nwsurfwakeskate - 7-2-2009 at 03:26 AM
just wondering how people like this kite. I've never seen one flown and it seems like there is a lot of used ones around lately for fairly cheap. I've
been considering picking one up because it might be fun to play with and I want to get another bar and lines anyway.
do people love them? hate them? whats there effective wind range on the water? and on land too?
I used the arc calculator and at 84kg on the water it says about 8mph to 20mph which seems like a huge range. I'm wondering if I would need a plydoor
to get moving in that 8mph range though.
If anybody has some experience with these kites that they wouldn't mind sharing I would greatly appriciate it!
btw I currently have 12m and 15m phantoms and a FS Psycho4 15m so I'm not sure where one of these 19m VII's would fit in. maybe it doesn't fit. let me
know! thanks!
tridude - 7-2-2009 at 07:26 PM
I have a 19m V1 coming in Monday............... Tuesday and Wednesday look good, on shore around 12 mph.......hope to get out one or both
days.......will let you know.............................
:duh:
lunchbox - 8-2-2009 at 10:17 AM
This is my normal go to kite for the water and the first kite I learned on (other than the trainer).
Like all Arc's I love the stability and safety aspect (i.e. 4 lines, self launch/land,etc.).
I'm about 216lbs so about 5-10lbs heavier with all my water gear on. I probably need about 14mph and a big board to try to stay up wind. I've got an
old Slingshot LFT and a 7' 0" surfboard that I've put straps on. I just recently put some straps on an old 6' 0" retro fish so we'll see if I can get
out in 12mph. Virtually no rocker and wide/thick as hell.
In those kinda winds as you can imagine it is a real dog to turn...you really have to crank on that bar. Obviously, once the winds get higher, the
turning gets easier. And there are a lot of internal straps which I haven't really played with so that can be altered as well depending on your
conditions.
I've had the 19m out in 22mph winds and it wasn't a problem. I'm more of a safety nut so I think 19 would be where I'd think about putting up my
16m...all depends on what the average wind speed is looking like. Just to give you some idea of the wind range, one of my friends...he's probably
about 205, had it up in mid-high 20's but that I wouldn't recommend.
My favorite in the series is probably the 13m and the 16m on longer lines might be a better option, but if you can pick up a 19 for cheap...I'd do
it...I still love mine!
Oh...almost forget...haven't tried this one on land yet...just the 10 and 16.
macboy - 9-2-2009 at 02:46 PM
It's the most used kite in my quiver so far this winter after 3 days on the lake. I thought for sure it'd be years before I flew it but it's a
#@%$#!cat when you baby it and freight train when the wind comes up and you tell it you're the boss.
Freight train is even an understatement I think ; )
Heard at the lake two weeks ago in reference to the V19 sitting inflated at the ready on the ground: "What the heck is that, a paraglider?"