answers and was told, that statement on their website applies only to purchasers within Europe. For orders from USA they do indeed ship out tax free ( so 20% less than list price ). Shipping charges will show up when you enter your shipping address.

[tanre]

Hi all, I just bought and returned a 5M Gong strutless. Figured I would give my opinion. First, this is only MY opinion. Different riders will have different experiences.

Cons:
Its not what I consider "Strutless". It comes with 3 battens that need to be inserted and removed each time you go out. PITA!!!
Its not light as compared to other strutless kites. My 10.4 Cloud weighs less.
The kite doesnt pack very compact(due to material and reinforced areas), and the battens make it difficult for compact travel
Out of the box, it flies SLOWLY. My 8 and 10M go faster. Yes, you can adjust the knots a small bit, but dont think that will make the difference.
There isnt the lift I'd expect when using it in certain ways: When I foil, I can move my kites from 10 to 9 to gain a bit of speed. This one needs a full power stroke to get the same pull. Similarly, when I switch feet, can usually count on my kite to help lift me a bit by sending it to 11/12. This one doenst produce the same expected lift. This is NOT because it is a 5M.
When back looping, the force is way too great compared to UFO/Cloud and even a 6M Reedin kite I tried.

Pros:
Drifts pretty well.
Looks to be manufactured very sturdy. Looks like it can take a beating.
Inexpensive, especially for an entry level foiler.

So, overall, displeased. Going from Clouds to this was not a good experience. However, the fact that Cloud are so expensive (and now UFOs as expensive), I will keep looking for a new option.

Think this will work VERY well for an entry level foiler...or even the Unik possibly (which I still want to try).

[Mellowyellow]

Very interesting feedback. Thanks.
About the 3 battens it’s loudly communicated on their webpage.
I’m in the same place as you. Looking for a UFO but too expensive, so I was about to buy a strutless gong.