ben - 10-2-2011 at 09:08 AM
Hi folks! Has anyone hands on experience with the Airush Outback 8m? I am wondering if it would be suitable for some decent land/snow kiting in the 10
- 25 mph range. I searched the web but could not find much information/reviews on this kite. Does anyone know more about it?
Thanks!
erratic winds - 10-2-2011 at 10:23 AM
Guessin you found the site where it's on sale new, complete for under $600, eh?Airush is a solid brand, but I cannot tell you anything about their
foil kites, but I have had great experiences with their tube kites. That said, it's a really solid price on a complete brand new Ready to fly
package, the small bit of information I have been able to find indicate it is a 'beginner' end of the spectrum kite, so I would not expect crazy pop
& turning speed, more of a predictable machine.
Bladerunner - 10-2-2011 at 06:07 PM
I am not familiar with that kite but suspect you may need to add a couple or 3 mph to the bottom end ? I suspect at around 10 you will struggle just
to keep it flying ? The 25mph wouldn't be suggested until you are very comfortable with the kite + your skills.
If ER is correct and this is a beginer model expect it do be designed with some of the lift reduced with stabilaty added.
ben - 10-2-2011 at 06:40 PM
Thank you guys for your input!
What I am wondering is, does it have enough power to get me (175lbs.) and a land/snowboard going or is it to much of a beginner kite? I do not want to
be completely bored with the kite after only few sessions. However, I am not looking for big jumps, just some fun cruising and doing easy tricks. Any
opinions, thoughts, and concerns are welcome!
Bladerunner - 10-2-2011 at 06:48 PM
Yes BUT .......... There is no such thing as " one " kite !
This is a good size to start with and should become your high wind kite as you grow. You will by nature want a larger kite to handle the low wind job
down the road.
I trust that you already have some basic flying skills + a harness ? ( + a helmet )
If not you are likely to thrash this kite ! Always best to learn the ropes on a 3m foil. You can't break a good 3m foil !
YES .... a 3m foil will get you going if you know how to fly it well in strong wind.
ben - 11-2-2011 at 09:41 AM
I understand that one kite will not cover all conditions. I was just curios if it would perform well enough to be my main kite on land for a while.
Yes, I have a harness, helmet, and some flying skills. In fact, I'm comfortable to fly my 12m LEI in up to 20mph. Since my LEI has almost the same
wind range as the 8m Outback I should be OK, right?
Thinking of my LEI brings up another thought. Would it be possible to fly the Outback with any 4-line DP Bar? Is there a significant difference of
depower bars for foils and inflatables?
Bladerunner - 11-2-2011 at 06:26 PM
Sorry for under estimating your experience. 
The throw may vari? If you have a stopper and a 4 line bar then you are fine .
Why do you not want to just use your LEI for all ? Majority of folks do ?
Interesting looking kite ! Best I can compare to is my 7m Pulse. As I described it needs a bit of wind but almost as soon as it flies I can create
power do to the speed.
ben - 13-2-2011 at 12:00 PM
No worries! I didn't exactly make clear that I have a bit of experience.
I am just looking for a foil because of the ease of use. Also, I'm living in Tucson and the grounds where I can fly my kite are pretty rough. Since I
have to self-launch/land, the wear on the leading edge is starting to show. I'm assuming a foil would be less prone to such abrasion.
erratic winds - 13-2-2011 at 08:52 PM
ben-a foil has less of a weak-point on the front edge than LEI's, so you are right about that, but there is more cloth to tear on a foil, so that's
the other side of that... If you're already somewhat experienced, then it seems like there's not much downside to it. Just gotta do the math of:
the speed of winds you are usually flying in VS the listed effective range of the kite with your weight and skill level being the major modifiers on
how closely your experience will match the suggested wind range.
I dunno for sure, seems a decent deal for the ~600 it's found for online at the moment. But then again, I have no problem buying a kite with very few
reviews, I own an EVOII! 
(For the record the EVOII by radsail is a fun kite.
I have zero complaints about it.) Now, it's true that when you see a foil from a company that doesn't usually do them, it can be a knockoff of
somebody else's design..(Slingshot ranger is a copy of a ozone, naish foil was a copy of a ozone too if I recall correctly)..but if they do a good job
it's pretty worthwhile for the price.