I have spent a heap of time out on the kite this week in winds ranging from around 15 to 30 knots. It took a good couple of sessions to really get it dialed and I was fairly skeptical up until then but now I don’t think I could go back to the m80’s (which I have spent a heap of time on) although I still have a lot to learn on this kite.
I would say it’s most similar to the Cab switchblade but more consistent in its power delivery. I have spent a lot of time on 8 and 11m Sonics and find the assault far more suited to my style of riding, I personally was never really overly impressed with the sonics although I know many guys who are.
I have found it supper easy to ride with my buggered back (problems with disks in my lumber back which make edging hard a nightmare) once I learned not to fight the kite, you need to learn to ride more upright with speed rather than against the kite like you do with c kites.
Its supper easy to jump and it’s made me enjoy sent jumps when I hadn’t really bothered much before. I have definitely jumped a lot higher on it than I ever have on any other kite so I’m not sure why people say that bow kites are harder to jump as high? The key to jumping it is to start with the kite really high and only send it a little while sheeting in hard. The jumps around 30 knots are incredible and I’m still comfortable in that much wind with boots. (I usually find the 9m M80 is a handful in this much wind).
As far as wake style I have been able to start riding aggressively again after taking a break because of my back, so I defiantly feel a lot safer on the kite far safer than I ever did using a 5th line which I rarely used because of the hassle of it which I missed a pass or dropped the bar. I do think the 5th line system is useful but far from perfect, generally I would prefer to be on a suicide unless extremely overpowered.
The way the kite pops is a little different. I find it pulls much harder downwind once you pop a little more like a boat but still seems to sit where you want it and not surge around the window. The speed of the kite also makes everything feel far smoother and more powerful and lets you ride much faster unright.
The simplicity of the bar is really nice which is something I have found let down the other bow kites. I have been flying the 12 on the 51 but am sure it would be fine on a 43.
For me I don’t see the need for a kite bigger than a 12, I cant wait to get onto the 9 and I think even smaller would be nice around a 7?
Overall I’m far more stoked than I thought I would be, I’m able to ride again with my back and do things I was never able to which is making it far easy to progress. I still need to spend a bit more time to get it completely dialed…
White is sick!
I have now spent a reasonable amount of time on both the 12m and 9m assaults and now feel I have got them fairly well dialled. The 9m becomes fun at about 17-18 knots where it is perfect for powered riding although it is definitely possible to ride it in less than this but I have not had a need to yet. It is at about this speed that I find the 12m becomes too much of a handful to be focusing on unhooking as it generates far to solid a downwind pull, obviously you can ride in a lot more wind that this extremely comfortably but if you are unhooking you will start getting that “oh **** I’m going to die feeling.
Unhooking in general is slightly different to your average c kite and does take some adjusting to become comfortable doing it. As you are able to ride a lot more upright with speed you will be able to do everything faster and with more power but still comfortably because of the depower potential of the kite. As you build board speed and then unhook the kite will be at the edge of the window it will then drift slightly more downwind of you, this is when you should pop. You will have far more speed and therefore power and also be thrown almost completely downwind towards the kite rather than further across the wind, far more similar to the pull created by a boat. I have found that this more extreme downwind pull makes it easier to catch up to the kite and create slack in the lines making it easier to pass the bar while still maintaining a good feeling for what the kite is doing.
Obviously the 9m turns tighter and faster than the 12 but not so fast that it becomes twitchy and unpredictable. The 12, flies well on either the 43cm or 51cm bar I personally prefer to be on the 43. The 9 could comfortably be flown on a bar smaller than 43cm for those who like the feel of a smaller bar. I am very impressed with the feel and simplicity of the bar, there is nothing unnecessary to get in the way and several leash options, The stoper system has been faultless so far although I have not used it a huge amount as I have been riding a suicide type set up and have wanted the %100 depower most of the time.
As far as inverting and relaunching. I have never had to think much about it as the kites just about do everything for you, and I have been doping them allot, I’m yet to get into a situation where I have had to swim or even worry about getting the kite back up I would be doping them on average of 10-15 times a session.
I have inverted the 12m once when I was mucking around seeing if I could get it to do so with a less than hard leading edge. All I had to do then was sheet the kite out and it had reverted its self in about 10 seconds, not a big deal at all, something, which is easy enough to make happen on all the bow kites I have flown, and easy enough to amend.
I personally prefer to be riding the 9m as soon as there is enough wind to ride comfortably as I find the pull slightly mellower and precise compared to the 12 in the winds discussed but I have always preferred to be riding the smallest kite possible. For anyone under 75kg the 9 would be a great one kite quiver and the 12 for anyone over although it’s nice to have both… Up until now I have not been a huge fan of bow kites in general after flying them all bar the waroo, while some are very similar, others couldn’t be more different. Now that I have adjusted my riding to the assault it would be hard to convince me to change back.
