With so many great kites on the market, all the reviews and marketing blurb, how to choose the best kite.

If you could would you buy a quiver of Rebels, lithiums, Rally's or Wainmanns for freeride and a bit of wave action or go the Dice or something else.

The decision is killing me.

Regards

Maui

Christ how longs a piece of string dude! What have you tried, what have you flown before? (Years please). How many years kiting..or how much water time?

What's ya weight, boards..where do you kite, what type of wind, thermal, frontal...(ie do you need a big range in your kites), wind speeds on average, when say a bit of wave action what do you mean exactly. What's your projected style, what would you like to achieve?

All the kites on your list are excellent choices IMO.


Edit...

To keep it simple for now...

Jumping ...Rebel, rally, dice, wainmen/lithium in that order. (Hang time and height, although dice, wainmen, rally similar in heights, lithuim slightly better hang time and rally better hang time than those).

Surfing ...dice/rally, wainmen, lithium, rebel in that order.

Looping...dice, wainmen, lithuim, rally, rebel in that order...rally is okay if you want crazy delta power!!

Unhooked ..... Dice/ wainmen, lithium, rally/rebel in that order.

I have ridden them extensively except for the rally, but I have had a crack and it's awesome.

Dice/wainmen more C feel!!

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Christ how longs a piece of string dude! What have you tried, what have you flown before? (Years please). How many years kiting..or how much water time?

What's ya weight, boards..where do you kite, what type of wind, thermal, frontal...(ie do you need a big range in your kites), wind speeds on average, when say a bit of wave action what do you mean exactly. What's your projected style, what would you like to achieve?

All the kites on your list are excellent choices IMO.


Edit...

To keep it simple for now...

Jumping ...Rebel, rally, dice, wainmen/lithium in that order. (Hang time and height, although dice, wainmen, rally similar in heights, lithuim slightly better hang time and rally better hang time than those).

Surfing ...dice/rally, wainmen, lithium, rebel in that order.

Looping...dice, wainmen, lithuim, rally, rebel in that order...rally is okay if you want crazy delta power!!

Unhooked ..... Dice/ wainmen, lithium, rally/rebel in that order.

I have ridden them extensively except for the rally, but I have had a crack and it's awesome.

Dice/wainmen more C feel!!

But you hav'nt tried to slip in CORE ???????

Christ how longs a piece of string dude! What have you tried, what have you flown before? (Years please). How many years kiting..or how much water time?

What's ya weight, boards..where do you kite, what type of wind, thermal, frontal...(ie do you need a big range in your kites), wind speeds on average, when say a bit of wave action what do you mean exactly. What's your projected style, what would you like to achieve?

All the kites on your list are excellent choices IMO.


Edit...

To keep it simple for now...

Jumping ...Rebel, rally, dice, wainmen/lithium in that order. (Hang time and height, although dice, wainmen, rally similar in heights, lithuim slightly better hang time and rally better hang time than those).

Surfing ...dice/rally, wainmen, lithium, rebel in that order.

Looping...dice, wainmen, lithuim, rally, rebel in that order...rally is okay if you want crazy delta power!!

Unhooked ..... Dice/ wainmen, lithium, rally/rebel in that order.

I have ridden them extensively except for the rally, but I have had a crack and it's awesome.

Dice/wainmen more C feel!

Neo

I've tried the core! Not for waves no matter how its marketed. All the others except the rebel is better in the waves.

Neo... Unreal wave kite but for Freeride it doesn't compare to the others he's mentioned.

And stop quoting my simple response ya buggers. Lol!!!!

I'd be a Rebel on Lithium.

You guys have cooler names, I have a choice of Combat or Atlas. But we did invent 'Core' (cos we are)

Actually I woke up this morning And thought I was a bit harsh on the core. It actually was a super smooth kite with some boosting potential under the hood. Obvious delta grunt as well like the lithuim and wainmen. Still in the waves it sits somewhere near the rebel from what I experienced, just a tad better maybe due to its delta shape...the smaller sizes might be pretty decent. Talking about the core X3 of course.

