Hi all
Been out of touch with the latest gear getting around last few years, looking at upgrading my North Juice 18 2014.
I'm a big guy 120kegs so looking for something stable in the 15-18m meter range. don't kite a lot as I work offshore and don't seem to get heaps of free time when I'm home these days so any recommendations for kites from last few years would be appreciated?

Have a good Xmas and new year hope everyone gets cool new loot and plenty of wind!

Tim

Just take a wad of cash to your local kiteshop.
Your problem will sort itself out

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subseaos said..
Hi all
Been out of touch with the latest gear getting around last few years, looking at upgrading my North Juice 18 2014.
I'm a big guy 120kegs so looking for something stable in the 15-18m meter range. don't kite a lot as I work offshore and don't seem to get heaps of free time when I'm home these days so any recommendations for kites from last few years would be appreciated?

Have a good Xmas and new year hope everyone gets cool new loot and plenty of wind!

Tim

Have a look at the single strut kites, North Mono, Naish Boxer, Ozone Alpha for good low end power, there's been a general move away from the 15 meter plus kites, a bigger board can help.

Not sure a one strut kite would like 120kg frame under it. Something at least with 3 struts. Zephyr maybe. Or a new juice. Even a larger core XR (although this is 5 struts). Or learn to foil as well and get a 9/10m kite ??

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subseaos said..
Hi all
Been out of touch with the latest gear getting around last few years, looking at upgrading my North Juice 18 2014.
I'm a big guy 120kegs so looking for something stable in the 15-18m meter range. don't kite a lot as I work offshore and don't seem to get heaps of free time when I'm home these days so any recommendations for kites from last few years would be appreciated?

Have a good Xmas and new year hope everyone gets cool new loot and plenty of wind!

Tim

I'm a similar weight and I don't use more that a 14m. I just jump on a surfboard and then you extend you wind range down lower. 3 strut kites at our weight can suffer from instability as you will carry a larger kite in the upper wind range that the kite was designed for. In under 14 knots a surfboard gives you something different to do than mow the lawn on a twin tip. The 2020 Rebel 14 goes well as does the Ozone Edge. A 2014 kite will be different to a 2020 model as you know but the 18m is a big slow tractor that just drags you around,. I use to have 20m kites and then went down to 16m and now I think a 14 is big enough. I find I need to kite a little faster than the lighter guys to develop more apparent wind to get the smaller kite to work but that comes at the expense of going upwind, that's were a surfboard come in at the lower wind. A surfboard has better upwind ability and more volume to run through the light patches.

I thoroughly recommend the Ozone Zephyr 17m. It really is the kite that will suit your needs.
Stable and easy to use. You just want to plug and play, not learn new skills.
Huge wind range. Wont get you out in the very lightest winds but at your weight and experience - 22knots plus - no problem
A few hanging around - second hand.
Lots of big guys use them and for good reason. Check out the reviews on sea breeze. For just messing around and pulling a few old school tricks with a jump or three. Maybe in some easy surf or whatever it is really hard to beat.
Disclaimer
I own one. It is my light wind kite. Nobody would ever be dumb enough to sponsor me.

Plus one for the Zephyr - the new V6 is out too! Super stable 5 strut, heaps of grunt, great for hang time and huge wind range! They turn surprisingly well for a big kite too. Usual great Ozone build quality too.

Zephyr for sure . Add line extensions , even better

Talk him down

12m Core XR or 13m edge, both 5 struts which you need, learn to foil and you can kite TT, foil or surfboard between 15 and 30knots

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Sandfoot said..
Talk him down

If that's the model that had the front lines attached to the struts (which I'm sure it is), what a brilliant idea, brilliant kite but you will rip those attachments off within a month!!

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subseaos said..
Hi all
Been out of touch with the latest gear getting around last few years, looking at upgrading my North Juice 18 2014.
I'm a big guy 120kegs so looking for something stable in the 15-18m meter range. don't kite a lot as I work offshore and don't seem to get heaps of free time when I'm home these days so any recommendations for kites from last few years would be appreciated?

Have a good Xmas and new year hope everyone gets cool new loot and plenty of wind!

Tim

We have several customers in your weight range and the Zephyr is their main kite. Local guy weighs about 110 and he has a Zephyr V5, then a 14M Enduro, and a 10 Alpha, has him covered from 12-14knots through to 30+ with 2 boards

Unless you're a super heavy weight kiting in under 20kn, there is simply no need for a 17m kite.

I think you are far better off learning to foil.

