What depower kite do you use for your high wind or storm kite?:puzzled:

I am looking for a high wind kite. I like the depower kites for landboarding and want to be able to kiteboard with it too. I am leaning toward an arc but really I am curious what kites people like for high winds.

What winds do you ask? Well I am 200 lbs and am talking over 20 mph because here if it is 20 then really it is probably gusting to 35mph.

Is an 8m Venom too small? what about the 8m Neo2? A flysurfer 8m or 7m? or should I be looking for a 10m arc? I just don't know

I've taken the v2 13m up to gusting to 35 and I'm #210. I haven't flown the 8, but I imagine for "our size" it's probably a little light for 20. The v13 is perfect for me thru the 20's and I now even fly the v19 in up into 20. Before the V2, I was using my montana 5m, which is great for over 20 and get pretty lifty

an 8m V2 or other arc to me seems like it would have to be really windy. I guess my main hesitation is having a 10m, 12m, or 13m arc and an 11m closed cell foil seems like it would be too much overlap. maybe it is just how they perform in gusts that makes the difference. thanks

I had my 8m Venom I out the other day in winds gusting up and over 30mph - handled them well - no kite can perform miracles, but it can manage without getting totally out of control - a bridled depower I would have definitely been very sketched about flying. If you can find an 8m venom - or a 9m phantom, AD72 was flying one of these in the same winds without any real problems, I would snatch them up in a heartbeat. These kites can turn a crappy gusty day into something salvageable.

before .... my only depower kite was the SYN 15. i would fly that until i couldnt hold on.

Ive changed to a FS Speed 3 - 15m so ill probably use that until i scare myself than jump onto Bladerunners Charger 10m.

just curious what surface you drive on? BR had some good times at NABX with the CH 10m. if you have butter smooth surface you can get away with a CH 8m.

I wouldnt go smaller than a 10m for kitesurf / landboard, this is coming from the little asian guy. If you ride alone a lot, my first pick would the ARC, than the Pyscho and/or Speed, and lastly the Neo. I didnt like the NEO I series when i demoed it. I heard the Neo II is better now with all the bugs worked out.

If you are doing less water and more land, I would consider an open-cell depower. anything but Pansh.

What's your high wind depower kite?
Kitewing

V13 my fav by far


super stable (200lbs as well) on the water never really found the top end.

46mph gust best i could do and keep it together

60mph micro burst caught me once. lucky on that one and 2 other similar events. the snatch of your life when they hit,

my high wind riding exper. has told me that unpredictable events will happen.


the example , your cruising along in the rotation setting up your next jump or whatever and in the blink of an eye you're lofted and the glimpse of your board just zipping along without you on it from about 40 ft up in the opposite direction....at this point there is no safety that can help, no reflex to change things just impact ..

the CH12( & V10) in SOLID 30+ mph works great , not sure the limit on that set up.

the CH15 peaks around 25-30mph. champion in 20-25mph.

It is a bit of a toss up between my 10m Charger and my 7m Pulse.
The 10m Charger is crazy fast and I still only have a few high wind hours on it so I don't have the same FEEL as I do for my 7m Pulse. I Love them both !

When thw winds get 30 or so I seem to opt for my trusty 2.5 profoil and elliminate most chances of being beaten up / lofted. The thing pulls great but lifts very little.

I was flying my 8m Venom at Wildwood in the video (posted in the kite buggy section) on a very gusty off shore wind. You can see it actually take on some of the gust and munching them up. Winds were 20+ with gust to maybe 30 at times. I can't wait to try out the 6m Phantom in some higher wind conditions.

You guys like the way the 8m Venom 1 handles? I heard the 8m V2 had some "issues."

I got more Arc time flying the 9M Phantom with the buggy on Friday. It was a blast! Thanks for the pointers flexiblade. The kite just soaked up the gusts got me goin'.

