What's the lightest wind you have kite surfed in ? What size kite ? , What you weigh (kg) What type/size board ?
Wind: 12-13kts
Kite: Ozone Sport 15m
Board: 138 x 43 FLX
Weight: 78kgs
Experience: 1-2 yrs
Difficult to hold ground until 14-15kts. Someone with more experience would do better.
Are you interested in kiting sub 10kts?
Many threads already exist which mention that light wind kiting requires a refined technique and the right kite/board/weight combo.
If it is not going to hit at least 15kts I prefer to go mountain biking or surfing than mess around with kites falling out of sky and swimming back with the bull sharks.
Wind - 12 - 13 knots
Kite - Slingshot RPM 12m
Board - 6'1 , Surfboard
Weight - 75kg
Swell - Solid 5 to 6 foot.
Was all going well until i got stuck on the inside and my kite back stalled and i dropped it right in front of a set. My kite got smashed and i tore it in half...
Should have just had a surf.. Oh well that will learn me!!!
14knots,
131cm TT
10m slingshot rally
1 month experience at the time.
Anything less and the 10m barely gets in the air
However I only wiegh 60kg so its a bit easier
Tide direction can play a big part depending on your location. Where the tide runs through a series of sandbars in my area, I have kited 9-12 knts on a 10m Bandit Dos. I weigh 81kg's. If the tide plays no part, 11-13 knts on the bandit. I must add that i used to struggle in these winds on my 12m helix. The bandit has good grunt for its size and is quick so can be worked hard.
open ocean
9-11 knots
95 kg
133 Griffin TT
17m Griffin Argo
Had the kite slightly depowered cos it pulls like a tractor.
Although the lightest wind i've ever kited was on a flysurfer titan 21 in 6-7 knots on a 147 tt kite pulled like a train.
And then a 17 gk sonic in the river mouth in 6-7 just after a flood ,had prob 10 knots of river current so wind against tide was well powered able to pop air but dosent really count,wind against tide is a cheat.
Wind :10-11
Kite: 11meter
Weight :58kgs
Board : 138x40 tt
Could cut up wind but was difficult .No real wind in hervey bay most of the time .So you got to milk what ever ya get .
Wind : 38kn
Kite : 4 meter
Board : 138 x 40
the highest wind i have been in and had the best time bring that on any time Sweeet
Hey Stuntnaz,
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well here's three short LW clips which should speak an encyclopedia.
Yeah there's been a bit of speculation about the glassiness of that vid, including (with devil's advocate in brackets):
Water is near freezing, so less ruffled by wind (but the board goes through it just fine),
Wind is stronger higher up (but at one point he flys the kite with a wingtip nearly touching the water),
There's some weed/algae in the water that makes it more viscous,
He's kiting on a massive diesel spill,
He's a skilled kiter with the ultimate light-wind setup and it may really be only 6 knots,
Any other theories?
7-8
17m Zephyr
Sector
100kg
Dont drop the kite...you will never get it up if you get it wet at this wind speed.
^^^ Good point supafly, most "light wind" kites will let you ride in conditions that they simply won't relaunch in (especially once they get some water on them).
As always, don't ride anywhere you are not prepared to swim back in from...
10-12knots, dropped to about 7-8
17m Zephyr
Caught a tip and kite went down. Half hour effort to try to relaunch- no chance. Drifted 1/2km down beach. Stomped in o'head shories when i came in to beach.
I've only had one session since with the Zephyr and that was about 6-8knots- spent it on the beach working out how to relaunch- the whole jack it up holding both end lines, then invert and crank it. haven't tried it in surf yet
in less than 7knts inflatables are not kiteable anymore, they weigh too much.
That's when the foils with the ultra light cloths start to shine.
Changing directions is the challenge in these marginal winds.
11m 08 Bandit, 10-12kn Mini Mal in the waves, tacking upwind. Anything bigger than a 11m for a surf is almost pointless.
... recently we did a quick shootout of light wind kites while on holidays in Bali! We tested back to back a Zepher 17m, Core XR LW 17m and Dyno 18m with another guy on a Speed3 19m but we didn't try this one, he was kiting around us in the same wind.
All the kites held ground and went up wind in the flat water but the report from the riders was the Dyno had the most park power and went upwind better than the others. The only thing is the Dyno didn't turn as quick as the Core or Zepher even though the turning force was about the same.
With a little practice, I used the Dyno in 1/2 to 1m waves and once I got the timing the Dyno was heaps of fun.
The guy on the Speed3 didn't do any better but he didn't do any worse either, but from my vantage point, it was alot slower than all the other kites.
Cheers for now,
Robbie
^^^^^ we also had the new 17M turbine from slingy, (Thanks Bern!) which was quite impressive, kinda "core-ish" but pleasant to fly for a big kite, nice bar, not too much pressure. Not as quick to turn as the zephyr. was pretty good in the waves, (yes yes, i know... nothing over 11M for waves) - for a big kite. cheers T
I have been trying 16m cab swb, 6,3 surfboard with straps or 135,42 rival 70kg's 7 to 10knt's . Thank You everybody for your input and video's !!!!
I miss the light wind show down!!
2 questions for you that I forgot to ask when we met before you left.
Did you use the ZEPH 2011 or your 2010?
Was the Dyno with the 31m lines like I read is delivered with?
That could explain the more low end power but less turning speed...
Bye Jankie
G'day again,
we used the Dyno on standard lines, 25m, as yet I haven't tried longer lines yet.
With out a doubt, the Dyno has the best static power and for such a powerful kite, it is very easy to get upwind, no downwind truck pulling like the old school 20m of yester-year kites.
The missus who doesn't like big kites actually liked the Dyno since it is easy to steer, just slow, where as, she tried the Core XR 17m and disliked it. The Core has slightly harder steering and doesn't like to have the bar pulled in when in under powered condition but is quicker. The Cores static park power is not as smooth as the Dyno but it loops nicely and is my preferred big kite when in freeride mode.
Like all kites, when the wind picks up they come alive but out of all the kites, the Dyno stays mostly the same, where as the Core really comes alive the windier it gets, which I really like, the Core in 20 knots is a beast, if you don't like edging, then don't get the Core.
anyway,
cheers for now,
Robbie