Have you tried a foil kite ? I'm thinking a BIG Flysurfer Soul or Ozone Hyperlink. They offer massive wind range - literally replace 2 or 3 leis and and so fast to launch and ride. No pumping. I'm 95kg and ride a 15 Soul with a TT in 20+ knots comfortably. It also works well in 6/8kts with a hydrofoil. It's almost a 1 kite quiver. At 120 kegs I'd be looking at an 18/21m as your everyday kite. With a 10/12 for strong wind, you'd basically be set.

Agree with James here.

I am a smidgen under 100kg and have had an 18m and 15m Airush race kites, 14m north rebel in the past.

Bought a secondhand 12m flysurfer speed 5, a foil kite that predates the soul/hyperlink/etc "craze". This was a punt based on my curiosity and it has paid off. It is more fun to fly that my old quiver without the hydrofoil learning curve.

Am sure an upgrade to soul would be good, but am happy as is.

Now am intrigued to try single skin foil kites after conquering the hydrofoil... Few seasons of self improvement required?!

Agree with James here.

I am a smidgen under 100kg and have had an 18m and 15m Airush race kites, 14m north rebel in the past.

Bought a secondhand 12m flysurfer speed 5, a foil kite that predates the soul/hyperlink/etc "craze". This was a punt based on my curiosity and it has paid off. It is more fun to fly that my old quiver without the hydrofoil learning curve.

Am sure an upgrade to soul would be good, but am happy as is.

Now am intrigued to try single skin foil kites after conquering the hydrofoil... Few seasons of self improvement required?!

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MDSXR6T said..
Unless you're a super heavy weight kiting in under 20kn, there is simply no need for a 17m kite.

I think you are far better off learning to foil.

Yeah there's a bloke at Brighton, 120kg I reckon, foils and jumps like a champ. Just doesn't look all that pretty

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NathanG said..
Agree with James here.

I am a smidgen under 100kg and have had an 18m and 15m Airush race kites, 14m north rebel in the past.

Bought a secondhand 12m flysurfer speed 5, a foil kite that predates the soul/hyperlink/etc "craze". This was a punt based on my curiosity and it has paid off. It is more fun to fly that my old quiver without the hydrofoil learning curve.

Am sure an upgrade to soul would be good, but am happy as is.

Now am intrigued to try single skin foil kites after conquering the hydrofoil... Few seasons of self improvement required?!

Hi Nathan.
If you'd like to try a single skin foil give the Flysurfer Peak4 a go. Fantastic fun with a decent surf foil and easy to use. Feels like the best of an LEI kite and the best of a foil kite combined. The Peak4 has a lot of power for its size and Flysurfer have just released a 13m model which should be good for someone your size in 6 to 8 knots on a foil!
The smaller sizes are the most fun, as with any kite, and even with your 100kg, a 5m Peak4 with a surf hydrofoil should be good from 12-14 knots.
Your Speed5 may languish but Peak4's are a bit addictive ...

I'm in that same weight range and get plenty of use out of my 14mtr Cabrinha moto. But my absolute couldn't do with out Kite is my 17mtr contra. And last tip for the big man is a big board. My 150 x 50 shinn king gee is the best.

Why don't you just get a 2020 Juice?

Im 125kg .....dry!

Kites havent been hard to size, but finding the right board took me several years to find. I reckon i went through ten+ over a two year period because nothing felt right.
I tried heaps of different brands and styles in the hopes of finding something that worked....... because lets face it...... most boards are not designed or intended to have 120kg+ riding it.

Free ride boards just warp under your feet.
big boards are normally LW and have zero rocker.
Wake style boards are stiff, but way too small & sluggish if under powered.
And you may find you will thrash boards much quicker from all the extra forces at every jump, wave, chop etc......
Expect to break boards.... pull inserts, wear out the rails quicker on sand / stones.

Anyway..... finding the right board sucked nuts!

Bought a used Tona Pop 142 a few years back, and i swear buy it.
If youve intentions to ride twintip, then dont waste your time.... save yourself the headache and go get a Tona Pop...... its pretty much the only deck that can handle our weight and still perform great.

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Ragzilla said..
Bought a used Tona Pop 142 a few years back, and i swear buy it.
If youve intentions to ride twintip, then dont waste your time.... save yourself the headache and go get a Tona Pop...... its pretty much the only deck that can handle our weight and still perform great.

Nice, someone with some real life experience

You don't need a 150 board, sector, or whatever and my airush board at 146 is too big i think. The other thing i found is many boards have foot pads that are too small. Fine if you have normal size 12 or 13 feet but when you're a size 16, these things are important.

