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Forums > Kitesurfing Gear Reviews

2012 17m Blade FAT LADY?

Reply
Created by Spitfire > 9 months ago, 27 Jun 2012
Spitfire
WA, 397 posts
27 Jun 2012 5:48PM
Thumbs Up

Rider: Weight 75-80 kgs. Intermediate
Style: Freeriding, Surf,Freestyle
Weather: 12-23 knots

Not a shop. Not a sponsored pro. Just a regular kiter.

Im about to order a Blade 17m Fat Lady,But before i do just wanted to know if has Anyone ridden one of these and or able to compare to the competitors. Want to be able to kite on the days where its not quite strong enough to go out on my 12. If I'm going to drive to the beach I might aswell give it a go! Ive been told that Blade doesn't do as much research into the kites as other bigger brands. But also have read how good they are. Was going to just fly the kite with the bar and lines off my 2011 slingshot 23m lines. I can only find good reports on the kite online. Got to be a good start.

Mikedobee
NSW, 331 posts
27 Jun 2012 10:00PM
Thumbs Up

I never rode one, but if I were you I would definitely buy a 17 M Griffin Argo 2012. Far the best light wind kite ever. It's super fast, the easiest relaunch (just let go of the bar), pretty good materials used, very affordable for its size, incredibly versatile, very safe (for its size), huge wind range......Seriously, I can't say anything bad about this kite. Ok, maybe I can, it gets stolen if you leave it unattended in a f ed up country....

Mikedobee
NSW, 331 posts
27 Jun 2012 11:42PM
Thumbs Up

I have no idea how can you find out who gave you negative feedback, but I would really like to know why would you give me bad feedback. It's my honest opinion.

I AM NOT MARKETING ANYONE AND I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH PROMOTING ANYTHING!!

SO PLEASE, COME BACK WITH SOME COUNTERARGUMENTS INSTEAD OF CLICKING A BUTTON. But of course, you don't have any, that's why you try to discourage people with a thumb down. People are smarter than that. When they see someone posting good reviews about a kite, and a dumb ass with multiple accounts giving thumbs down to that post with no arguments, it's clear enough: They don't have what to say.

Samokta, make an informed decision and if you want a demo, I am pretty sure you can get 1 in WA. You will be pleasantly surprised on how great this kite is.

mywisdom
WA, 258 posts
27 Jun 2012 10:01PM
Thumbs Up

chill out mike, im guessing they probably took offence to you suggesting Australia is a f**k up country.. you should also recommend samokta "test" the griffin not just straight out buy it, that would be dumb.

the thumb system is just a funny little game some people like to play it has very little weighting on what is actually written in these forums :) but now you can see why facebook hasnt employed the "dislike" command.. it only brings on frustration!!

Mikedobee
NSW, 331 posts
28 Jun 2012 9:44AM
Thumbs Up

Dude, I would NEVER NEVER SAY ABOUT AUSTRALIA IT'S A****ED UP COUNTRY.....NEVER!!! If you would have read some of my posts you'd realize I just came back from holiday. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

And that's why I haven't said what country, because I don't want to offend anyone.

As for the Griffin, I just said, get a demo.

djdojo
VIC, 1610 posts
28 Jun 2012 10:31AM
Thumbs Up

Mikedobee said...

I never rode one, but if I were you I would definitely buy a 17 M Griffin Argo 2012. Far the best light wind kite ever. It's super fast, the easiest relaunch (just let go of the bar), pretty good materials used, very affordable for its size, incredibly versatile, very safe (for its size), huge wind range......Seriously, I can't say anything bad about this kite. Ok, maybe I can, it gets stolen if you leave it unattended in a f ed up country....



About the red thumbs, as you've asked ...

By your own admission you're a rookie. There's nothing wrong with that but when you combine it with the fact that you give no indication of what other light wind kites you've ridden with which to compare, it seems you're making a huge claim based on close to zero experience.

