B-Roc - 5-9-2007 at 09:32 AM
Figured I'd post this review as well which I added to RK some time ago...
I've been flowing my JOJO ET Instincts for over 2 years now and seeing that they are great kites about which little is written, I decided I'd write a
review.
As an intro, I've been kiting (dual line) for over 12 years, I've been involved in traction kiting for over 2.5 years and been flying the JOJOs for 2
years. I've flown Frenzy's, an Airrush and Best trainer and I own a blade and bego in a addition to my jojos of which I own a 2.5, 5.5 and 7.0 and
those are what I'll be writing about.
Though I've been in kiting for a long time I really can't tell one good stitch from another. I can tell bad stitching when I see it but cross
stitching, straight stitching… I can recognize it but can't tell great from good. So suffice it to say, JOJO is a leading manufacturer of race kites
and paragliders and their craftsmanship is top notch. From my opinion everything is stitched and reinforced well enough. I've had no problems and no
complaints in this department.
Bridle construction
What you would expect from a company like JOJO. It would be nice if the bridles were color coded (red / blue) at the tow points but they aren't. Power
bridle on all mine are yellow and the brakes a pink type color. I've had no problems with stretch or tangles or fraying. The bridle seems well made
and well enforced at the attachment points on the kite.
The sail
It seems fine. As you look at these kites on the internet you will see different stores list the same kite with different numbers of cells. My
believe, and I can't prove it is that some count the open cells on and others count all cells. Regardless, the sails are nice. Big open cells which
have mylar reinforced stiffeners on the cells to help them stay open and inflate easier. They have no mesh or screen debris guards.
The bag and lines and handles
The stuff sack is a simple stuff sack. Nothing to write home about but gets the job down and they are appropriately sized for the kites they contain.
Rucksacks I believe are available but mine came with stuff sacks. The kites are not supplied with handles or lines from JOJO so buy those on your own
or see what your dealer offers. JOJO does recommend that you fly the kites on 30m lines and they recommend 300# / 150# for the lines and that's what I
fly on. I've flown the 7.0 on 25m lines to speed up the response a bit and I like the 5.5 on that as well but since I generally fly inland and in not
the best conditions, the 30m lines can help smooth the flight out and get you into some cleaner air while increasing your power stroke.
The Instinct is a lot of fun to fly static. Great for kite skiing, great for the buggy and good for the landboard (explanation below).
Flight Characteristics:
The ETs are slow to inflate, move slower through the air (than say a racekite or a blade or bego) and they offer solid and progressive pull. I have
been jerked off my board but mostly the power delivery is progressive so no real surprises. The 2.5 is actually pretty fast and more snappy through
the. The 5.5 and 7.0 move slower but can be tuned to turn pretty quick for their size and do respond well to pull turns and better to turning on the
brakes or turning in combo.
The ETs have an A/R of 3.8 but a thicker profile than say the crossfire which has the same A/R. ETs have limited over head pull so you can park them
fairly safely at the zenith. I have been spanked by the 2.5 and lofted by the 7.0. The 5.5 and 7.0 do have a decent amount of float and they don't
yank you off the ground like a blade. All the Instincts pull hard for their size, IMO and their lift is predictable. You can really feel it coming on
without any violent or sudden surprises. The 7.0 will take you up (I weigh 145#s) and simply float you a couple of yards down the field a foot or so
off the ground. Nothing explosive, just a nice little float down field. The 5.5 has more pop and less float given its size but if you work them hard
you can do some nice jumping and the 7.0 and 5.5 let you down nicely. Again, these aren't blades or begos or crossfiires – but they offer low altitude
jumping without much effort.
Their lateral pull is great and the vertical pull is good. As such, they are a bit better in the buggy than on the board since with the buggy you can
get more power flying the kite lower to the ground through the power zone while on a board I like the kite up higher but as you take the instincts up
higher in the window, their pull starts to diminish some. However, these kites really like to be flown powered and if you are boarding powered or
over-powered, these kites will pull you all over and the diminished pull at the top of the window gives you a bit of a brake as you redirect to change
your forward direction.
