hey guys so it was my 2nd sesh today on my nomad 11m, anyway even though the wind wasnt that strong i was struggling to relaunch the kite.
i was trying to relaunch it the same as i do with my switchblades just pull outside line untill the kite heads to the edge of the window and goes up..i was struggling because the nomad wouldnt flip on its side and launch up.. any help would be appreiciated =D
The main factor is to have your board on your feet if possible to assist in giving the kite as much resistance as possible. Also letting the bar out will change the way the kite relaunches.
Hope this helps. (Done with 2010 Fuel - 4 line C kite)
okay thanks for that but i was standing in knee deep water lol =D walking backwards aswell to assist in it.. then i tried walking towards the kite, tried pritty much everything
i got it back up when a strong gust came through, but i was thinkin id be ****ed if i was out in the channel with this kite down and being dragged downwind with no force going the other way =(
probably just not enough wind, been pretty light today, i was desperate to get out too with a 12m ids switchblade but just not enough wind, wait till tuesday and it'll pop up like nobody's business.
yep, I have had 5 sessions on mine now and I recon these are the hardest cabs to relaunch. I guess because they are less bow and more hybrid.
In strong wind no worries, when its light you have to be very gentle and keep sheeting in and out whie pulling one side to help work it up.
Also if you are walking it is really easy if you walk towards it a bit and let it half flip on its back (like the old C way). It then can swivel into the correct positon to launch easily.
I would not like to be stuck out the back in light wind with this kite down.
I underpowered conditions you've gotta do it the old C kite way - I've got into the habit of always doin it this way because it's way faster once you get the hang of it...
Flip it right onto its back and pull one line HARD
I have the 11 and 9 and have had no trouble at all, you just need to be more patient in marginal winds, pull an outside line, sheet out and eventually it will launch. It does take longer than the Switchys and the bottom end on the 11 is probably not as good as the Switchy 10.
Yep thats it... Swim until the canopy is laying on the water and stop immediately.
Then start pullin on an outside line and swimming to the side of the window...
Can anyone provide feedback on the handling of the kite on the two different bridle settings (Wave = "Light" and Freestyle = "Lighter" )?
If possible, note the kite size, wind strength and how much depower strap you had pulled on?
thanks.
I flew an 11m on the beach yesterday in about 10 knots with strap on full power, and it definitely felt more responsive and lively on the Wave/Light setting.
Andy
I have found the Slingshot RPM (12m) has the same relaunch problem. Really hard to relaunch unless very powered up. You have to flip it onto its back like a 4 line old school C kite, sheet out (and even depower a bit) pumping the lines in and out or swimming towards it. Once on its back putting on a steering line to get it to edge of w.window (then hope like hell that there is enough wind to pick it up before any sort of wave goes anywhere near it).
Otherwise you swim in with a twisted mess and hope someone finds your board :)
It gets forgiven really quickly for that when you fly it though. Love it in the air.
Thanks Dave, Rhys for the feedback.
I spent about 3 hours on the 11m yesterday at Magnetic Island on the Naish 5'5" fish, in sub-20knot conditions that I would normally ride with my SB3 12m. Used the "Light / Wave" settings and middle knot on the rear line pigtails, hardly any depower pulled on.
First hour marginal 13-15knots with 10 knot lulls.
Second hour 17-20knots and pretty steady.
Last hour 14-17knots.
First impression - this kite won't replace the SB 12m. The bottom end is pretty poor for an 11m. In the first hour I was working the kite right up til about 15-16knots, even on the surfboard. Other guys on 12m SB3's, 12m Nemi HP's and 12m Rebels and surfboards were getting upwind way faster. Normally I'd also be "park and ride and rip upwind" on the 12m in that sort of wind. Anyway, that's not really a criticism, as Cab have said all along the kite is less powerful than the SB's and not made for low end grunt. Others have noted the low end is probably not as good as the SB 10m, and I'd agree there.
However, once the wind kicked in to closer to 20 knots and I could park and ride, the kite really started to shine. Very smooth in the air, the bar feels great, and the depower throw is pretty short. Still had to be a bit careful not to kill the kite power with the edge - it definitely likes to fly fast. Turning is excellent - on par with a 9m crossbow IDS maybe? You can really throw it around the sky, and it suits ripping waves with the strapped surfboard a lot better than the sb3 12m. Not sure what the top end will be, but I had no depower pulled on at 20 knots.....I can imagine it will go well into the high 20's and probably handle better and better the more wind it gets. Gust control should be great with the combination of edge and bar throw.
Stability was good, no overfly tendencies. I did put it in the water once, in about 15 knots, and it didn't even look like relaunching by pulling a steering line. Swam hard at it for a few meters to get it on its back, and then it came up OK, but then had a long-ish body drag to get board back. If you were in bigger surf, I'm not sure you would want to be frikking around like that. But that was evidently in light winds, I gather it may be quicker in 20 knots plus. Time will tell.
The kite fits well into my quiver of 12m and 8m SB3's, but it certainly won't replace the 12m until the wind is above 16 knots or so for the surfboard, and maybe 20knots for the TT.
Still keen to try a 2010 kite that will give the power of the sb 12m, but faster turning.
??
Andy
Agree with everything your saying andy- Bottom end is way less then my revolvers, but in stronger wind the Nomad is Sooooo sweet. I am keeping my 12 revolver for those light cross off days but replacing my 9 and my 7 with Nomad.
I am using the Stock Lighter setting and I am very happy with that so have not bothered swapping yet.
I initially found the Nomad much harder to drift then the revolvers. Revolver you just sheet in and it reverses downwind as you ride. It took me a few cross/on sessions on the Nomad to work out just the right spot to get good drift - now that I know its unreal. Very happy.
Good point with the "down-the-line" drift. It made me think about the difference between:
- what I would like a new kite to do, and;
- what the designer has actually made the kite to do.
Its important to put the first aside so you can fully explore the second. At the most basic level, a kite has to have its designed wind speed in order to work properly. The Nomad needs some wind to get it singing, for sure.
"...Still keen to try a 2010 kite that will give the power of the sb 12m, but faster turning..."
Have you tried the 13mtr Nomad yet ?