"Far the best light wind kite ever." This is not even a sentence - so possibly some grammar thumbers - but we can guess what you mean, and with such a claim it is you sir, not your red thumbers, who have the explaining to do.

pilotpete
WA, 147 posts
28 Jun 2012 9:52AM
Thumbs Up

samokta if you want to give the the 17m Argo a try before you make up your mind your welcome to, I'm based at Quinns Rocks

pintofpale
SA, 229 posts
28 Jun 2012 1:23PM
Thumbs Up

Ha!, very witty, but since were on the subject of grammar, I was always told off for more than one full stop..... I've had to make a concerted effort.... to stop myself....

djdojo said.....

"About the red thumbs, as you've asked ..."

I'm not sure also about the use of "as" in this particular context...... No doubt it is grammatically correct, though "because" or "since" may have been a more eloquent choice........ discuss?....

gmattoughies.blogspot.com/2009/07/because-vs-as-vs-since.html

Mikedobee
NSW, 331 posts
28 Jun 2012 2:00PM
Thumbs Up

Oh right.......Now I got it. It's about my grammar. That makes sense. Thanks for the enlightenment! Promise to work on that.

As for the big kites out there, I never said I haven't tried other big kites, I just said I've never tried the one samokta suggested. If you need to know the big kites I've tried before the Griffin Argo and found them terribly slow, here it is: Slingshot Rally 14 and Slingshot Octane 15. Cabrinha Crossbow 16. BWS kite (I am not sure of the size, but again really slow with huge huge grunt).


djdojo said...

Mikedobee said...

I never rode one, but if I were you I would definitely buy a 17 M Griffin Argo 2012. Far the best light wind kite ever. It's super fast, the easiest relaunch (just let go of the bar), pretty good materials used, very affordable for its size, incredibly versatile, very safe (for its size), huge wind range......Seriously, I can't say anything bad about this kite. Ok, maybe I can, it gets stolen if you leave it unattended in a f ed up country....



About the red thumbs, as you've asked ...

By your own admission you're a rookie. There's nothing wrong with that but when you combine it with the fact that you give no indication of what other light wind kites you've ridden with which to compare, it seems you're making a huge claim based on close to zero experience.

"Far the best light wind kite ever." This is not even a sentence - so possibly some grammar thumbers - but we can guess what you mean, and with such a claim it is you sir, not your red thumbers, who have the explaining to do.


djdojo
VIC, 1610 posts
28 Jun 2012 3:01PM
Thumbs Up

Roll with the the punches bud. That way they seem more like caresses.

After a while red thumbs will mean that you've put your finger on some real controversy, or that you're writing at the cutting edge of forum repartee. It's not the colour of the thumbs that counts, but the meaning you attribute to them.

As Oscar Wilde put it, "The only thing worse than being red-thumbed is not being thumbed at all."

Or, from a self-development perspective, "How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" Tyler Durden

Still, if you'd ridden say the Ozone Zephyr, the North Dyno, The Core XRLW or some other 17m+ kites, you'd have more credibility.

And pintofpale, this "..." is not three full-stops; it's an ellipsis. Enjoy!

pintofpale
SA, 229 posts
28 Jun 2012 3:49PM
Thumbs Up

Cool... an elipsis... now I have a come back next time I get told off... Dots away!...............................................................


djdojo said...

Roll with the the punches bud. That way they seem more like caresses.

After a while red thumbs will mean that you've put your finger on some real controversy, or that you're writing at the cutting edge of forum repartee. It's not the colour of the thumbs that counts, but the meaning you attribute to them.

As Oscar Wilde put it, "The only thing worse than being red-thumbed is not being thumbed at all."

Or, from a self-development perspective, "How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" Tyler Durden

Still, if you'd ridden say the Ozone Zephyr, the North Dyno, The Core XRLW or some other 17m+ kites, you'd have more credibility.

