Average Joe Kite Review- Light wind kites

[Xtream]

I agree And if they copied the 15.5m Batwing they would have a kite which would relaunch and stay in the air a little better
and start riding upwind earlier than the Infinity but up to 30 mph winds range with a smaller kite

Now that is some funny shit Aummm.... Love -it...

X

[bisonmisfit]

Big D's video & comments - 'noel' is on track here. The area where the infinity is being ridden is shallow probably in most places approx calf deep. There is also a rise in the sea bottom approx 200yds further out creating an elongated enlarged pool with areas of sea grass and others of coral, sponges and related sea- life. Typically the water is significantly smoother here and favored for flat water cruising especially in the sea grass area. Reenforcing this you may also in the video the sea-grass line further up the beach away from the waters edge. Cayman experiences only a small tidal rise & fall but obviously at this time the tide was out creating shallower water and therefore an even more calming effect.

One last note, in the video you'll also notice the infinity being ridden somewhat close to the beach and along the tree-line. Many will ride this area along the accelerated updraft effect over the trees where the rising wind meets the upper wind at just above tree height. There's more apparent wind here than further out.

This isn't a Big D bashing note, indeed there wasn't a great deal of wind all weekend as he says, just mostly isolated low wind fronts with passing high cloud and Sun being the best day. This is simply to set the record straight from a rider that's spent a brief time there and shed some light on the relentless posturing still understanding an Infinity may be a kite for some. Ultimately though as said many times before, unless kites are tested and assessed side by side any claims are open to interpretation and even then still remain a personal choice not being wrong..

carry on. .

[Dimitri M]

Mr.bisonmisfit I would love you to try the INFINITY V3 and see for yourself what this kite is all about because I strongly believe in its performance in light wind.

The more feedback we get (good or bad), the better for developing the next generation of kites.

As you know there is a kite that fits every rider out there, so please feel free to ride it and see, you never know the INFINITY V3 could be just that!!

Same thing goes with the SURF kite. Have you check what these people have posted on the SURF topic after demoing the new SURF kite?

[windfreak]

BLAH,BLAH,BLAHHHHHHHHHH!

[SupaEZ]

Looking at ALL ALL ALL the pictures and videos Big D posted I see some serious conning on the trailing edge of this kite.

The Infinity Conning in the trailing edge is a recipe for a downwind drag of a kite.

Big D you may want to open up that trailing edge a bit and let it breath a bit. X

Another word for trailing edge is leech

Infinite coincidence ?.....D. is sponsored by Leech sunglasses

[L0KI]

I agree And if they copied the 15.5m Batwing they would have a kite which would relaunch and stay in the air a little better
and start riding upwind earlier than the Infinity but up to 30 mph winds range with a smaller kite

Absolute horseshit, that kite was crap, and like most of the time, you are talking out of your as.s.
.
.

[BWD]

somewhat agree, batwing was good for lightwind from 10knots, maybe a little less with a BIG board, good upwind, good jumping, lousy relaunch and not terribly quick turning.
Top end was good, but holding it in 30mph? Maybe if you weigh >225, 230lbs.
The odd design was highly dependent on pressure in the large struts at the shoulders of the kite, particularly in relaunch.

[L0KI]

Personally I think it may even be a design flaw with the Infinity...
looking at ALL the pictures and videos Dimitri posted I see some serious conning on the trailing edge of this kite.
I had a kite that looked like that several years ago. It really flew like shit, I let a few guys ride before I returned it and they thought it had power, well It had pull in the hook but it dragged you downwind as soon as you let off your edge slight bit.
Looked just like the pictures of the Infinity
Conning in the trailing edge is a recipe for a downwind drag dog of a kite.
I guess some riders like the feeling of the pull on the hook. If that's you kind of kite the Infinity may be for you.
Big D you may want to open up that trailing edge a bit and let it breath a bit.
You won't get that silly feeling of power that does nothing for performance.

Absolute horseshit.
The infinity and the Fat Lady do not have a defective leech line issue or a design flaw related to cupping or leech problem.
Momi has designed great flying kites for Epic and Blade (and others) for years, to try to say otherwise is just you piling on and talking talking talking about kites you have not flown.
The Infinity and the Fat Lady belong to that group of lower aspect lightwind kite that is specifically made to be different from the larger "apparent wind" group.
There are lots of us out there who like how those kites fly and have no problem getting them to go upwind, produce plenty of power and perform exactly as we like them to.
The Infinity/Fat Lady/Big Mama etc work better in our light wind conditions than the higher aspect monster kites.
My local crew had 7-8 Zephyrs, Turbines etc. here at one time...the last Zephyr is for sale right now.
We need lightwind kites to turn fast, and relaunch fantastic...because they ALL are going to drop out of the sky at some point during most lightwind sessions, in non-coastal wind.
We need to be able to "figure eight" them quickly when the wind drops to almost zero, while we bob around and wait for the wind to cycle back up.
Those of us here that still bother with lightwind kites, pair something smaller and faster with a good directional board to have fun on the light days, otherwise we don't waste our time.
It is hilarious to hear these arguments from those of you living in lightwind coastal locations because ALL OF THESE LIGHTWIND KITES WORK PERFECTLY WHERE YOU ARE, your conditions are so easy, it's a joke.

[gbgreen59]

@OldnBroken: I'm really dialed in to what you are saying. I love my Infinity. I couple it up with a directional (free race) and have barrels of fun in light wind and wind to 20 mph. I'm always out until the last person goes in when the wind drops. I'm out in 15+mph wind going up wind just fine...I fly it high in the window in high wind. I'm going up wind as well as anyone. On the other hand, I have not had the opportunity to try other kites for comparison.

My experience with the Infinity is completely different than the "ordinary joe" reviewers at FWB.

[Westozzy]

Yep that all makes sense to me (above). We are blessed with coastal consistent breezes here.

But there are times when weird troughs mix with a high and even this wind becomes very variable.

I remember early on learning the nuances of a skim board. On an edge in those kind of winds (let's look at a real high aspect example) it was hair raising out at sea when I didn't make the grab, transition etc.

Then I got a zephyr (lower aspect) and I had so much more stability when the wind dropped out and I messed up.

Now extrapolating to even more variable winds inland and you would want an even lower aspect than a zephyr for sure and one that turns fast. Plus the zephyr is not really a light light wind kite anyway.

It all depends on choosing the right kite for your conditions, board and the style you want to pursue.

Or a fast turning lower aspect kite even in coastal conditions where you want to do more than mow the lawn and do the occasional sissy jump.

Gotta move along that spectrum to find the right fit. To say one is better than another is naive.

IT ALL DEPENDS.

...what I want to see in the next set of ocean adventures reviews is more footage of the actual riders in action....want to see how accomplished you guys are ...because there are plenty of average joes around my area than can still mix it up and are not always mowing the lawn.