Are Switch kites getting any better?

[L0KI]

They place ads in the magazines, same as on this forum.
Just like every single product that has ever gotten a review in any magazine, for the last fifty years.
Same thing with forums for musical instruments, mountain bikes, gaming products...you name it.

[Hansen Design]

@Plummet - is your close friend and local Taranaki discount dealer threatened by Switch?

Of course Switch kites are getting better! Why? Switch is very pro-active in listening to riders and constantly addressing them with improvements.

Examples:
Method - Some felt the BP was high and needed more stability in extreme gusty offshore conditions. Method2 has much less BP, faster turning, very stable at all times.
Combat - Pack down, hard battens (preferred by Felix and Marc) were a complaint. Combat2 has inflato tips, better de-power, quicker turns, better re-launch. Jacobs rises to #2 in the world with production Combats developed directly with him.
Nitro - Relaunch, sheeted-out stability and BP were an issue. Nitro2 more stable, easy to re-launch. Nitro3 extensive de-power, drifts well, fixed direct bridle.
Element - People wanted a user-friendly, low BP all-round kite. Switch introduced the three-strut Element. Some felt Element1 needed more 'feel' (BP) and better low-end. Element2 has both plus fixed direct bridle with several user settings.
Controller Bar - Controller1 was a solid offering and featured a 2 front line safety including OS handle like many other top brands. Some asked for a single line flag. Controller2 can be easily set up to a single front line, two front line or true 5th line flag including suicide option. Additional improvements, all suggested by customers, are new low-wear center section, new durable and moulded-in-place composite grip, new soft bar end corners and universal flying line pigtails. Controller2 is the most versatile control bar available on the market and can be used for any sheetable traction kite including foils.
Switch Labs - Every component and construction scientifically tested.
Spare parts - Every model, component reasonably priced for quick shipment.
Service/Support - Immediate customer service and active user forum for complaints, reviews, advice, infos.
Money back guarantee - Try the kite. Don't like it? Send it back!
Lifetime Warranty - Enough said!

Switch is a global brand with a major presence: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2382909
Cheers!

[ShaveTheWhales]

Hansen aerosports - can I send my used once for 10 minutes nitro 2 back for a trade in on the Nitro 3 since it flys so well ?

[jimovo]

Marc Jacobs could fly a plastic bag attached to a couple of broom handles and still do well. As could all of the top competitors. For wake style I honestly don't think you need a really high perfoming kite to do well. its far more about the rider than the equipment in that discipline.

Now course racing is more equipment dependant. If your kite is crap upwind you will loose no matter how good you are.

Although there is an element of truth to this statement in that the likes of Marc would certainly do "well' relatively speaking, with any kind of kite, you would hardly imagine that an athlete at the top of his game would ever deliberately hobble himself by using gear that was below par... If performance is not that important, then what is the point of this topic?

[plummet]

@Plummet - is your close friend and local Taranaki discount dealer threatened by Switch?

I don't know if the local dealer is threatened by Switch. We are not as you describe "close friends".

If I was to guess I would say no. The majority of the riders that bought Switch have used them once and moved on. I would guess that he feels relatively secure.

Note. My location is a wave location. The majority of the riders are on surfboards searching to ride the ideal wave. So they typically buy ozone reo's or airush wave? and some times the cab drifter.

So the general demographic on my location is not that same as others. It is probably an unfair representation of the typical kite scene.

A question for you Mr Hansen. Are you an active an avid kite flyer yourself? What is your favourite model switch kite based on your own flying experience?

[plummet]

Marc Jacobs could fly a plastic bag attached to a couple of broom handles and still do well. As could all of the top competitors. For wake style I honestly don't think you need a really high perfoming kite to do well. its far more about the rider than the equipment in that discipline.

Now course racing is more equipment dependant. If your kite is crap upwind you will loose no matter how good you are.

Although there is an element of truth to this statement in that the likes of Marc would certainly do "well' relatively speaking, with any kind of kite, you would hardly imagine that an athlete at the top of his game would ever deliberately hobble himself by using gear that was below par... If performance is not that important, then what is the point of this topic?

Athletes are paid to use the equipment they are sponsered by.

For me i really don't care who is sponsered by what. it makes no impact on my buying decision at all.

[Hansen Design]

@ Shave... - Not my dept. Suggest you contact customer support through the website. Honestly state your case in a fair and reasonable way. Go on the Switch forum and seek advice. You'll be dealing with kiters all interested in helping you. Most every problem has a solution if addressed objectively. PM me here or there if you wish.

Hansen aerosports - can I send my used once for 10 minutes nitro 2 back for a trade in on the Nitro 3 since it flys so well ?

[jimovo]

Athletes are paid to use the equipment they are sponsered by.

Once again true but not the whole picture... Are you saying that Marc has sufficiently more skill than Youri, Alex, Christophe, Liam and others to overcome the supposed deficiencies in his kites and still place well? At the top level of any sport skill levels are extremely close. Any performance differences in equipment would be glaringly obvious. From another angle, any top placed rider should have no problems getting sponsorship so why would they settle for anything that would potentially harm their chance of making it to the top? I don not think that this particular argument has any merit at all.

[markap42]

I believed all the hype so I bought a Nitro 1. Big mistake.

See below. They refused my return request. I had to sell the kite for next to nothing and took a big hit.

Note to all potential buyers: BEWARE of all the Switch marketing hype.


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Xxxxx<markxxxxxxx>
To: returns <returns@switchkites.com>
Sent: Tue, Aug 2, 2011 4:54 pm
Subject: return request

Dear Sir,

I purchased a 12m2 nitro on June the 6th. I recently had the chance to ride it for the first time. I found the bar pressure to be unacceptably high.

I did not read on your website nor was I informed by you that the kite has high bar pressure. I suffer from osteoarthritis of my elbows and cannot ride with a kite of such high bar pressure. I have only ridden your kite once for a very short period. (I couldn't ride it very long since I couldn't stand the bar pressure.) .

I would like to return the kite and bar.

Please let me know the steps necessary to return the kite and bar.

Thanks,

-Mark.

[ShaveTheWhales]

@ Shave... - Not my dept. Suggest you contact customer support through the website. Honestly state your case in a fair and reasonable way. Go on the Switch forum and seek advice. You'll be dealing with kiters all interested in helping you. Most every problem has a solution if addressed objectively. PM me here or there if you wish.

Thanks and will do

Sorry if I sound a bit pissed off, it just that I have spent a lot of money recently on stuff just hyped. I work 95 hour weeks to pay full retail for all my gear so I'm right into Customer service as you can imagine.
Ralph will back me up on that one from the Eclipse days...