And pintofpale, this "..." is not three full-stops; it's an ellipsis. Enjoy!


Wisha
SA, 255 posts
28 Jun 2012 4:50PM
Thumbs Up

Saw a big fat lady at my local garden shop....and the place was full of "green thumbs".

Ambiguous2u
1 posts
28 Jun 2012 10:31PM
Thumbs Up

For DJDojo.....You are a definitely a "grammar's lover"

Hobie1463
SA, 449 posts
29 Jun 2012 12:04PM
Thumbs Up

There are dealers with demos in WA.

West OZ kiteboarding.

The only kite like the Fat lady is the Epic Kite. ( Same designer)

I have a Fat Lady, I'm not going to say anymore as I am the dealer and anything I say will be Red thumbed.

Puetz
NT, 2183 posts
29 Jun 2012 1:00PM
Thumbs Up

samokta said...

Rider: Weight 75-80 kgs. Intermediate
Style: Freeriding, Surf,Freestyle
Weather: 12-23 knots

Not a shop. Not a sponsored pro. Just a regular kiter.

Im about to order a Blade 17m Fat Lady,But before i do just wanted to know if has Anyone ridden one of these and or able to compare to the competitors. Want to be able to kite on the days where its not quite strong enough to go out on my 12. If I'm going to drive to the beach I might aswell give it a go! Ive been told that Blade doesn't do as much research into the kites as other bigger brands. But also have read how good they are. Was going to just fly the kite with the bar and lines off my 2011 slingshot 23m lines. I can only find good reports on the kite online. Got to be a good start.



G'day samokta,

for your info if your interested, I've tried the Fatlady 17m and can compare it to a 18m Dyno (which I own).

For shear power and upwind the Dyno was a clear winner but when it came to fun and looping, the Fatlady wins. I tested a mates Fatlady and could do a swap back and forward to get a good comparison. The test day was a really light day with only Sectors able to go with the TT's going downwind. With the Dyno, I could make it upwind with steady power but in the same wind I struggled and could just hold ground using the Fatlady.

After a while of trying to just go up and down I started to jump and loop the kite and discovered this is where the Fatlady shines. I couldn't get the hang or glide or even the height of the Dyno but man the Fatlady was really fun. I imagine this kite would be fantastic in lightwind waves. With the light bar and speed you can really wind it up to speed but for parking it and relaxing, it couldn't compare to the Dyno. In such light wind, the Dyno is fairly slow but you can just rest on the bar, pull in and go.

Don't get me wrong, the Dyno is heaps of fun and ironically is light on the bar too, but the Fatlady is an easy fun kite. No idea on how it handles stronger winds but as the wind picks up, the Dyno's steering basically stays the same if not a little lighter and can really come alive.

At the end of the day, it will depend on what your after but for a nice kite with alot of fun, the Fatlady is a great choice, but if you want shear power and upwind ability with long hang/glide then the Dyno is a good choice.

cheers,

Robbie

nick_oss
6 posts
29 Jun 2012 4:16PM
Thumbs Up

Hi totally agree with Robbie (It was my kite he was testing). High aspect kites like the Dyno will always provide the most raw grunt and lift etc. I weigh 112KG and have found the Fat Lady awesome as a fun grunty kite. Will be superb in Waves in light wind as it really does turn incredibly fast for a big kite (faster than a lot of 13's or 14's that I have ridden). The other thing that is awesome is the relaunch. Bounces off the water faster than my 12m Ozone Catalyst.

To summarise it feels like a slightly larger 12m catalyst. Have also ridden it in extremely gusty winds (10 to 25 ) knots and it is incredibly stable and solid with good depower.

Cant wait to hit Indo with it for light wind waves!