SMURFO,
Thanks for a very informative review. How does it compare to the Sonic for unhooked riding (similarites/differences) . Have been trying a Sonic and I'm struggling to get it dialed for wakestyle tricks but that is probably just the whole change in technique required for popping with a bow kite.Do you find you are getting more or less pop than with a C kite. Do you think it has made your passes/unhooked tricks harder or easier or is it just heaps different. Was nearly ready to give up on bows for now but your review has made me think it might be worth persisting as I can see the advantage of the depower for riding with bindings/relaunch/less spankings etc.
Cheers
smurfo,
hav you tried these kites with surfboards?
your call was 18 knots or so for the 9 to get going, do you think that would be like 15 on a surfey?
Aaron…
I had found that the sonic felt too indirect and inconstant at the bar for dedicated unhooked riding; it seemed to make everything a little sloppy for me. I prefer to have a kite that is less technical so that I don’t have to focus on it so much for me the assault excelled in doing this.
With the assault I’m without a doubt getting more pop and also speed associated with it. The speed and downwind pull in my opinion forces you to ride more aggressively and makes things look more stylish, but I also know riders who don’t like this aspect of bow kites…I struggled with getting the same amount of pop on the sonic, but this may also just be me.
I cant really say that it has made anything harder or easier, it is just different, but I prefer to be riding fast as this momentum helps a lot but makes it had to do things half arsed. Passes are at times easier once you work it out and are able to pop towards the kite creating some slack in the lines.
I wouldn’t give up with it just yet it does take some time and has huge advantages. I will be down your way in the next few weeks and would be happy for you to take them for a spin....
Caution…
When I said 18 knots I mean fairly well powered no whip riding, in boots, you could take it a fair bit below this without having to work overly hard. I have been riding it on a Liquid Force 5” wake surfer and it’s a wicked combo for playing around with. I think the 9 on a surfboard would be awesome and you would be rocking in 15 easily unless you’re a bit of a tubster…!
well bout 88, 2 fat ladies to some, but not that heavy i dont think...
i just love using small kites.
if i could just use my 7m M-80 i wood be stoked, but need 18-20 to be goin.
curious to see if a 9m assault would replace my 7 & 12m M-80 combo.
or, if a 12 & keep the 7 is a better idea.
not really phased in under 15 knots, but wanna be able to still kite in early 30's wave riding...
ahh the call.
Thanks Murph,
Would be interested to talk to you about them and see how they fly. Also thought you might be the man to talk to about bindings. Any news yet on the Esacalades & when they might be coming in. Have you tried them? What are the pro's & cons of them compared to Unions as I want to get a pair of bindings a.s.a.p but am not sure which to go for.
Cheers
Aaron
ok tried the 9m assault last sat.
gotta say prob not the best to try a new kite when it is a dodgy launch followed by gusty wind and head to head and a half reef break but this thing took everything easy.
whilst many struggled with launching in a gusty area around a point this thing was no probs whatsoever.
after coming in and moving the back lines up (doh had no idea how to rig this) so they had some tension as opposed to loose as this thing was reasonably similar to riding a LEI, just that it takes the edge off if you want as u just sheet out.
one big difference i found is you have to ride them differently on waves. with M-80's and mose LEI you keep em low and pullem back and forward and follow em. the assault does not turn on itself and turn low in the window, you just keep it high, park it and go.
i am thinking these kites wood be the ducks nuts with a surfboard as once u get on a wave, just park it, sheet out and you can ride it with the same stance as a LEI with your front hand stratched out and back hand out for balance and use the surfboard and wave power to ride a wave like you wood surfing.
i def. need more time to play but i am prob confident in saying the 9 could be the one kite quiver for perth.
not sure why people are buying 12's cos you are mainly riding them very depowered.
the 9 gets up and boogies well early and if back on the twinnie i can see unhooking no worries up to early 20 knots. speaking of freestyle (which i dont do) i can see that for one trying new moves wood be sic as you can either sheet rite out if in trouble or to get balance back, or if unhooked then just let go and relaunch.
relaunch was piece of piss. my instructions were pretty vague. i was told not to roll it like a normal kite, just yank on one rear line. i dropped it in the surf, it tumbled a few times then settled, i yanked and up she came, that was sic.
whether i am convinced to go completely bow, no i am thinking of getting one to ride for that style of riding but still have a LEI to ride that fast flatout addrenalin pumping sessions you sometimes crave.
but definitely consider them if you are looking at the xbows and the others as these guys are up there and will take far less of your wallet to get out there. FAR FAR FAR less.
anyways my thorts.
oh and anyone waqnna buy a 12m M-80?