Instincts are VERY stable
I fly mostly on a field that is somewhat in a bowl and wringed by trees. The wind is seldom clean and the kites hold up well. Even if they do collapse
(which is extremely rare – they were built to be stable and they really are) you can usually pump them hard and they will reinflate (slowly) in the
power zone allowing you to gain control without being yanked down field. Rarely do they bowtie to the point I need to set the handles down and do the
walk of shame. 90% of the luffs are recoverable before the kite hits the ground. If the winds are clean I challenge you to collapse the kite. It is
pretty much that stable, doesn't overlfly the zenith and won't really overfly the edge either.
I like to fly them with some brake tension and they do turn nicely on the brakes but you don't need to crank on the brakes to bring the kite around.
When skiing I had no problem going up wind and could keep the kite at the edge of the window. Powered on skis, I could use the kites to go anywhere I
wanted on the pond and returned at the end of my sessions to pretty much the exact spot I had started. Very nice upwind ability when powered.
My landboarding skills aren't as good as my skiing skills so I'm not as proficient in getting the kite and board upwind and find I need to work the
kite more on grass then snow. If the wind is blowing (and where I ski is much better than where I board) but if the wind is blowing good when boarding
I can take the board all over the field, do some nice power slides and small jumps and return to my launch point. If the winds are flaky, the kite
needs to be worked to get up wind. Because the kite has a thicker profile, you will likely get more out of a race kite at the window's edge then you
will an ET but its performance on the edge is still good.
Because they aren't super fast, if boarding, I prefer to fly them on days when you don't have to work them too much. The 2.5 you can work hard and get
a lot out of it. The 5.5 you can work too but the 7.0 is a big kite and best to park and ride with. You can work the 7.0 on shorter lines but I like
to park and ride that kite. With all of the jojos, like their racekite brothers, if you want some strong pull dip it lower into the power zone, dab
the brakes and away you go.
I keep my brakes pretty tight so I can kill the kite as needed and so they turn quicker on the brakes. You can get a slight turbo boost by applying
some brake as you sweep through the power zone but they kill nicely when hitting the brakes hard so if things get hairy you can gain control pretty
quick.
The ETs are fun to fly static, the 5.5 and above are good for jumping (not high but high enough for me for now and their float is good). They do have
a 3.8 A/R but still, their power delivery comes best when putting the kite right through the power zone as opposed to maybe 60 degrees or higher up.
They have been great kites to learn and progress with and really help you gain your confidence. I don't think you'd necessarily outgrow them. You may
look for something faster or more aggressive but don't be fooled by the ET label. They are beginner friendly but not limited to beginners. There's
something to be said about a kite that's easy to fly and delivers the goods in crap conditions. In the winter I fly on large frozen lakes with much
smoother winds and the kites are real nice in those environments but winter is short so mostly I fly in crap and although my blade and bego have
better up wind performance and lift, they are not nearly as stable (making it more scary) to fly then the ETs.
One aspect I most enjoy about the ETs are their predictability. No real surprises. Sure you can get caught out but the kite will still respond
predictably. I can not overstress how super stable and predictable they are. Really a joy to fly them.
OK, now for the bad.
Nothing can be perfect and these aren't either. The worst thing I can say about the ET Instincts is the name of the kite. I really think the ET (Easy
Traction) hurts the saleability of this kite. Really a shame because I think some see "easy" and they think "beginner" and they look for something
else thus overlooking a truly great kite that is beginner friendly but also a kite you can grow with in all aspects of traction spots because it gives
you the confidence to predict its performance and it will grow with you. Aside from that they don't come with dirt outs (no biggie as the cells
openings are pretty large) and they don't come with croc clips to hold the bridle (no biggie either).
I have been very satisfied with my ET Instincts. They are tough to come by and have real limited distribution and a bit on the expensive side with no
"give-mes" (stickers, stakes, handles, key rings, etc.). JOJO seems to pour all their money into the kite and its performance and from my perspective
they hit the mark the Instinct. It delivers exactly what they say it does.