Ahh very good to hear, hope it all comes back sweet and your back loving your kite again..
quote:
Originally posted by athorsness
How I learned:
I got T2 about 1 month ago.. Had never kiteboarded before in my life. I took one land lesson from the local shop in alameda (from Jeff at www.kitewindsurf.com in Alameda). Got the kite and took it out 3-5 times to learn to launch it safely and body drag.. a couple weeks later I got a board got up the first day for only about 65 seconds total. But the second and 3rd day I was able to go back and forth zigzagging down wind. And then the 4th day I was able to hold my position and land the kite back where I started..
One major issue with the T2 so far:
The seam on the main strut blew open (basically the material ripped out of the stitching, and no I didn’t over inflate (only inflated to 6lbs)) Believe it or not I have never really crashed the kite, and this seam blow happened in the air. I had to land it in the water and self rescue, then swim in. Great leaning experience….
I took it to my local shop and they are sending it to slingshot for me. I am now flying a Cab. Omega I got from the shop. (My local shop ROCKS!) The Omega is a super easy kite to fly…… Kind of like flying a marshmallow. But so comfortable that I can now catch about 3ft of air. I can't wait to get my T2 back and try the new moves out. I hope they fix it fast.
Moral of the story (and the good):
1) BUY LOCAL!
2) And yes, the T2 (11m for me) is a cool kite to learn on.
3) easy to launch and relaunch
4) easy to control, It kind of feels like I am flying a trainer sometimes (usually in low wind)
The bad I can see so far:
1) The pigtails that connect the lines to the kite are not that great. They are starting to fray. I will probably get new ones soon. (the kite is only 1 month old)
2) Seems like I could go up wind easier with the 12m Omega, but that is probably because I just started and don’t really know how to handle the T2 just right… yet..
3) Oh ya and there is the potential for the seams to blow. I am hopping that this was a one time thing, and that slingshot fixes it relatively painlessly. I just bought the thing so I am assuming there will be no issues.
4) I have noticed the valves on the Omega seem way more durable. Not sure why the T2 costs so much, but has some aspects that seem kind of cheep. (valves, and pigtails)
5) One of the connector tubes (strut to main) popped off and I lost the tube crimper. I think this happened because the guy launching me got caught on it. (he seemed a bit awkward with the launch). But I shoved the tub back on and have not had any problems since. And I had not gotten around to re zip tieing it.
Sorry Athorsness if your legit. You just sounded too experienced for a Newby.
Your first month of kiteboarding was way different from mine.
You went from "Never kiting before" to 3 ft jumps, never dropping the kite, going upwind and being able to give gear reviews on upwind abilities of different kites- all with only one lesson.
In my first month- only went out about twice because the wind was too strong or too light for learning. All I would have been able to compare was which kite gave me the best face plant or which relaunched the best as it was always hitting the water.
Sounds like you just got a kite from a dud batch. I'm sure they will fix things.
I haven't had any problems with Slingshots so far (on to my 3rd one).
Cheers
got a 2007 raven from some dude in San mateo.. I have a friend who is learning on this type of kite. After flying the T2 and the raven .. and being a beginner I realize that these high performance kites (such as the raven) are not as forgiving in the sky. although it has been over 3 weeks since I have flown my T2 (still out for repair... ) I think it is/was a way better kite to learn on than something crazy like the Raven.... Although I have gotten lucky a few times on the raven and caught super big air.... This sport is too much fun.. Im starting to notice I'm ditching out of work earlier and more often.....
Bottom line: T2 seems to be a good kite to learn on and still have some punch once you figure everything out.. If you get an Omega or something like that you might not have the performance that you might want once you learn ...
Did I miss it in this thread, but the real new news from Slingy is the Rev
the inital reports are very promising
Daz
The new news from slingy is the rev, the T2 is a dedicated bow kite, for those wanting that low end grunt and power with easy to feel bar control.
The rev is a hybrid bringing the best of the c kite and bow kite into one. Simple four line set up with mini bridal.. Is light on the bar and super fast to turn. Produing the power more like a c kite but since it turns quicker, makes it easy to produce more power through movement. It has the total depower of the bow giving it incredible wind range. Turns and boost like a c with the hang time of a bow. Plus simple 5th line like safety below the bar and super easy tangle free bow water relaunch.
The Rev doesn't replace the T2 it is a different category all together, It may however replace alot of guys c kites Hmmm There is a quote
i basically tore my T2 14m in half yesterday 
Ripped the leading edge, bladder and centre strut down the middle. I dropped it in front of a 2-3ft wave . Mustve been a real heavy sandbank though cause it yanked me really hard before it tore. I would have released let the kite go but there was a fisherman there and I thought the chances were higher that he would put a hole in it. I guess they aren't indestructible afterall.
Estorm… sorry to hear about your kite destruction… I finally got my 11m T2 back about 2 weeks ago… however in the mean time on my Raven I ended up getting big air (10 – probably 20 feet) and then to finish one day… ended up catchin a gust on the way in and smashed on the rocks…. beat myself up pretty bad (broke my nose and ended up in the hospital and with 7 stitches to put my nose back together. …)
……3 weeks later……
Finally got back under my T2 and totally love it compared to the Raven in that it water relaunches WAY EASIER. The 5 line Raven ended up getting tangled in the water really easily. Happened to me 2-3 times (light wind pocket drops). I also like the feel of the T2 bar better. I think I just like the simplicity of the 4 line compared to the 5 line Raven. And, pulling the trigger today on the T2 I was able to launch nice and high, and was able to land comfortably. Now that the season is coming to an end I am really tempted to get the 9m T2 for the storms that people tell me roll through here in the off season.
athorsness I had exactly the same thing happen as you the other day!!!! The centre strut just blew up at the seams. The kite was UNDER inflated as I was actually walking towards it with my pump to put more air in it when it happened. I havent heard whats happening yet, the 11m was only 1month old.
Very disappointed in slingshot at the moment. Thats two T2s that have torn apart on me in three weeks, both were new kites. Has this happened to anyone else?
The shop has sent photos to the slingy rep, however the word "should" repair it was used. should? ffs, this is obviously a design fault.
The thing is, now I will have a dodgy repaired kite. Should they be replacing it with a new kite or repairing this one?
I would say they should replace it.. I was very disappointed when they didn't just send me out a new kite, but I didn’t think I really had a case. Now that I hear you had exactly the same thing happen I am going to try and put a letter together to try and get something out of them… At the very least an explanation and maybe an apology..
