Hi. I'm after some advice from the Zephyr owners out there. What is the low end wind range needed for a 96kg rider to be able to go upwind? Kite is a V5 and Board is a TT 138x42 Shin Pinbot.
Cheers

Hi Dave, there are too many factors to consider to just a give a simple minimum wind speed needed to achieve upwind riding in light winds.

You need to consider:

-Your skill level in light winds (mostly flying skills, but also board skills)
-Variations in the wind speed (every light wind day is different)
-Air temp (wind density)
-Deep water with current vs shallow water with no current
-Line length
-board size, width, rocker,
-etc.

A cold/dense stable 12-14 knots breeze in shallow waters with little to no current would get your comfortably going upwind on a Zephyr at your weight with this board assuming you have great light wind skills.

However...in deep waters with current in a warm/hot seabreeze you will most likely struggle if the wind dips below 15 knots.

I personally believe there are gruntier, more powerful 17m Kites out there that are better suited for someone your weight. That being said a more powerful 17m kite might give you an extra 1-2 knots of low end.

My advice would also be to consider a BIG light wind board, or a directional board, but of course nothing can beat the hydrofoil in light winds.

Board choice and skills make more difference than the choice of kite & kite size in low winds.

Christian

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DaveDobbin said..
Hi. I'm after some advice from the Zephyr owners out there. What is the low end wind range needed for a 96kg rider to be able to go upwind? Kite is a V5 and Board is a TT 138x42 Shin Pinbot.
Cheers

your weight, your board, based on an intermediate skill level 14/15 knts, add a few knts or deduct a couple for higher or lower skill levels, add a bigger board and itll bring it down a couple of knts, ripper of a kite the zephyr, water conditions play the biggest part in marginal winds, flat water is fine, heading out over constant whitewash and swell is power sapping for the kite, i kite in such conditions and this is how ive viewed my guestimation

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DaveDobbin said..
Hi. I'm after some advice from the Zephyr owners out there. What is the low end wind range needed for a 96kg rider to be able to go upwind? Kite is a V5 and Board is a TT 138x42 Shin Pinbot.
Cheers

... experience level will make a difference but if you are at an average experience level then you are looking at a good 14 knots plus to make the Shin Pinbot work to your advantage, if you work it then fun as baby,,,,, but man if you get some wind, your in for some serious fun on that combo,,,,, proper fun if you hit some 20 knots,,,, and big boy love 23 knots Plus!!!!

Is this the Dave that keeps buying nice gear and making me feel bad......

I'm 110kg and find that 14kts is its limit if your ride the Adelaide metro like I do. It's got great top end but I think that detracts from the bottom end where I need it most for a lightwind kite.

Christian, what 17 would you suggest has a better bottom end, an XR4/5 do the job?

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Ashley27 said..
I'm 110kg and find that 14kts is its limit if your ride the Adelaide metro like I do. It's got great top end but I think that detracts from the bottom end where I need it most for a lightwind kite.

Christian, what 17 would you suggest has a better bottom end, an XR4/5 do the job?

Whats the biggest board you ride to get your 14 knots bottom end? I reckon you are doing well, but can maybe do better if you go something bigger under your feet?
Otherwise I reckon if you are really looking for bottom end then the 18M Ozone Chrono V2 (and a big board combo), but its a foil and you may need some help with launching and landing technique?

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Ozone Kites Aus said..

Ashley27 said..
I'm 110kg and find that 14kts is its limit if your ride the Adelaide metro like I do. It's got great top end but I think that detracts from the bottom end where I need it most for a lightwind kite.

Christian, what 17 would you suggest has a better bottom end, an XR4/5 do the job?

Whats the biggest board you ride to get your 14 knots bottom end? I reckon you are doing well, but can maybe do better if you go something bigger under your feet?
Otherwise I reckon if you are really looking for bottom end then the 18M Ozone Chrono V2 (and a big board combo), but its a foil and you may need some help with launching and landing technique?

Already got a King Gee under my feet when it's that light. Could do with more light wind days to work on technique but we get a really mixed bag of wind down here. A foil kite isn't suited to where I ride as its lumpy, deep water and I wouldn't like to try and swim back in the case I dropped it and couldn't relaunch. Any word on a new bar?, I've seen a pic of Paulino Pereira with what looks like a new bar.

Dave, I know of someone who's at a guess 85-90kg riding a V4 with a standard size TT in Adelaide metro who will stay upwind with 12kts, but that's lawnmowing if that's your thing.

Lumpy water won't make you drop a foil kite like the Chrono V2 which are super stable, but I do understand that you have those logs that bite up there.
Only other option is a 19M Edge V9 perhaps?

New bar is shipping now, all kites delivered since about a week ago come with the new bar (and new lines), same chicken loop though, for now.
New bars have adjusters under the floats again, and I think lines will eventually lose the adjustment knots at the ends of the steering lines but for now they are still there too.

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Andy88 said..
Is this the Dave that keeps buying nice gear and making me feel bad......

This is heWell spotted Andy??

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Ashley27 said..

Ozone Kites Aus said..

Ashley27 said..
I'm 110kg and find that 14kts is its limit if your ride the Adelaide metro like I do. It's got great top end but I think that detracts from the bottom end where I need it most for a lightwind kite.

Christian, what 17 would you suggest has a better bottom end, an XR4/5 do the job?

Whats the biggest board you ride to get your 14 knots bottom end? I reckon you are doing well, but can maybe do better if you go something bigger under your feet?
Otherwise I reckon if you are really looking for bottom end then the 18M Ozone Chrono V2 (and a big board combo), but its a foil and you may need some help with launching and landing technique?

Already got a King Gee under my feet when it's that light. Could do with more light wind days to work on technique but we get a really mixed bag of wind down here. A foil kite isn't suited to where I ride as its lumpy, deep water and I wouldn't like to try and swim back in the case I dropped it and couldn't relaunch. Any word on a new bar?, I've seen a pic of Paulino Pereira with what looks like a new bar.

Dave, I know of someone who's at a guess 85-90kg riding a V4 with a standard size TT in Adelaide metro who will stay upwind with 12kts, but that's lawnmowing if that's your thing.

Thanks Ashley. Think I met you couple of times last season? You kite at West Beach with Tom? I'm hoping this Zephyr will allow me to get out at West Beach before it chops up to much. Last year spent most of my time down at largs as I only had the 1 11m Switch Blade.
Thanks also to Christian and others for the feed back. Might look at also getting a bigger board but not for a while, as I want to stay married
Happy Days
Dave

Put a zephyr on a north Spike 154 carbon 14knots is no problem. . . . Even if u add some kegs to the 110kg. . . . . It comes down to execution being light on your feet and letting the kite breath not over working it

Just to add there might be better low end kites out there but you won't or will struggle to better the zephyrs range. . . . From 14 -25 no problems . . . . . As sometimes u do get caught out as the wind increases but just want to boost higher. . .