madzilla - 21-5-2015 at 01:44 PM
Hola
Tried getting into kiteboarding a few years back, ended with an accident..ruptured my PCL, but I've since had it replaced. Done lots of snowboarding
and wakeboarding between then and now, starting to think it's time to jump back in the saddle before I get any older, but not exactly sure where to
start.
I've been looking at the Viron, and aside from it's price, looks like it's everything I could want (water and snow compatible, so I can use it to body
drag/kiteboard/snowkite - all things I'm interested in).
I guess my question is what size kite should I be looking at to get the biggest range of use for my size? Viron's are available in
2.5, 4 and 6 m sizes.
I weigh roughly 115 lbs (give or take a few) and live in Corvallis, OR (near the Columbia River Gorge) so the wind range is awesome (low in town =
good for practice/high in Hood River = good for boarding).
I realize it may not be the wisest trying to kill two birds with one stone, so if you have any suggestions on trainer kites separate from boarding
kites, I'm all ears; however, I think my past experience with kites, current athletic ability, and tendency to pick things up quickly will lend me an
upper hand in this endeavor :P (I'd hate to dish out the money for a trainer only to have to sell it (for less) a few weeks later in order to buy a
kite I can use on the water/to board, yuh know? But I do see myself owning several kites eventually, so dishing out the extra $ for a separate,
4-line/de-power trainer kite isn't completely out of the question..just trying to be efficient haha)
Appreciate any suggestions, and thank you for your time!
Feyd - 22-5-2015 at 11:32 AM
The Viron DLX (the current version of the Viron) is on the pricey side of the trainer spectrum but in terms of user friendliness, safety, versatility
and quality there isn't another kite on the market that comes close to what the Viron DLX offer. I mean, it's a depowerable closed cell foil made in
Flysurfer Deluxe light weight fabric , comes RTF and we sell them for $499 shipped. One kite for all conditions. And unlike an old school trainer,
depower trainers work perfectly as high wind kites.
The Depower range on the Viron is awesome. Sheet all the way out and the thing just falls out of the sky. The only other kites we've seen do this
are the Peaks and Supported Leading Edge inflatables. The smaller sizes come with the same bar as the Peak 1. No trim system just a simple sheet
in/out depower bar. The 6m comes with the Infinity 2 bar and includes the full trim system.
In regards to selling it off in a few weeks, I don't see that happening. Again it's not a fixed bridle, you can fly it on a board (although again, it
would be your high wind kite or something you'd play on an SUP with in moderate winds) and it has the full function of other "full size" kites.
We were using the Viron as a school kite for a while. The auto relaunch function for us on the ice was not the best fit and we focused more on Peak
2's as our School kites. But on the water or on land, the Viron DLX is a great choice IMO. 4m is probably the best "all rounder" where as the 2.5 is
more of dedicated trainer and the 6m is more a fully functioning 6m.
Hope that helps.
Chris