Average Joe Kite Review- Light wind kites

[golfaroo]

Would you guys be able to add another kite to the test: the Griffin Argo 17m? You can ask Progressive Sports in Daytona Beach to send you one, they sell the complete kite for about $1500, so it would be great to know how it compares with the other kites in your test.

[golfaroo]

Would you guys be able to add another kite to the test: the Griffin Argo 17m? You can ask Progressive Sports in Daytona Beach to send you one, they sell the complete kite for about $1500, so it would be great to know how it compares with the other kites in your test.

Oh, and they also sell the Griffin TRX 17m.

[randycasburn]

Would you guys be able to add ... the Griffin Argo 17m?

... and ... the Griffin TRX 17m.

I agree and would like to see both models in the test too.

[Disclaimer: I am a rider, I don't sell these or any other brand of kite or any equipment of any kind. I've flown neither the Argo17 nor the TRX. I'm one of the Joes]

I own the only Griffin on this coast. Mine is a 2013 Argo 14m. So let me give you feedback on my kite and bar. The TRX would be quite different of-course.

- I love flying my Argo
-- Kite build quality is on par with the other brands
--- The cloth is a little soft after 1.25 yrs and lots of use
-- very stable in gusty conditions
-- consistent power application
-- goes upwind like crazy for me
-- drifts well
-- boosts big and good hang time
- The bar is just OK
-- The safety system is very reliable, easy to reset
-- The swivel sucks and doesn't really do anything
--- The work around is to set up the kite with no twists and correct occasionally by hand
-- Single line release will destroy the safety line
--- In single-line flagging mode the line-end cover catches on the pass-through loop and eventually breaks down the cover until it comes apart
--- The fix for this is to rig your kite in two-line flagging mode so the line no longer runs through the loop - problem gone
--- I prefer single-line flag so I fixed mine by wrapping the line-end cover with plumbers tape - fixed
-- bar isn't the most comfortable, but is better than some others
--- I'm considering padded handlebar tape

For your consideration:
I've received great support from Griffin directly. Even better, for those of us in the U.S., Progressive Sports provides top-notch support for this brand too (they are the U.S. distributors). But these kites are from a small Australian one-man band.
=======
What I Like: flies well, reliable gear, always know I'll have fun with it in > 14mph (12 knts)

What I don't like: bar pressure is too high for my liking, bar could be better

PM me if you have specific questions.

[omg]

OceanAdventures - first of all, thank you very much for the reviews you have done! I (too) find them very useful. Big ups to you!

When do you expect to do the review on Cloud C2 version, please?

Thanks!

[OceanAdventures]

OceanAdventures - first of all, thank you very much for the reviews you have done! I (too) find them very useful. Big ups to you!

When do you expect to do the review on Cloud C2 version, please?

Thanks!

Hopefully should be done by early next week.

[SupaEZ]

Hello Curt
I want to point out the "total overall distance" from the control bar "bar ends" to the kite "wingtips"

I find this important ...because just going by manufacturer line length is not true distance bar to kite

Flying the Core Riot LW XR3 19 on 3m extensions is rarely necessary

If you re-tested without extending the 24m lines you would like everything about it even more

"Without extensions" the total distance from bar ends to kite's wingtips is almost "26.4 meters"

Adding the extensions makes it real long at almost "29.4 meters ! "...so the top end is reduced a lot

Those are the measurements it have :

Bar end "leaders" for back lines measured 59 inches

Wingtips "leaders" for back lines measured 35 inches

Grand total of 94 inches which is 2.38 meters

See if you can put back up all the lines measurements of the LW kites tested that you once had on

Measure on them the bar leader lines and the wingtip leader lines

We will then get more accurate idea of the distance bar to kite (grand total of back lines length)

Do you think it is important to know that those 2 leaders add almost 10% more length ?

Be nice to know how the other LW kites do also

Thanks
Supa

[OceanAdventures]

Hello Curt
I want to point out the "total overall distance" from the control bar "bar ends" to the kite "wingtips"

I find this important ...because just going by manufacturer line length is not true distance bar to kite

Flying the Core Riot LW XR3 19 on 3m extensions is rarely necessary

If you re-tested without extending the 24m lines you would like everything about it even more

"Without extensions" the total distance from bar ends to kite's wingtips is almost "26.4 meters"

Adding the extensions makes it real long at almost "29.4 meters ! "...so the top end is reduced a lot

Those are the measurements it have :

Bar end "leaders" for back lines measured 59 inches

Wingtips "leaders" for back lines measured 35 inches

Grand total of 94 inches which is 2.38 meters

See if you can put back up all the lines measurements of the LW kites tested that you once had on

Measure on them the bar leader lines and the wingtip leader lines

We will then get more accurate idea of the distance bar to kite (grand total of back lines length)

Do you think it is important to know that those 2 leaders add almost 10% more length ?

Be nice to know how the other LW kites do also

Thanks
Supa

I like the K.I.S.S. method Supa....

[davesails7]

I think the heated discussion over lightwind kites boils down to people measuring wind differently. The best part about this test is that the focus was on comparing the kites, not on the measured wind speed. As I read through all of these posts, people are saying things like "Your test is wrong! This kite flies in 4 knots!" and then someone says "No you can't, it's only good to 9 knots! arrrgh!"

You can measure the wind lots of ways. I'm lucky to have a wind sensor that is 2 miles off the coast of my local spot with no obstructions. This sensor is on the top of a bridge which is about 150' off the water. It gives very reliable wind readings because it's up off of the water and away from any obstacles.

One of my kite buddies on the other hand has a handheld anemometer that he goes by. When we talk about how much wind we can kite in we come up with very different numbers. Neither is wrong, just very different readings for the same wind.

I was out on my 13m and a surfboard decently powered the other day and he called to me from the beach that I was riding in 7 mph. The wind at my kite was probably more like 12 knots. Neither measurement is wrong, just useless for comparison!

So if you are about to refute a back to back kite comparison with "This can't be! I can ride this kite in X knots and fly upwind!" don't even bother. It's meaningless without a comparison.

Thanks again for these tests! Looking forward to the Cloud review.

[14ToeSide]

Excellent Davesails!! That's all most of us have been saying. The wind AT the kite is not what you have on the ground. It may be 2-4 on the ground but there's no way it's 2-4 at the kite and be able to MOVE!!

Good summary.

14

[Flysurf77]

I think the heated discussion over lightwind kites boils down to people measuring wind differently. The best part about this test is that the focus was on comparing the kites, not on the measured wind speed. As I read through all of these posts, people are saying things like "Your test is wrong! This kite flies in 4 knots!" and then someone says "No you can't, it's only good to 9 knots! arrrgh!"

You can measure the wind lots of ways. I'm lucky to have a wind sensor that is 2 miles off the coast of my local spot with no obstructions. This sensor is on the top of a bridge which is about 150' off the water. It gives very reliable wind readings because it's up off of the water and away from any obstacles.

One of my kite buddies on the other hand has a handheld anemometer that he goes by. When we talk about how much wind we can kite in we come up with very different numbers. Neither is wrong, just very different readings for the same wind.

I was out on my 13m and a surfboard decently powered the other day and he called to me from the beach that I was riding in 7 mph. The wind at my kite was probably more like 12 knots. Neither measurement is wrong, just useless for comparison!

So if you are about to refute a back to back kite comparison with "This can't be! I can ride this kite in X knots and fly upwind!" don't even bother. It's meaningless without a comparison.

Thanks again for these tests! Looking forward to the Cloud review.

Agreed!!
M.