The sad thing is that I can vouch for every person involved in this being a good person- internet forums can bring out the worst in all of us and allow anonymous sledging and posting of stuff that would not be said face to face. Everyone got along at the states and now this starts.
I want the old Waxy back- the one who runs around the beach handing out cans of coke topped up with Beam...
People will change their brand/shop allegiance- it is human nature to try different stuff - if it works for you do it !
I loved coming to Whyalla for so many years- I hope you crew chip in a few dollars each and have an end of season bbq, all inclusive and get back that awesome community spirit that I know exists.
The full moon getting to you S.A. guys or something? Local crew bickering amongst each other on the internet definitely not cool. We'll leave you to sort it out at the beach.
Anyway, back to the topic of the post, the good old Nomad! I have 2010 Nomad 11m and 2010 switch 12m, as well as switch III 8m/6m. Someone was asking about comparisons? The switchy 12m is like a V8 diesel landcruiser.....buckets and buckets of low end grunt. I'm 78kg, and this is the perfect kite for pulling me around on my 135x40 TT in marginal 13-16 knot winds with gusty holes in it. 10-12knots on a 5'5" surfboard. The ability of the kite to just keep pulling is phenomenal! Up near 20knots the kite is a boost and hangtime machine, and super stable for hooked and unhooked tricks. There is no doubt however, that they like going in a straight line - that's what they were designed for, and thats what they do, very well. The turning gets progressively worse as you depower them, but I don't think this is restricted to the switch - its simply a function of shortening the front lines.
The Nomad by comparison is like a turbo 4 cylinder sports car.....it doesn't have a lot of low end grunt in the bottom half of its wind range, but in the upper half of the wind range when it is moving fast, it's a seriously FUN kite to fly! It handles beautifully, turns well, unhooks well, boosts and hangs well, and kiteloops with some serious power. It requires a bit more finesse from the rider, you have to ride it fast and be mindful not to choke it, especially when the wind is lighter, but it is an altogether more exciting kite to fly than the switchy.
I think the wind range tends to trick people though....I don't even bother taking the 11m out of the bag unless the wind is above 18 knots. The kite is on fire from 20-27 knots and the top end is great, it is still controllable and turning pretty well up near 30knots.
Other riders can maybe offer some feedback on the smaller sizes?
If the Oz dealers have overstocked with Nomads, then that is great news for the kite community and bad news for the shops, as the intermediate to advanced riders out there will be able to pick up a great high performance kite at a bargain price. If we had lots of 25-35knot winds here, I'd grab a 9m or a 7m in a flash.
Andy
Whyalla boys haven't coped well with the first week of no wind!!
However, the wind is back and the Nomad, Bandit, Switchblades, GT, Rebels, Venom, Octane, Havoc, Waroos, Nemis and especially the Hadlow Pro all looked pretty good out on the water.
How's that for a review!
or cougar.