Switch Nitro riders

Yep the 3's & 4's were/are great, can't wait to try the 5.
The new spider bridle set up sounds interesting, stay tuned.

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Chris_M said..
I have the 12m which I love *mostly*, except for a few small things.

What are the small things you don't like?

I've got a Nitro 4 9m and love it, I find it floats more than any other 9m I've ever had.
Its a good Boosting kite with very smooth power delivery, Some other kite brands tend to yank a bit in the smaller sizes.
Overall I'm very happy with the Nitros, The bar is still crap though.

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SibboV1 said..

Chris_M said..
I have the 12m which I love *mostly*, except for a few small things.

What are the small things you don't like?

I like to throw big spray on carve transitions, but I feel like this kite doesn't generate that much power through the turn - that is compared to my C4 or Vegas. It's like there is a lag. I'll probably be able to suss it as I sort out the intricacies of this kite.

Im also a little unhappy about how the struts sit when the thing is inflated. There is a kink in each strut about 20cm from the leading edge of the kite. Not something that will affect the performance, but could end up being an area that weakens faster than the rest of the kite.

Also, it seems a little less stable in the air at either low winds, or when you are walking it back to the landing spot (compared to a C). It has terrible drift.


In saying that, the Nitro 4 is an absolute machine, and I am having so much fun on it. It really boosts like a demon, and provides a far softer landing than other kites I have owned. I quite like it for looping, and have managed a few meaty ones when I have managed to get the timing just perfect. It also goes really fast, and has a grunty bottom end.

I guess you have to expect trade offs though right? The increased boost is awesome (and really surprised me), but the lack of power through turns and drift is a bit of a bummer.

So Snalberski and Thecopterdr - do the small size Nitros have the same drawbacks as I have described? I bet they would be a hell of a lot of fun in 25 knots!

@flyingcab - if you can't tell, I have no affiliation with Switch. Their gear is pretty good for what you pay. I have ridden plenty of other kites from big name brands that I was less happy with than my Nitro. Maybe next time Ill try the Legacy C kite though, because I like the power delivery in a C

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Chris_M said.

@flyingcab - if you can't tell, I have no affiliation with Switch. Their gear is pretty good for what you pay. I have ridden plenty of other kites from big name brands that I was less happy with than my Nitro. Maybe next time Ill try the Legacy C kite though, because I like the power delivery in a C

Don't worry about Cabby. He just wants to make people think he's important by pointing to controversy by any means possible.

I haven't experienced the lack of power thing in the turns (I came from Bandits) but I do notice the lack of drift which is not a problem.
The Nitro isn't really designed to drift, that is what they released the Element to do.
I did put a knot about 35mm further up each pigtail on both the 12 and 9m to tighten up the bit of slack in the rear lines which made a huge difference to how the kite responded. When its really strong wind I connect to the lower (factory) knot.
The 9m performs exactly like the 12 except it turns a bit quicker, This is what I love about the 9.

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Thecopterdr said..
More innovation from Switch.
So good to see these guys doing it well and developing an honest following.
Now just fix that bar......

What don't you like about the bar? I have the new controller 3 and think its pretty good. Id be keen to hear your gripes.

'What don't you like about the bar? I have the new controller 3 and think its pretty good. Id be keen to hear your gripes'.

The Bar is too thin and is very slippery, The depower Ball/handle thing is a joke especially when on the larger kites, You can't pull the thing when there is not much to hold. I 3D printed a handle design from another manufacturer and it works a treat.
I had great hopes for the controller 3 but was disappointed at the lack of changes.
I had the controller 2 and got rid of it after 2 sessions, replacing it with an Fone bar.
In my view it is the only thing that lets an otherwise great product down.

Given that the purchase price is so good, I was happy to mod things to suit for an extra $160.

Yeah agree that the depower ball can be a bit tricky to grab, and those little finger notches actually make it harder than if it was just a plain ball. I moved the cleat down closer to the bar and it helped a little bit but I agree with you there.

I reckon the bar grip is ok, but this is compared to my other bars which are about 4 years old, and have both absorbed lots of sunblock into the sponge and are slippery as hell! Will see how its holding up by the end of summer :)

I'd be pretty keen to see how the Nitro goes with that spider bridle, I still don't think I like the responsiveness of the kite as much as I was hoping I would.

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Kamikuza said...
Balls on the 2012 and earlier Cab bars are smaller... Just sayin'...

I don't even pull the balls on my 2011 cab bars, I pull the lines directly...

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Alysum said..

Kamikuza said...
Balls on the 2012 and earlier Cab bars are smaller... Just sayin'...

I don't even pull the balls on my 2011 cab bars, I pull the lines directly...

I upgraded my most used bar to the later version with thelittle handles... much nicer!

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toppleover said..
Hey, has anyone replaced the Switch swivel ? - doesn't need to be a swivel, just want something to let that safety line pass through easily.

Or any idea,s on what could work. ??

Wainman swivel is the best. Ceramic bearing spins most freely...

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toppleover said..

Kamikuza said..

toppleover said..
Hey, has anyone replaced the Switch swivel ? - doesn't need to be a swivel, just want something to let that safety line pass through easily.

Or any idea,s on what could work. ??

Wainman swivel is the best. Ceramic bearing spins most freely...

Thanks Kami, yes I've read the Waiman would do the trick, any ideas no loosing the top swivel altogether. ?

That Ozone thing. Allows you to keep ththe single front safety, but it looks agricultural. Otherwise, a stopper ball set up...

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toppleover said..

Kamikuza said..

toppleover said..
Hey, has anyone replaced the Switch swivel ? - doesn't need to be a swivel, just want something to let that safety line pass through easily.

Or any idea,s on what could work. ??

Wainman swivel is the best. Ceramic bearing spins most freely...

Thanks Kami, yes I've read the Waiman would do the trick, any ideas no loosing the top swivel altogether. ?

I use BWS "bit" on most of the bars I've modded, simple and effective.