I tried a tronic, i thought that was a good board for us and is used by my 115kg+ mate, i just cant afford one right now. He also rides a 140..

If money was no object i'd get an XR10,12, 15 (or ozone, whoever equivalent) but a 12 is my everyday kite when 90% of kiters are out. In WA at least, there is no reason on earth we should be on 17,18 or 21m kites.

Thanks for the advise guys

I have a Shinn King Gee 150 that I got about 4 years ago and find it a good fun board for a TT prior to that I was on Switch 150, I'm now mainly using a surfboard as I play in the waves a fair bit. My time when not offshore working is spent between Melbourne and the Philippines, I live on a small island in the Philippines where we don't get real great wind apart from November to March. I've got a few smaller kites 12 and 14m but they don't get used that much. Most of my time I'm surfing or SUP and now going to try SUP with foil once I've got the hang of it I might progress to Kite foiling but I see that as a much bigger pain factor than foiling on an SUP. Maybe I'm wrong but will find out soon enough!

Someone asked why not stay with a Juice, well was happy to do that but there is not a lot around for sale secondhand and I was looking at alternatives, if a newer model came up for sale I'd look at it, really was looking at what other guys in the Plus 110kg range were happy with to see what options I had for kites 1-3 years old.

Hi all,

Can you please tell me what's wrong with the 2019 zephyr or the V5 version? Given my weight and displacement of the board ( Shinny's King Gee 1540........... I would like to sail as often as possible?

Subsea

Apart from the kites n boards - you and a heap of other regular size kiters should be taking an honest hard look at yourselves, and asking - do I ride like a sea lion on a kiteboard ?

Regardless of weight, riding a TT in the lighter wind range is a skill not many posses but can be mastered with commitment.

Remember how much the board stalled from drag when you were a noob ?

As soon as everyone gets up and going - it's not ever mentioned again... but many stare in disbelief how some of us can use such small kites and boards - when everyone else can barely keep goin on there big gear..

Learn to ride like a twinkle toes Ballerina.
Foil board riders have to learn it straight away or you get thrown off

Never stop learning

Cant go past the Core XR range the 13.5 is a weapon.

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Intheozone said..
Cant go past the Core XR range the 13.5 is a weapon.

Second that! great kite

It's not just the kite ... you suggest you are time poor as well. You have the Juice Suggest you have a light wind board as well. Big TT or something like a Nugget 5'5 would be better The nugget changed our world up here , great in light to moderate wind , easy and fun . Kind of like a very big floaty TT. Don't make them anymore but a must in your quiver if you are time challenged IMO - can get them pretty well second hand at the moment but I am guessing people will hang on to them soon.. I will never sell mine
Agree that you need to learn to kite "light". A Darwin specialty.

Zephyr is a very good kite.. but it is heavy in light wind. I have had v2 and v5. I now have the 15 Duotone Juice ... much lighter than the Zephyr and quite different to the old Juice ...I love it , flys in nothing and is a fun kite ... but you would have to buy new

cheers

Big guys need big kites & longer lines, when you are heavy the kite goes through the wind window faster, so longer lines compensate that. I love my Core Xr3 9 & Xr4 11, 13.5, 17 with 27m lines and Ozone Edge 19 with 32m lines. Combine that with 2 really fast boards with low rocker and no channels ( they create drag) you will have a lot of fun.

The kite sice I use most often is the 17.
I am 114kgs.
Good luck

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subseaos said..
Hi all,

Can you please tell me what's wrong with the 2019 zephyr or the V5 version? Given my weight and displacement of the board ( Shinny's King Gee 1540........... I would like to sail as often as possible?

There is nothing wrong with the V5 Zephyr, and it would suit a rider in your weight range very well. I've a couple of mates similar weight to you and its their most used kite on the east Coast. Massive wind range and can easily be used by you up to 25-28knots and will get you going on the KG well under 20 knots.

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Guttorm said..
Big guys need big kites & longer lines, when you are heavy the kite goes through the wind window faster, so longer lines compensate that. I love my Core Xr3 9 & Xr4 11, 13.5, 17 with 27m lines and Ozone Edge 19 with 32m lines. Combine that with 2 really fast boards with low rocker and no channels ( they create drag) you will have a lot of fun.

The kite sice I use most often is the 17.
I am 114kgs.
Good luck

I was wery wrong, for karantene fun I checked my Woo log, and I use the:
Xr4 13.5 47% of the time
Xr4 17. 28%
Xr4 11. 13%
Edge 19. 7%
Xr3. 9. 5%

Have fun