On Saturday I was in Alameda attempting to kitesurf again with the Pulse 10M. I finally got going on the board a few times but spent most of my time in the water rather than on it. The wind increased to 30+ so I got out the Phantom feeling confident from the day before. It was perfect for the wind with plenty of power. However since I don’t have the board skills yet, I crashed the kite into the water shortly into the session. I maneuvered it into taco position to relaunch. The wingtip on the water got stuck and the tip in the air spun around into bowtie. I was not able to recover and went back shore. I was asked by a kiter flying LEIs if I was not from the states since I was still flying the pillow case. He was nice about it joking. I still want to stick with the foils even though everyone there has LEIs. I will just have to get more Arc familiarity and board skills separately before I give the Phantom a try again. A Pulse 8M would have been perfect.

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Originally posted by Kamikuza What's your high wind depower kite? Kitewing

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Originally posted by PHREERIDER V13 my fav by far

Woudn't you want to fly a smaller kite for higher winds? Nothing against big kites, but when the opportunity presents itself, I would much rather fly a whippy fast 7m rather than a 13 or 14m bus even if I could trim the bigger kties down.

I've flown my 8m Outlaw on the beach in 20-30mph winds. Its a bit of a handful, but once you are moving its fine. Unfortunately, it is open cell, so will not work so well on water. Though, I would assume an 8m Pulse II would handle very similiarly. I've also flown a Psycho III 6m in 30-35mph winds in the buggy and that was a blast.

Smallest kite i've kitesurfed with was the Pyscho III 8m. Winds were probably 25-30 with some gusts 30+. Not entirely sure. It was a bit of a handful to be honest. You've got about 10lbs on me, so you could probably handle that thing pretty well... I've also heard the P4 has a lot more depower, so you could probably hold down the P4 8m in the same range...

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Originally posted by power Quote: Originally posted by PHREERIDER V13 my fav by far Woudn't you want to fly a smaller kite for higher winds? Nothing against big kites, but when the opportunity presents itself, I would much rather fly a whippy fast 7m rather than a 13 or 14m bus even if I could trim the bigger kties down.

(water use)

for 200 lbs , this is the sky jack ticket. plenty fast. crazy big airs with this. comparable to about 11m tube. close to the edge of the window kite has incredible up wind drive.

these kites are more like shoes you find the smallest best fitting for your weight and thats it , anything smaller might be quick but not better and a poor fit . 20/25 puffin to 35 this kite is champion anything smaller the lulls just suck for me, this is more typical high wind scenario for here.

plus i don't drag a bunch of kites and never change on a water session. totally one kite guy .

very cool info from everyone. thanks! I keep wondering about sizes and the one issue I have is that I am sure Phree's or Carltb's ability to hold down a kite in high wind and mine are totaly different. I keep thinking around a 10m arc or 8m closed cell foil. Looks like from the comments that is about right.

I handed off the pass the 12m Charger to thelaserman on Sunday. We were at Alameda CA which is a pretty big kiteboard mecca on the east side of the bay near Oakland. Winds were 27-32 by estimation by laserman. He weighs about 235 and is a kiteboard instructor at the local school there. When he launched the 12, I asked how it felt and he said he was "sure he had hold of something". He came back and said he was on the edge of overpowered in those winds. Phreerider is in his own realm on kite size and winds.

At 225 lbs, I guess a 10m Charger would've been adequate for me given my lack of experience and slightly lighter weight than laserman. The lei guys were flying 7s to 9s.

AD72 was happy with the power he was getting from a 9m Phantom on the same day. Hope this pulls it together for you.

Flysurfer Outlaw 6m. had it out when it was gusting to 50mph. Good depower, and good safety

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Originally posted by kchinook Flysurfer Outlaw 6m. had it out when it was gusting to 50mph. Good depower, and good safety

I'll vouch for that kite. I flew it in 35 MPH gusts the other day, totally manageable and lots of depower without having to touch the trim at all. Took me for a nice ride during one of the gusts, too...

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Originally posted by Todd I can't wait to try out the 6m Phantom in some higher wind conditions.

you have a 6m phanny?!?!?! you suck!! lol, j/k

sorry for the hijack... you ad72, & AJ make me jealous

My new high wind kite is a V2 10m. Winds looked good today until I opened the box the kite was in :flaming: and then the wind went flat.