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Rider: Weight,Level (beginner,intermediate,advanced)
Style: Freeriding, Surf, Wake, Freestyle
Weather: ?-? knots
Build Quality: ?/10
Satisfaction: ?/10
Disclosure: (e.g. work at a shop/team rider etc)
My Comments:
Anyone know which kite has the better bottom end?
And light wind performance?
Any info would be great.
Cheers
how ****ing hard is it to edit the supposed template .
**** me it's as though people lack basic skills like being able to read
Kitepower, is this the 15m or 17m Edge you are referring to? How would 2012 C415m with a twin tip go for light wind?
---k! That made me laugh dusta.I did it quick mate
Love star trek!made my day.engage!!!!blaaaaaah!
Nicor, before buying an Edge, let's make sure you're getting max low end from your C4. Two main factors:
Tuning - I generally run my C4s with slightly shorter rear lines than the factory setting (1 or 2 inches, by adjusting the knots under the floats at the bar). This will give more grunt, and let you put the kite deeper in the window for park and ride low end. It's not easy to stall these kites so be sure you're getting as much sheeting angle as they can handle.
Technique - Make sure you are sining the kite smoothly, with a sensitive touch on the bar. Let the bar out ever so slightly as you get to the bottom of the stroke and give it a smooth turn rather than a yank as you turn into the upstroke. Ride your board flatter than usual, with a bit more weight on your front foot.
If you get the tuning and technique dialled and still want more bottom end, I'd go straight to the Ozone Zephyr, especially if you're on a twintip. It's cheaper than an Edge, and will run perfectly on the bar you use for your 13m C4.
Just got in from a session on my zephyr, this kite is such good fun around 13 to15 knts, sure it'll get you going from 8 knts, but it really comes alive in the teens , and will keep you on the water up to 20 knts, that's when you get the edge 11 out of the bag,
my 13 edge 2010 model has a wind range of 12-25 knots for this 82pie eating TT riding dude. the sweet zone is 16-20 knots.
its not as fast as a c4 or as dynamic. but its a power house. trucks upwind like a rocket and boosts and glides sweeeeeet. i like it for the 13-20 days.
if i want monster glide and train like power i reach for me 15m speed 3 that think glides insanely. but over 20 knots is silly.
hmmm. i don't think a 13m edge is what you need. it will be too close to 13m c4 or are you selling the c4?
I think the 15m edge would be what you want.yourd still be able to hold it to 20-22knots.
I have 15m speed 3, 8-20 knots
13m edge 12-23
10m c4 16-30,
I end up using the speed most of the time for light wind. when the wind pulls above 18 knots i'm on my 10m c4.
So.... i find the only time i want to use the 13m is when its a day that shifts from 13-23. if its under 18 then i use the monster.
Yo nicor plummet and dj are giving you some good advice, the 13 is too close and after you've spent your hard earned you may regret it, the edge is a much better upwind than the zephyr, I was out in 18knt last night on the zephyr , I know its a lightwind kite but with theses winds its a wicked fun kite, but was hard to keep ground in straight cross wind conditions where the edge would of been easier, if your happy to just cruise in the 10 to 15 s as you mention then maybe get a lightwind board, flydoor, flyingcarpet, shinn king George, but if you want that extra then the bigger kite would be the go, see if you can demo, good luck
Thanks, point taken. I will spend the coin on home renos.
I have no intention of selling my c4 13, its my bread and butter kite, I use it 70% of the time, and I do like it a lot. I just wished I had a bit more upwind ability sometimes, but as soon as there solid breeze there is no issues at all. Also I have big board, north phantom, which I hate using, but it comes out when I have no choice.
The one amazing aspect of the c4 is that it flies in like no wind at all, and super hard to stall, so if you combine it with a big floaty board it can be using in really light wind.
Well you can get a 15m c4. though i have never flown one.
based on that you are keeping the 13m c4 get the biggest bastard of a kite you can find. I was like you and thought i wouldn't use a massive kite very much. but i was wrong. they are session savers and make a boring session on your smaller kite a powered exciting session on your monster kite. imagine if you can go upwind in 8 knots... how much fun you can have in 12-15!.
Also all of a sudden wind condtions that you would normally flag are worthwhile. so they open up many more sessions that you otherwise wouldn't have had.
Forget the 15 m c4, I know someone who says there is not much between the 13 and 15.
Ok I might consider an edge 15 or zeph. I'll ask around, but I'm more inclined to go with the edge. Anybody know how it launches in light breeze??
You'll not really get a straight answer to that.
Someone could relaunch relatively easily in 10knots whereas another would struggle in 12-15...
As with any of the other high aspect race kites, relaunching the larger Edges in light winds requires more knowledge and technique than lower aspect kites or the so called "auto relaunch" deltas.. It's just the nature of the beast; for high performance there's always a trade off..
Ultimately it depends what you mean by “light breeze”. The lighter the wind, the larger the kite required. With a large high aspect kite, physics are against you.. You'll struggle, but it's not impossible. Knowledge and technique will serve you best.
