Rider: Weight155 lbs,Level-lousy intermediate
Style: Surf,
Weather: 12-16 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: Just a guy happy w/ his kite
My Comments:

Have had it for about a month and been on it about 10 times...
Build quality is very good, not overly reinforced but scuff protection where needed and all the stitching looks top notch.. Bridals are thick and stiff, unlike some others that have the thin prone to stretching bridals...

I only ride surfboards... 12-14 kts I have found that adding a second knot about 2"
up on the backlines improves lightwind performance greatly...I think because it prevents me from sheetion out too much and losing power and speed...Riding in 12-14 kts I never have to sheet in more than 6". Kite is very stable and smooth on power delivery... Constant pull in turns... Not a super fast turner, but smooth sweeping turns...If you crank on it hard you can make it pivot on itself..

I've only crashed it once, at it popped right up as soon as I grabbed the bar...

Self launching on beach is a breeze, it rolls over easy and pops up...

Drifts great low in the window or running underneath it..

I've only had it out once in 16 kts and had to pull in some trim to tame it down...

I'm very happy with it and have a 7m coming next week...

I support my local shop when I can, but if I can buy a new kite for 600$ as opposed to 1200$ I would gladly take the risk....

Great kites, well built and perform as stated on website....

^^^ Let us know how the 7 goes i too support the local but havnt got much funds so i am real keen to try them out . My kite at the moment is an 2007 model and really needs upgrading . just waiting on other people to report in on what they are like . Dose it fly forward in the window .

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suface2air said...
Dose it fly forward in the window .

Yes the Methods fly forward in the window and go upwind really well

Just received 9m Method, looks the goods,not flown yet, factory says " tuned ready to go". Any comments on borntokite's personal tuning tech
Cheers

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kitenow said...

Just received 9m Method, looks the goods,not flown yet, factory says " tuned ready to go". Any comments on borntokite's personal tuning tech
Cheers

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borntokite said...


I only ride surfboards... 12-14 kts I have found that adding a second knot about 2"
up on the backlines improves lightwind performance greatly...I think because it prevents me from sheetion out too much and losing power and speed...Riding in 12-14 kts I never have to sheet in more than 6".

Ok I'm guessing, but by the sound of it borntokite, you don't normally kite with the bar pulled right down next to the CL hence the extra knot to get more power with the bar out a bit?
And again just guessing but i would imagine if bar was pulled all the way in the kite would probably be over sheeted and back stall.

I have a full quiver of Methods and they all flew fine exactly as they came.
I tend to fly them with the bar right down next to the CL most of the time so that they can be tuned (by pulling some depower) to the sweet spot ready to unhook.

The bar came with quite a lot of travel between fully sheeted in or out; this is adjustable i.e. you can move the cleat closer to you if you want, which is what I have done as I am just used to not having much throw available at the bar.
Beware though this also reduce the amount of depower available by just sheeting out.
Others may prefer to have more travel (cleat further away) particularly if new to kiting.

I've got the 12 as well as the 9, also have a 7 coming.

Agree on the construction, as with the 9m it's well made and there is nothing that appears cheap about the construction.

Have had the twelve about a month and had my first run on it last monday in what would have been about 15kts. I'm really impressed with the 12. Steering is direct and progressive, aggressive bar input will basically get it to pivot turn but being more gentle give a more fluid smooth powered turn (no surprise there really I guess) but when you do ask it to pivot turn the thing that impresses me is the speed and that it seems to make power more smoothly out of the turn than my previous kite.

no waves but I did a couple of runs where I turned towards the kite to give the lines some slack and see how it drifted a bit, which seemed pretty good, not like the 9 but it's a bigger heavier kite than the 9 so you'd expect to trade some of that I guess.

From what I've experienced of the kite I'm very happy with it, certainly happy enough to have no doubt about letting my old kite which still had plenty of life left in it go.

That's my 2c anyway.

What's the relaunch like in lighter breezes of the 12m method?

Got to test lightwind relaunch today.... Dumped the kite way out in a lull.. Just kept swimming away from it to keep tension in the lines and it gradually worked its way to the edge with very little input from me..Once it reaced the edge a tug on the upper line and up it went... I thaought I was in for a swim in... I had to kite loop and figure 8 to get back in....

I like these kites....

I have no affiliation with Switch and bought both used.....

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kitenow said...

Just received 9m Method, looks the goods,not flown yet, factory says " tuned ready to go". Any comments on borntokite's personal tuning tech
Cheers

Unless there is something specific in the way you like your kite tuned (such as you like the kite fully sheeted in a bit above your chicken loop) then should be fine as is, pretty much the same as any other brand of kites.

On relaunch, I haven't flown the 12m much but when I came in the wind would have been just a touch under 15 I guess and I thought I'd have a couple of goes to see what it was like and was pretty straight forward as you would expect certainly easier than the kite it replaced, probably not much help to you but that's what I know.

Thanks for reply's, yes 9m Method fly's fine straight from the bag.
At 85kg, 6'3" Kontact , 20-22kt wind, overhead surf. I agree with their website comments about these kites, so I won't rave on.
It does have a flutter at speed window edge to w/ edge, no performance disadvantage to me.
Built-in self rescue handles great idea & my skill level did go a notch higher in surf zone,in that short session .
Cheers

Got to fly both my 12 and 9 for one of the few times in good consistent wind yesterday. The more I fly both kites the more I like them, especially the 12m, plenty of power, direct fast turning (for a 12m), good bar pressure can feel where the kite is without the feeling too much pressure....just really good fun to fly.