just learning to ride in the surf , looking for the best kite for waves. Got enough things to worry about without the kite flopping face first into the surf.
Lotsa kites say they are good in waves but I 'm really chasing some kites designed for down the line surfing.
Suggestions???????
Ozone Catalyst
review here
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?mode=DoIt
North Rebel
review here
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?mode=DoIt
RRD Religion
review here
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/search.asp?mode=DoIt
Also look into Wainman and best kahoona. Generally a hybrid delta shaped kite will allow the drift and turning speed you need. Ben Wilson noise obviously designed around surfing. Dude they are all pretty good nowadays. I fly the kahoonas and I just cannot drop this kite out of sky. Tried everything. But bar pressure is great and top end twitchy. But if stability is what you are after this kite is simply amazing.
Ive given the noise a thrashing in the waves and it still is perfect.
But then you'd expect that coz they have made it for the waves.
The noise is not twitchy as it's made to be stable, although you'll probably find the Kahoona turns faster, but then the top end would be better on the Noise.
Light wind wave kite shouldnt need more than a 10m these days at 78kg. Bandit 4 is grunty... kahoona, rebel, and the list goes on.
The Wainman 9m smoke is the best wave kite known to mankind!! this kite will make you a wave legend!!!!
I happen to have a white one for sale, check it out on the seabreeze buy and sell section. The best place a second hand barely used kite in tip top condition. I'm not a shop.
Here's a few boxes I think need to be ticked for a wave kite:
Not twitchy and needs to be stable in all winds
Not twitchy
Not twitchy
Lots of bottom end grunt, rather than having a thoroughbred that you need to work a lot
A kite that drifts when you surf towards it downwind or when you have no idea where the kite is
Tuned for unhooking, ie for bar against chicken loop
Super easy relaunch and depower
Medium bar pressure
tough but not too heavy
Nothing on the bar to whack you in the head, when it goes pear shaped
Easy quick release and final quick release
I think an sle style does these. Most of the above kite do it.
Try the ATV-wave, designed specificly for the surf but can do alot more!
www.fluidkiteboarding.com/kites.php
The Rally is not twitchy, turns fast and has good bottom end, maybe not as much as some kites but there very stable and predictable.
i have been riding the 9m nomad for a few months now about 10 hours a week, awesome surf kite for turns and responsive with the bar although i found when riding the line the kite falls off to the side really easily. i have the 9m although ive decided im selling up and downsizing to a 7m
is kite size a big issue with wave riding? i am just over 70kgs
Depends how you ride , two different styles park and ride or fly the kite (fast moving and turning ) both are good for different reasons myself love RPM ,VEAGAS for the fast turning style, stable easy to use, dosnt pull you off the the board and easy to keep in the window even in cross on wind conditions .
Park and ride north fuse , rally,fone Revolt ,bolt, Evo,Switch blade good esecialy in cross shore
Then there is the kites that do some of both, Bandit and Rebel smaller ones fast easy turning bigger sizes park and ride
These are just some of the kites around but in the surf i like a kite i can get back down wind, of me quickly when things go wrong, so for me the fast moving and turning kite set up is better in the surf .Bandit Rebel 10 and down in size Rpm ,Veagas in any size
Hope this helps
George