Hi there,

Just had my long awaited 9 meter kite turn up in the mail... but I've been too crook to try it out yet so pumped it up in the back yard this arvo and took some pics. Build quality looks good just like my 07 boxer which is still going strong. Interestingly it's got a batten on each wing tip. Struts are a lot thinner than my 07 boxer.

Also a very simple bridle set-up only two good quality pulleys on this kite. The only adjustment points on the kite are on the wing-tips - back line attachment points. All the 09's come with the smart loop and safety through the bar - and the 9m came with 20m lines.

I've been told good things about the 09 helix apparently much improved over the 08 stuff which got a pretty bad name by the sounds of it. The 09 helix is 'sposed to be the first attempt of naish making a c shaped geotech kite - I'm desperately looking forward to being able to be more than 50 metres away from the loo and able to fly it!

Will let you know in a few days how it's going

Rider: Weight - 95KG,Level Intermediate
Style: Freeriding, Surf,



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Well went out this arvo for an hour and a half - very impressed. Wind was gusty as 5-30 knots so not the best conditions. Others were out on 8's to 13metres.

Having flown big kites for ages it was impressive how fast it turned - on the slowest setting too. One of the first things I noticed was how noticeably bigger the flying window is than my 12m 07 boxer and 15m 07 ozone instinct sport. When you've got wind it trucks up wind. Jumping was a no brainer - and it floats you down nicer than my boxer.

One thing I'm not too sure about is storing on the beach - it looks like it wants to fly away all the time. I'm looking forward to getting out again tomorrow - and am starting to wish I had enough $$ to afford a replacement for my 12!

Cheers

i got one bout 2 months ago - mines better cause its green

face it straight into the wind it won't blow away unless its cranking if that's the case i usually put on the edges - is not in the middle. i've never changed the settings on it though i usually pull the depower in about one inch so as it's not pulling against the ball thingamagig. attach the black plastic stopper whateverthehell it called thingo onto your lines at about arms lengths so you have a good length of depower availble but not so much you can't reach the bar if you lose it.
yep i'm pretty happy with it

and plant some trees in your backyard, by the looks of your kid when he's about 10 you can build him a decent cubby house in one

For those of you considering a shiny new toy of the Helix 2009 type, there is a cracking deal going on at the moment, have a squizz at the banner ad, or ask your preferred Naish dealer for details.
However a free 2008 Naish twin tip with every 2009 Helix bought while stocks last is the word on the street!!!

Glennno,

I've had a 9m Helix for 4 months now and I am still impressed with it.

-It behaves like a low aspect kite ...but goes up wind like a high aspect kite...
-Has heaps of windrange.
-Is very simple
-Has plenty of grunt
-So easy to use with no nasty surprises or bad behaviours..

What more could you ask for?

Cheers,

Barrie

Yep I'm pretty stoked with it - like you said they haul up wind! I put the stopper thingo on this arvo it works a treat. Jumping has never been easier for me.

I just got in on that board and helix deal although got a big discount as I didn't need another board so it worked out pretty cheap for a high end brand!

Yep no trees in that yard just a rental hope to have trees and a home one day!

Cheers

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chronic said...

i got one bout 2 months ago - mines better cause its green

No, no, no...All Blue is the answer !!!
My 9m is one of the best kites I have ridden... It got solid use for almost a month in the Philippines. It's one of those kites that just let's you know everything... I felt so at home on it... 12m will come soon - anyone ridden one of those ?
BAP

Having flown this kite for only one session - just wondering how they go self landing (using the high front line) - it just looks like it wants to fly when on the beach. Do you guys just bite the bullet and flag to one front line if no-one's around to catch your kite - or just self land the normal way?

Cheers

Glennno,

The first time I flew it was in 20-30 knot conditions and I just dropped it to the safety and it sat LE down without a problem..

I have found the best way to self land the Helix is to take it to the edge of the window and let it’s wingtip sit on the ground, it will bounce up and down a little on its wing tip as it wants to take off. At that stage I let go of the bar and grab the top of the trim line. From there I grad the top front line and give it a hard tug and the kite just falls onto the ground and believe it or not just stays there. I tend to time it so that I tug the line when the kite is coming down from a bounce, and it works perfectly every time..

Cheers,

Barrie

The nine is a sweet kite after last years Helix they got it right this year and thank F##ck they got rid of the alliance what were thinking it was going to replace the Naish Torch its a nice line up from Naish this year only three kites to bad about the price though.Mail is Johnsie bought the kites when the Aussie dollar was riding high as soon as it dipped he cranked up the price some kites went up by as much as 300.00 smackers and now he has a warehouse full of them serves yourself right, Greed is the downfall of mankind better lower those prices but then again your not short of a quid are you Johnsie.


Thelonerider

One thing I've noticed is the flagging line - you have to make sure it's going to come out of the stainless socket thingo - I flagged to one line a couple of times today and it didn't come out of the socket. It's just too tight in there luckily I usually kite with someone around to catch my kite. It was too windy to self land without letting the bar go. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that naish have over looked this.

I got my 14m 09 Helix last week. It came with a free 129 08 Thorn !. In desperation I put it up in 7 to 10 knots and it still flew. When I threw it the wing tips folded in due to underinflation seems you have to pump them up tight. Build quality, especially the strut stitching and bridle looks much better then last year. The pulleys are upgraded but I think that they will be a problem especially in terms of wear from sand and cutting through the pigtail for the frontline attachment. Has anyone had a Helix for a while and found any problems here? It looks like we might be back to the Naish quality that we came to expect before the Boxer SLE. Blue is the best colour.

I doubt the pulleys will cause many problems. The line it runs along is heaps bigger than the 07 boxer I have and the pulleys much improved. Other kites like the slingshot rev still have complicated bridles and pulleys and I thought the helix was much improved and very simple. I just ordered a 12m so will be able to compare it to my 07 12m boxer. Not really a fair comparison though.

I found out the other day too that you must pump up the helix hard - had the same problem on launching the wingtips folded in.

Thanks Glenno. I agree, the bridle set up is a huge improvement over last year. I had an 07 12m Boxer and it doesn't even come close to my 12m 08 Cult so it doesn't stand a chance with a 12m 09 Helix. If you get the Helix now you get a free board, I got mine through the post and it looks good, not a patch on the Aboards but still ok. I just wish a 15 to 20 knot south easterly came with it.

Anyone else having trouble getting the flagging line knot out of its holder? Am kiting up here at Hay Point by myself a fair bit at the moment and had a lot of trouble getting it to come out this arvo. Will have to look into changing it somehow have a 4 session old kite and it won't flag to one line when you throw the QR.

Vaseline or a small piece of hose over the line that fits inside the offending component. I have the swivel that doesn't have the cut out on the flagging line not sure how to fix the one that does.

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metalmongrel said...

Vaseline or a small piece of hose over the line that fits inside the offending component. I have the swivel that doesn't have the cut out on the flagging line not sure how to fix the one that does.

Yeah mine doesn't have the cut out either - I got the 12 the other day with another bar and lines and that bar has the same problem. Have any of you fellas tried the flagging line? Or do you just fly suicide and self land/have people ready to catch your kite? I haven't had to flag the 12 but the 9 gets high wind use and I usually flag to one line when landing it.

Yeah Naish Helix 09 is really great, i have ridden 7m2 it has simply incredeble low end, as you compare the 08 and 09 models, the 09 has a much bigger middle area (the area that lift's and generates power). Really fast and stable. Probably on of the best kites i have seen for ages. So simple, so reliable and also performs really well.

Naish Helix seems to be this seasons top seller to me.