Fellas

I need your advice here. I am trying to decide on a new 2 kites quiver. Let me tell you about me

Intermediate rider, 73 kg
Kite locations: st kilda and altona, Victoria
3 yrs experience twintip
2 years experience strapless directional (jibes, carves, mini jumps)
1 month into hydrofoil

Preferences kite time:
40% strapless directional (mini waves in the bay)
40% foil
20% twintip (simple tricks - jumps, rolls and just mowing the lawn)

Given my preferences, my current free ride kites are not a great match (bit heavy, slow turning, not great drift). Now I want to get new kites and I am thinking of:

Bandit S 9 mts: I reckon it should serve me well for directional and foil when it is 18 knots and above, and twintip when it is 22 knots approx and above. I know this is a dedicated surf kite, but it still boosts fine for what I want to do in my 20% of time with my twintip.

Air rush ultra 10m or 12m: here I am confused. I want something that gets me foiling or "surfing" when it is between 10 and 15 knots keeping the kite in the sky without much effort. I also want this kite getting me mowing the lawn and jump transitioning without feeling overpowered when it is 15-20 knots. I think that a 10 could do, but it feels like a massive overlap with the bandit 9m.

I tried the bandit once and liked it a lot. Will try it again to confirm and to make sure it covers the wind range I want it to cover. I am not sure I can demo the ultra here in melbourne. Does any one know if a shop sells the ultra in Melbourne? Any thoughts?

Cheers!

Neo...7 & 9m

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shi thouse said..
Neo...7 & 9m

Hi Shi... these are different brand and different size of what I was thinking. Can you explain your suggestion?

Cheers!

At your weight I would go 8 and 11.

Bandit s is is a good choice or North reach 2020 is currently on sale and 2021 reach is same same. New cabrinha Moto has some good changes.

I am your exact weight, i ride 5m and 7m neo (sls) unstrapped surfboard and foiling.

i can ride the 7m down to sub 10kts with the foil and it will relaunch in nuffin'.

you won't regret a 7m Neo SLS in your quiver. Been riding neos for years but this kite is the sweet spot.

So, given your ride percentages you will be wanting a kite mainly for its drift potential ie. wave and foil. Given that, I would be chasing a kite that can deliver on these requirements plus give you a bit of cross-over to the TT when you want it. The Neo has got this in the bag. You can ride the Neo one full size less that what you are chasing as these are grunty kites, hence an 7m is similar to a 8m in an equivalent kite of another brand. These kites fly light on the bar and have plenty of throw in them, so I find you can really back off the pressure in over-powered conditions (especially foiling).

The Bandit is an ok kite, but given your requirements to Neo would be better suited.

You could ride the 9m on your foil in winds that will let it fly, and could change down to the 7m in higher winds. As for in the waves, well these things speak for themselves....brilliant.

On the TT, you won't be disappointed either.

Haven't yet ridden the SLS model yet, but would love to get my hands on one. As Chemtrails said, this current model is the sweeeet spot.

I hydrofoil and mutant ride at 75kg. My mutant riding basically does the job of your TT an SB combo.
What you will notice is that that foiling will take over sub 18 knots. There's little point struggling away on surface boards when you can rip on a hydrofoil.

80% of my riding is on my 8m.
Then the other 20 % is spread over my other 4 bikes. 12m,10m, 6m,4m

8m 10-20 knots on the foil, then about 23 to 30 +knots on the mutant.
Next most used kite is the 10m for the 18 to 25 knot range mutant boosting range.

After that its occasional
12m desperation foiling 6-12 knots
6m 18-25 knots foiling, 30+ storm kiting
4m 25+ foiling, 35+ storm kiting

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Hey ChilliAussie

I am 75kg as well and riding 80% strapless surfboard in ocean waves, 19% strapless foil (ocean waves) and 1% TT.

I have 10,8, 6 and 4m Neos, but the 8 and 6 are my go to (10 and 4 are gathering dust in garage).

The 8 neo will have you foiling from (and sometimes under depending on spot) 10 knots. When it picks up to 18 knots then the 8 and surfboard is the go. I am usually riding my 8 when others will be riding their 10m other brand wave kites ;)

The 6m neo is probably my favorite kite ever and foilable from 12 knots. on a surfboard i can stay upwind in 20 knots and top end is somewhere around 40 knots.

I infrequently ride the TT but the neos have great boost for a wave kite that also has great drift and fun to go on the occasional kiteloop session.

the only days the 10 comes out are when its too big to foil and these days are usually too light for surfboard anyway and I probably wouldn't get another one. the 4m is reserved for the nuclear days a handful of times per year.. so for me the 6 and 8 make the perfect 2 kite quiver.

SLS is an improvement on the regular construction. If you have the cash I would go for it, if you can only afford one SLS i would choose it in the larger of the kites you get as this is where the improvement is most noticeable.

Don't foil but for waves.
Airush has been my brand for many seasons.
Now - ultra 8m +16 / Wave 12m -16.
Only use standard build surfboards
current fav rounded pin approx 28ltrs, quad.
Im 73kgs.

I have a 2 kite quiver and use a strapless surfboard and foil. I have an 8/12m Ozone Reo and weigh about 80-85kgs.

I rarely use the 12m Reo, only if i want to foil in sub 15 knots (I like to be overpowered). I'm basically on my 8m from 16 knots to 22 knots foiling and then from there I jump on my surfboard right up to 35 knots.

If I were you I'd look at a surf specific kite, they're great for foiling due to the drift.