Flysurfer Sonic 3 11m - Best Big Air Flatwater Easily

[fernmanus]

The battens are the secret sauce. One of the biggest struggles in light wind is pre-inflation of the kite, the battens solve this issue. They also provide much needed stability in light winds.

A 21M Sonic3 built with battens would also be a ton more fun than a 21m Soul. Better yet, a 23 since the depower is so good. It is the ticket for fun riding in 10 to 15 knots on a big, fast twin-tip.

Perhaps, Flysurfer may not see the need for such a kite as many riders have moved to hydrofoil, but not everyone and for snowkiting a 21 and/or 23m would be the bomb on the light, deep powder days. If FS designers are unconvinced, grab a fast twin-tip at the next race and try the 23M VMG in 10 knots, it will put a smile on your face. Much more fun than the Soul 21m in similar conditions. People are still buying and using the 21m Soul, but almost all of them are using the big Soul for free-riding, not hydrofoiliing. You really don't want or need that big of a kite to foil in lightwind. Most of my friends use a 15 and a couple very big guys foil with an 18, but I have never seen anyone even try the 21 with the hydrofoil.

[Armin Harich]

Thank you guys for your feedback.

A reduced bridle like at the VMG without break lines make relaunching in light wind difficult. So that it not the solution.
But we keep on pushing kiting and fun in the lighter breeze of wind.

Cheers, Armin

[juanpasala]

The battens are the secret sauce. One of the biggest struggles in light wind is pre-inflation of the kite, the battens solve this issue. They also provide much needed stability in light winds.

A 21M Sonic3 built with battens would also be a ton more fun than a 21m Soul. Better yet, a 23 since the depower is so good. It is the ticket for fun riding in 10 to 15 knots on a big, fast twin-tip.

Perhaps, Flysurfer may not see the need for such a kite as many riders have moved to hydrofoil, but not everyone and for snowkiting a 21 and/or 23m would be the bomb on the light, deep powder days. If FS designers are unconvinced, grab a fast twin-tip at the next race and try the 23M VMG in 10 knots, it will put a smile on your face. Much more fun than the Soul 21m in similar conditions. People are still buying and using the 21m Soul, but almost all of them are using the big Soul for free-riding, not hydrofoiliing. You really don't want or need that big of a kite to foil in lightwind. Most of my friends use a 15 and a couple very big guys foil with an 18, but I have never seen anyone even try the 21 with the hydrofoil.

Sonic 3 s have plastic batterns, and they do give a lot more stability to the kite in comparisson with Sonic Race and Sonic Race VMG, i think we re just missing the trully big size (eyeing the 21), which would be a very nice christmas present for myself.
By the way, this week i took some data comparing the Sonic race 11 and Sonic 3 11 on a race hydrofoil setup with the same bar. On both managed to keep upwind speeds of 23-25 knots, main difference was the upwind angle, where the race manages to point on average a couple degrees higher. On the downwind legs also managed to get similar speeds on both, averaging 32-34 knots, but in this case the Sonic 3 managed to point in average 5 degrees lower, i suspect it has do do with our gusty conditions, wghere the sonic 3 behaves better.

[fernmanus]

Sonic 3 s have plastic batterns, and they do give a lot more stability to the kite in comparisson with Sonic Race and Sonic Race VMG, i think we re just missing the trully big size (eyeing the 21), which would be a very nice christmas present for myself.
By the way, this week i took some data comparing the Sonic race 11 and Sonic 3 11 on a race hydrofoil setup with the same bar. On both managed to keep upwind speeds of 23-25 knots, main difference was the upwind angle, where the race manages to point on average a couple degrees higher. On the downwind legs also managed to get similar speeds on both, averaging 32-34 knots, but in this case the Sonic 3 managed to point in average 5 degrees lower, i suspect it has do do withHi our gusty conditions, wghere the sonic 3 behaves better.

Thank you for the Sonic 3 vs Sonic Race comparison! The 21m will make a very nice present to yourself!