Spitfire
WA, 397 posts
1 Jul 2012 5:01PM
Thumbs Up

I'll will have to let you all know once the wind dies off a little here and I get a chance to take the big fat lady out for a spin and see how it goes. Ive bitten the bullet and its on its way :)

Spitfire
WA, 397 posts
31 Jul 2012 1:23PM
Thumbs Up

Took it out the other day. By the time I got to the beach the wind had died off. Was about 5/6 knots.Thought it would take me ages to pump up...not the case because the LE is quite slim it didn't take to long at all.Launched and flew fine. Couldn't go upwind though. A few more knots it would of been OK. turned quick enough. Not as quick as a 12 like they say but not to much slower. Forecast 10/13 knot winds this weekend so I might be able to give it another go....

Chris_M
2129 posts
31 Jul 2012 4:48PM
Thumbs Up

Anyone want a fat lady for free?


All you gotta do is find a hot chick, marry her, and voila!

3 years down the track you will have a fat lady to ride as hard and often as you want


Only problem is the government makes it quite hard to trade them back in once you decide you don't like that particular model

eppo
WA, 9572 posts
31 Jul 2012 8:33PM
Thumbs Up

Chris_M said...

Anyone want a fat lady for free?


All you gotta do is find a hot chick, marry her, and voila!

3 years down the track you will have a fat lady to ride as hard and often as you want


Only problem is the government makes it quite hard to trade them back in once you decide you don't like that particular model






Your a shocker dude. But true. Lol.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
31 Jul 2012 10:26PM
Thumbs Up

eppo said...

Chris_M said...

Anyone want a fat lady for free?


All you gotta do is find a hot chick, marry her, and voila!

3 years down the track you will have a fat lady to ride as hard and often as you want


Only problem is the government makes it quite hard to trade them back in once you decide you don't like that particular model






Your a shocker dude. But true. Lol.


Buy the non bridal model

pintofpale
SA, 229 posts
1 Aug 2012 10:25AM
Thumbs Up

Do You only get pulleys with a bridal?

cauncy said...

eppo said...

Chris_M said...

Anyone want a fat lady for free?


All you gotta do is find a hot chick, marry her, and voila!

3 years down the track you will have a fat lady to ride as hard and often as you want


Only problem is the government makes it quite hard to trade them back in once you decide you don't like that particular model






Your a shocker dude. But true. Lol.


Buy the non bridal model


eppo
WA, 9572 posts
1 Aug 2012 9:34AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
pintofpale said...

Do You only get pulleys with a bridal?





You obviously are not married...or don't have children.

Bazinga
QLD, 63 posts
1 Aug 2012 11:00PM
Thumbs Up

I am confused about this technical kite talk............how do you ride a fat lady without a bridal? I assume you still have buy some other gear to use.........a harness, perhaps a leash.......

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
1 Aug 2012 9:52PM
Thumbs Up

Bazinga said...

I am confused about this technical kite talk............how do you ride a fat lady without a bridal? I assume you still have buy some other gear to use.........a harness, perhaps a leash.......


if i had a fat lady id want a quick release

ROSS1BRO
62 posts
1 Aug 2012 10:19PM
Thumbs Up

BEST EVER

pintofpale
SA, 229 posts
2 Aug 2012 10:06AM
Thumbs Up

I like people watching so I'd like a Fat Lady to sit back in the window

cauncy said...

Bazinga said...

I am confused about this technical kite talk............how do you ride a fat lady without a bridal? I assume you still have buy some other gear to use.........a harness, perhaps a leash.......


if i had a fat lady id want a quick release


eppo
WA, 9572 posts
2 Aug 2012 9:08AM
Thumbs Up

I'd be wearing my boardies over my wetsuit to if i was you.

ROSS1BRO
62 posts
2 Aug 2012 9:13AM
Thumbs Up

If I had one, I'd like one that flew through the window fast

Spitfire
WA, 397 posts
7 Aug 2012 8:40PM
Thumbs Up

My fat lady won't even fit through the window.



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"2012 17m Blade FAT LADY?" started by Spitfire