Dave you talking about the new neo or the one you are riding? 2014 has some freeride potential.

While you are at it Mr author....

You haven't got the park, catalyst, rpm on your list.....

Yep you've listed the best of the free ride.
My vote lithium, for build and wind range especially bottom end.
The 9m is a craka.

Depends on weight when you start talking lithium . It suites heavier guys for sure.

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eppo said..

Dave you talking about the new neo or the one you are riding? 2014 has some freeride potential.

I was being a d****head. I am completely unqualified to offer that sort of advice! Am just pleased to be out there. ( on my new 2013 neo of course...) The 13 neo feels so different (not better or worse) than my rebels, I don't think I've really got the hang of it properly yet.

Well I'm pleased so many have viewed this topic - surely its a question on everyone's lips.

It drives me nuts that there is no leagues tables on this which provides an objective view on all kites on the market ranked in terms of performance like expo has offered here.

Just imagine the progress if we could get an independent source to rank kites every year.

So to share my vital stats as requested by eppo

6 ft 2
91 kgs
44 yo
understanding wife - get out weekly, fortnightly or monthly at worst
absolutely love kiting - 3rd season this summer and feel like I just started living!!!!!
quiver include 2012 Wainman 7 (previous owned by Lou), 9 and 12 meter and use a twin tip from Stonker 136cm
Kited maui, cocos, Point Danger (Torquay), Brighton Vic, Altona, St Kilda, Hampton, Rosebud, Pt Henry, Sandy Point
Regular Spots - Danger in a south westerly, Rosebud in a Northerly and Brighton in a southerly
Kitemares - many - last one ended with visit from police chopper at Brighton after leading edge on 12 meter burst right out the back 2 weeks ago. Previous one was at Rosebud when 9 meter burst beyond the second break at Rosebud.
Favourite Watermen - Scotty, Skip, Nick and Dave
Reason for asking the question - love my Wainmans but like anyone with just one lover - not sure what else is out there - and my kites are falling apart at the seams. Also heard newer kites are smoother, turn faster, have less bar pressure, more boost - love the low end power of Wainman though - helps to compensate for my kite flying skill gaps.
Current ability - 3 years since last did the walk of shame due to inability to go upwind, 2 years since I shed the poo stance, 12 months since I mastered mowing the lawn and began returning to the beach with fuel in the tank and a dry kite. Have got the load and pop going in both directions but have not managed to combine this with throwing the kite to 12 at the critical time. So boosts limited to 1 or 2 feet - but want to go 1 or 2 meters. Love surfing down the front of waves and using them as ramps. Not a surfer but starting to carve a few turns edge to edge like on a snow board.
Listen to Gold 104 after every session and love my gear YEOW!

Next steps
- Master the boost
- Get going on a directional board
- Probably not get to unhooked tricks or loops - better in my dreams than suffering the consequences of getting then wrong.
Keen to refresh the whole kit and caboodle - everything from kites, to harness, to wetsuits to boards (tt and directional - Wainman Magnum looks absolutely awesome!)

Would greatly appreciate advice on my next set up.

Regards

Maui

Righto given your weight, and finding something comparable with an obvious low end, that will allow mastering boosting and getting into waves on a directional I would be looking at demoing the ....

Rally, lithium, core ...they all have some delta heritage like the wainmen and would suite a heavier rider like yourself (especially the lithium), and they all share a common all rounder theme with a predictable solid low end.

But don't be surprised you still love your wainmens....great kites. Rally and lithuim will be better in the waves than the core X3, in my humble opinion. The rally will be the best. It's a cracker wave kite.

Good luck. Report back.

I blew my Rally in half a few weeks back.
Then i demoed ...
North Rebel
Dice
Fuse
Core Riot
GTS
Ozone Catalyst
Edge
RRD Vision
Slingshot RPM
Best TS
Ocean Rodeo Prodigy
Razor

Buying the RAZOR !!!
s**t that kite flies good...
but you may not like it.

Go demo
if you wanna hit waves, I'd say dice or Ozone REO

Bloody great list there daggy!!! Impressed!!