I was referring to the fiberglass battens (or rods) on the 23m VMG that make a huge difference in really light winds, it makes inflation fast and super easy. The fiberglass battens also give the kite much needed structure.

[fernmanus]

A reduced bridle like at the VMG without break lines make relaunching in light wind difficult. So that it not the solution.
But we keep on pushing kiting and fun in the lighter breeze of wind.

Cheers, Armin

Thank you, Armin! My compliments to you and your design team on the new VMG. It is a spectacular kite for light wind fun!

I suggest a 21 Sonic 3 with fiberglass battens or a free ride version of the VMG with A bit stronger bridle and added brake lines for your consideration. I think you would be surprised by the interest of light wind riders on both snow and water.

[Armin Harich]

Thank you, Armin! My compliments to you and your design team on the new VMG. It is a spectacular kite for light wind fun!

I suggest a 21 Sonic 3 with fiberglass battens or a free ride version of the VMG with A bit stronger bridle and added brake lines for your consideration. I think you would be surprised by the interest of light wind riders on both snow and water.

Thank you. The Sonic 3 is a VMG with stronger bridle with extra break lines. Aspect ratio and radius ist also adapted for more free ride improvement.
The carbon rodes are here replaced by lighter rigid foils to make it lighter and more user friendly.

I know, marketing wise it would help to add also carbon rodes. But we focus that every product work for the target group that it is designed as much as possible.

Cheers, Armin

[ShaveTheWhales]

Heres my 11m Sonic 3 SideWinder Heli loop - 1st try with GoPro but somehow clicked burst mode after this 1st shot - better luck next time..

[Tone]

I've been riding the Sonic 3 15m now for a few months, got it before lockdown so only rode it a few times and then after lockdown I've been on it a lot more.

Some thoughts.

It's certainly the highest performance kite I've flown and works from about 5-6 knots on hydrofoil up to over 20 knots on twintip (taking into account gusts). I've already had 14.6m out of the kite in 15-18 knots which seems to be the sweet spot for my weight (115kg) Personally I didn't like the kite so much on the stock bar and lines so have changed to an Ozone foil bar with 25m lines, for me the kite totally comes alive on this setup where as on the shorter lines with less back stall, the original bar works for foiling better.

One thing that has amazed me is on transitions, I can now jump many meters upwind. When going upwind to get off the beach at my home spot I can get out far quicker than any other rider (who is not on a Sonic 3, we have 6 guys with the kite now ) when I say jump upwind, I mean I can pop a transition, pull the bar in a tiny bit and glide upwind. I can even through a very slow back rotation in and while I am facing upwind I can feel the air pressure on my board if I push my toes down. In certain conditions when it is very flat and the optimal wind, I can get sometimes as much as 5-8m upwind on a transition. It's the most bizarre experience.

I have had one interesting experience where I jumped into a gust and at the peak of the jump I felt the need to downloop the kite, this resulted in about 1/3 of the Ollie Bridge experience, the kite looped 3.5 times before I touched down and I was in the air for 17 or so seconds, my woo recorded one jump of 13.7m, followed by another jump of 7.5m all within the same 30 second time period. As the kite looped, I went up again and again. The kite is so efficient that it just turns all that movement into lift.

Would also love to see a 21 or 23 as it would be amazing for those 5-12 knot days which we get a lot of in the summer.

[ShaveTheWhales]

Yeah like you were saying, hit that sweet spot with the the power to weight ratio - and be ready to start flying, you suddenly discover what objects near the shoreline create up-drafts and you stop jumping where you normally would on other kites..
Those transition tacks are definitely great as you point upwind and don't lose any ground, then get back on an inflatable and fall in the drink.

As with you - what I like most about these kites is the foil bottom end and TT top end, in 1 kite

[fernmanus]

Would also love to see a 21 or 23 as it would be amazing for those 5-12 knot days which we get a lot of in the summer.

Yes, the Sonic really shines in the larger sizes. When you compare the 18 Soul to the 18 Sonic, the Sonic is so much more fun!