Are Switch kites getting any better?

[Faxie]

Pulleys...my thoughts...

Sands the briddle lines.
Junk can get in. Beautifully snags wet sea weeds.
They do break. Though not often.
Main problem >>They dont always work (usually hard to tell). Needs to be checked. Especially 6....
Many brands use them as shortcut for poor kite design.
Laggy floaty bar feel.

The question is, for an advanced rider what are the disavantages of not having them?

The exception to my comment is the Flysurfer pulleys. I've had a couple break on old, well-used kites and they need to be replaced more than say, my Cabrinha pulleys (which is never, it seems).

On the other hand... 2 friends of mine, though quite heavy guys, had to replace the bridle because the pulley tore through it. And I've heard from numerous people they experienced line shrinkage on one side of the kite.

[topmick]

IMO pulleys don't often break but do need to be maintained...but in saying that I've had kites with 6 pulleys that were great & didnt have any pulley issues.

[fluidity]

Hi Felix,
I'd be interested to see how the "Element"-"v6" handles, supposedly it is not a light bar pressure kite which surprises me after you have returned to using pulleys.
It's a kite that looks very much in a different DNA genepool than all the other Elements(no Bill Hansen, different aspect ratios for each size, pulleys, variable strut numbers, obviously segmented leading edge.)
I really wonder how it's been iterated through the versions we don't have disclosure of after Bill Hansen left?

With the varying aspect ratio with size the design iteration process will be extremely messy to update models if each size has to redesigned rather than one CAD formulae with size as one of the inputs?

I can see that the Element has been marketed for some time as an all terrain kite and to me, that's the only solid justification to call the new kite an Element 6. You can justify the name based on the intended application. The difficulty is that you are direct marketing to the end buyers and we buy into the idea of rider feedback, Switch listening to the forums etc, so when a brand new kite comes out that shares most in common with the preceeding version only in colour scheme but is labelled an Element... it makes the intended buyers feel slightly betrayed.
The lesson to learn is to have better transparency on your marketing, to update the blogs, to label Bill's inputs as Switch's early times on your web page and to try to pass on some excitement in upcoming design goals and achievements on the website marketing. You're trying to get from "Bill designs it all" to "we've got some exciting new products coming" without people feeling the brand image is deflating without Bill but the challenge is to coordinate all that with your company image of being for the end consumer, not the middle man. To make it happen you have to be strong on communication or the direction of the company changes so much that people feel disconnected and loose pride in supporting the brand. Looking forward to seeing reviews on the different sized and aspect ratioed new Elements with their different strut numbers per size grouping!

[iriejohn]

At first sight the Element V6 looks like a nice allround kite.

[galewarning]

Re: Element
What's in a name? Guess I have a problem with the new Element 6 being called an Element. Yes, I'll get over it, but what a missed opportunity to come up with a new name for the new all-around kite. Bills out. Ralph's out. Switch has started on a new path with the release of their first new kite at this important juncture. Time for a new product name perhaps...
Staying with the Element name, implying it's a 6th gen design of Bill Hansen, is like Ringo and Paul getting a couple other guys to tour with and still call the band The Beatles. Don't know if this is intentional deception or just a poor marketing decision, but the name of this new kite really needs to change. My 3-cents worth...

[iriejohn]

Re: Element
What's in a name? Guess I have a problem with the new Element 6 being called an Element. Yes, I'll get over it, but what a missed opportunity to come up with a new name for the new all-around kite. Bills out. Ralph's out. Switch has started on a new path with the release of their first new kite at this important juncture. Time for a new product name perhaps...
Staying with the Element name, implying it's a 6th gen design of Bill Hansen, is like Ringo and Paul getting a couple other guys to tour with and still call the band The Beatles. Don't know if this is intentional deception or just a poor marketing decision, but the name of this new kite really needs to change. My 3-cents worth...

Suppose you could call the new kite "My 3-cents worth" but that doesn't sound very catchy. But hey, what do I know?

[Hansen Design]

Hello Fluidity:
Please check your PM's on this site. Cheers!
- Bill Hansen

[felixp]

Hi fluidity,
Hope you get to try a E6 soon.
It will put all your worries to rest.
The B.P on the E6 is lighter than the E5. This was in our criteria as one of the improvements .
Everyone has a different perception on what is light for them.Taking into consideration what setting they fly it on.
A lot of the guys at my beach have moved it to the more bar pressure setting .. .
The Name remained the same Due to the All terrain aspect of the kite and it sure now more than ever.
With time reviews will keep surfacing and the kite will speak for it self.
My beach here in Hawaii is fortunate enough to have tested all kites from the very first Generation.
I have some very tuff critics and I'm pleasantly surprised on how well they taken to this new E6.
" Video reviews coming soon"
Don't get to carried away reading into ratios - pulleys - who designs what ..
If you honestly have a true interest -
Get your hands on one - Fly it -- form your own option and you might be surprised in a good way .
Hope you get some wind soon.
Regards
Felix.

[Eltreato]

Sadly I am having a hard time getting my head around the 2010 Waroo aesthetics of the v6.

[alford]

Sadly I am having a hard time getting my head around the 2010 Waroo aesthetics of the v6.

You should show us, your post would work much better with pix.