Okay now, what is it about the razor that made you distinguish this kite against (clicked with you)?

It's the next on my demo list as a coincidence.

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eppo said..

To keep it simple for now...

This thead IMO should have just simply ended after your post Eppo. It says everything and has answered the "question" plain and simple. The rest down is dribble.

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mauiMerv said..

Just imagine the progress if we could get an independent source to rank kites every year.

We did once. It was called the Aus KB Mag. RIP

www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Kitesurfing/New-Australian-Kiteboarder-Magazine-in-newsagents_4113114.aspx

Rebel cos the other 2 bars suck.

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Kazan said..

eppo said..

To keep it simple for now...

This thead IMO should have just simply ended after your post Eppo. It says everything and has answered the "question" plain and simple. The rest down is dribble.

Actually he hadn't given us his weight, boards and all the other information really. That narrowed it down to the more delta hybrids for me anyhow and excluded the others. Plus others may have other ideas, they I are just my opinions in the end not fact. Plus it allowed the core suggestion which was a good one. It's called a discussion...

...and why not have a discussion on the razor while we are at it?

I don't understand your antagonism actually (especially given I didn't read any valuable contribution from yourself...except a magazine.. are you saying you agree?).

Let it flow bro...

Rally!

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mauiMerv said..

With so many great kites on the market, ..........

If you could would you buy a quiver of Rebels, lithiums, Rally's or Wainmanns for freeride and a bit of wave action or go the Dice or something else.

...........

Regards

Maui

there are plenty of other kites to check
I go for ones with good drift some of the above are a bit woeful for drift

True but he did say a bit of wave riding...not complete wave riding...free riding was the object.

i just found even on downwinders having a kite that drifts well makes it so much more forgiving for the freeride and waves
like when you go straight downwind at the kite, or a few boosts landing under the kite, lighter winds
maybe its a technique thing

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jeff2 said..
Rally!

... Rebel,,,,, damn did I just cancel out each others vote,,, oh well!!!

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DelFuego said..

i just found even on downwinders having a kite that drifts well makes it so much more forgiving for the freeride and waves
like when you go straight downwind at the kite, or a few boosts landing under the kite, lighter winds
maybe its a technique thing

Nah ya right if downwinders were the order of the day, bloody hell the more drift the better. Can't argue with that, but from what I can gather a straight out drifting wave kite is not what he is after, especially given his first picks of kites to look at. In the end he is considering some ripper wings for what he wants. The big fella says the rebel...hey why not!!lol!!

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I checked out a few reviews on the Razor - seems like a great kite but maybe out of my league given unhooked freestyle credentials.

Eppo you have read my key objectives well. I guess I'm a bit surprised the old Wainman still stacks up against the other freeride recommendations - was half expecting people to say they had well and truly been superseded being 3 yo.

Delfuego, I am of course now keen to understand the best wave and downwind kites.

Maybe I go a new 12m free ride to boost on and a new 9m for wave action and down winders?

What do you think guys?

Regards

Maui

I have rebels and I have had a go of the F-one Bandit 7.

Really good kite drifts better than the rebel and boosts as good. It also will hang in there when its very windy.

I nearly did not give the kite back to the friendly euro.

Al

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mauiMerv said..

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I checked out a few reviews on the Razor - seems like a great kite but maybe out of my league given unhooked freestyle credentials.

Eppo you have read my key objectives well. I guess I'm a bit surprised the old Wainman still stacks up against the other freeride recommendations - was half expecting people to say they had well and truly been superseded being 3 yo.

Delfuego, I am of course now keen to understand the best wave and downwind kites.

Maybe I go a new 12m free ride to boost on and a new 9m for wave action and down winders?

What do you think guys?

Regards

Maui

I think that makes a lot of sense man. Happy the bandit, damn forgot about that one...another ripper.

Two words...
"speed holes"

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daggy said..

Two words...
"speed holes"

perhaps a bit more detail?
thanks!

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knotwindy said..

daggy said..

Two words...
"speed holes"

perhaps a bit more detail?
thanks!

Three words
"try kites yourself'

One word


Agreed