Airush Session - share experiences and ask questions

[Mikkelza]

Dear fellow-kitesurfer,

I recently dedicated to Airush, starting with a quiver of Session kites: 5m2, 6m2, 8m2 and the Ultra bar.
I will use the kites with a wave/surf-board, and a bit with hydrofoil (freeride, small waves) - but for ligthwind foiling I have Peak4 6m2 and 8m2.

I though it would be great with a thread where we can share experiences and ask questions to the Airush Session kite.

So far, I have been riding the 6m2 a bit, and the 8m2 the most, during the past 2 months.

Impression so far:
- Quick responding kite (I did not know that a 8m2 kite could be that fun in waves, since I am used to 7m2 or smaller)

- Great depower

- flies quit much forward in the wind-window - more than I am used to from my previous wave-kites. Consequently, the kite can feel a little unstable in gusty conditions

- interesting with the bridle switch option (pulleys vs. fixed). I was certain that the pulleys would slow down the kite too much, but that has not been the case. The kite is quite fast with pulleys also. Pulleys make it more soft. Fixed bridle make the depower more on/off. I am not sure if the two bridle options affect how far forward the kite flies in the wind-window, but with pulleys it has been easier to keep the kite at the edge of the wind-window while doing a cutback/top-turn at the top of the wave. I am more used to (in cross-onshore wind) steer the kite through the wind-window, but it has been quite fun to keep the Session at the edge of the wind-window (more or less, at least minimal steering)

- high quality feel

[elmarco]

I've been using the 8m session quite a bit lately.
I spent a week in Cabarete recently mostly only riding it surf and foil and I loved it.

I've also spent some time on the 12m and 9m on a twin tip and was pleasantly surprised.
It's a really fun kite to do small loops on. It's fast, but still gives you a lot of power on the loop, so it's quite forgiving, but satisfying.

I usually ride Unions & Ultras, and I tried lift's and Lithium's, but I'm gravitating more towards the session as a do it all.

[alfredo68]

Love my wave 9 mts, best kite ever, i use it from 15 knots to 28 or whatever, big wind range. Turn s in a dime. Super easy to loop..Fast! I t s always where i want him to be.
Didn t like the wave 12 tho. Too slow so bought an Ultra 10 to replace the 12 Didn t like it. Good for light wind but it had small wind range and struggle whith the strong gust so bought a wave 10 that haven t tried it yet.
I wonder if are there any differences between the waves or session or just a change of name.
Any one that can compare these kites with other wave especific kites?

[happytrees]

Any one that can compare these kites with other wave especific kites?

Hello
I got 12m and 7m wave and only just picked up 10m wave and also have a 9m neo.
The 2020 9m neo is only a little faster than my 12m wave and has 2 settings on the bridle for depower.
The high depower setting gives the neo slightly better drift than the wave kites.
I mainly ride cross-on and cross-cross-on with the odd crosshore day in 3-8ft gutless windswell always downwind- down the line.
So most of power is needed from the KITE for speed to hammer sections. Faster the kite, faster from bottom-top-bottom-top turns.
This is where the wave shines.
The 7m is freaking good/fast and I'm hanging to get the 10m out.

[alfredo68]

Any one that can compare these kites with other wave especific kites?

Hello
I got 12m and 7m wave and only just picked up 10m wave and also have a 9m neo.
The 2020 9m neo is only a little faster than my 12m wave and has 2 settings on the bridle for depower.
The high depower setting gives the neo slightly better drift than the wave kites.
I mainly ride cross-on and cross-cross-on with the odd crosshore day in 3-8ft gutless windswell always downwind- down the line.
So most of power is needed from the KITE for speed to hammer sections. Faster the kite, faster from bottom-top-bottom-top turns.
This is where the wave shines.
The 7m is freaking good/fast and I'm hanging to get the 10m out.

Tried my new wave 10 yesterday and loved it. A bit weird but my kites are 10 , 9, 7 waves after not liking wave 12 and ultra 10. (13 knots to 35 aprox)

[iwave]

I know the Session is mostly a wave kite, but it is also presented as a good all-around kite, so I was wondering how good is it for unhooking?
Does anyone have experience unhooking on the Session (with or without pulleys)?
How good was it? What size were you using? Would it backstall while unhooking in less powered conditions (of the kite range)?

[ced1]

Hi,

I've been riding Airush Session 9m and 6m.

After trying the Pulley bridle, I settled on the fixed bridle option. I prefer the more direct feel. But I guess that is down to personal feel.

Both the 9m and 6m can be worked and therefore squeeze bottom end of their range. I use them mostly in cross and cross off conditions and have found them to drift nicely.

I have also taken to using the session in free ride mode, and have thrown some pretty serious loops on them. The 9m on slightly shorter lines actually loops pretty well. Off course it is a different loop to an open C shape. It doesn't have the horizontal pull. But it's not bad at all. The 6m I only loop in really strong winds and that is a pretty fast looper!

I can't comment too much on unhooking as I only do very basic freestyle with just raileys and the odd Sbend when I'm feeling adventurous. Didn't find the Session to backstall (On fixed bridle that is)

Here is a little loop session with the 9m Session:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLcns98j39B/

Ced

[j_dog]

Been using the Airush Wave for a while, first with the '15 Wave and the '19 Wave (7m,9m and 12m) for strapless surfing.

I want to upgrade to the Sessions kites after this summer so its nice to read some first hand reviews on them. Even the '19 Waves have great de-power and drift and in the swell and waves they perform great.

I agree with one of the earlier posts, the 12m is a bit of a pig of a kite, but the 9m and 7m have been amazing (use with pulleys).

Most of the other kiters on my beach use Drifters or Roam kites so haven't had the chance to try the Sessions yet. But if they perform better then the Wave kite I am excited to get them shortly.