I'll try to pre-emptively answer the "why's" you all may have so that maybe you can help me here. The easiest answer is that I didn't lose a penny on it except what it cost to have it sent to me. $60 to play with an SA2.5 19 for an afternoon? Not a bad deal really. Serendipity had a local kiter on the hunt for one, tried mine and we did the deal.

Had it out today, winds were 15-20km/h steady, very intermittent gusts to MAYBE a hair over 20? The kite is beautiful. Handles very smooth. Launches are a breeze. But it needs to be flown right. As you'll see from the vid (I'll post later....gotta cut the boring bits), I had it locked park 'n ride style wingtip dead on at 5-10 feet from the snow. That's the problem. It was just cranking my edge downwind. I finally got the feel for keeping it above rather than down low in the powerzone but still, it gave me that "been there, done that, not the right kite" feeling. Nothing wrong with the performance at all - the issue was the pilot and I've learned something today....two things. I've been spoiled by the Arcs (it's super hard to pull that SA up from down low when you're ripping along...arcs will drift up on their own); and snow kites are meant to be flown up off the ground, not down low like a race kite in a buggy. I suspect if I learn how to fly the proper sized kite such that I get all the power I'll need at 45-60 degrees that I'll be having more than one breakthrough this winter. Most often I'm cranking them all the way down to the ground to squeeze the power out for me.

Now to be fair, I flew the SA on the wrong day. Today I would have unrolled the V19 and had an epic session. Perfect winds for the Venom's bottom end. And to be true to the SA, I bought it for the days that the Arcs won't leave the ground - not days like today. Because of that I'll bet it is (was) the perfect fit for me and odds are I'll buy another. This one ultimately just wasn't the kite I had dreamed of and that boils down to nothing more than vanity so I'm kinda embarrassed about that. (I even had an ex-FS teamrider out there today....he's in the S3 video I think....take it for a rip and come back saying how beautifully tuned it was and how perfect the kite was so props to Powerzone for selling top notch stuff.)

So.....while our ex team rider had the SA out he offered up his S2 15m for me and you know what? It was a nice ride for me for the day although I could have used just a bit more. A 17 perhaps? (Don't make 'em anymore). Would a SA/Deluxe 15 solve my "days the arcs won't leave the ground" issue? I ask because I could probably find a 15 out there on the gently used market. That, and the 15 might be good to have for summer time's tight launch spots where I can't / don't want to lay out an arc?

I'm thinking I'll unload the P3 as well since it was really just a good deal that I couldn't pass up and I'd always wanted to try one ($750CDN in great shape, well respected rider, well taken care of gear) so I'll likely not lose much if any on it either. Maybe I'll sell it once our dollar flops again which will sweeten the pot for our southern friends. It's a great kite.

So, whatcha think? Should I look around for the 15 (S2/S3)? Does it then have to be SA/Deluxe or will it fit the light wind bill either way? Should I get the 19 I was hoping for and keep looking until I find it?

Sorry for the long post. I really an stunned at myself by what transpired today but also proud for cutting my losses and resolving to get it right....even if right means no Flysurfer bags in my closet(doubt that'll be the case...it's a definite need for our winds...just not today's winds ; )

Wow, you have been a busy boy but from what I'm hearing you might want to look at the Chargers. I understand their low end is incredible. Spent the day on the Guerilla winds barely hitting 24 km but warm and sunny. Heading into town today for a couple of days will try and meet up. Maybe we can sneak out for a fly, one never knows...lol.

Thanks for sharing that.

I'm in the same boat. I'm still not exactly clear why the SA was so wrong for you ?

Are you saying that it didn't respond fast enough to input? I know that my 13 was a better park and ride kite than jumper in the super low winds ( for me ) .

If and when we ( Rip and I ) buy one do you think a 15 may be better? We have the Reactors and Vapours for riding below arc winds. We need somthing to jump with in those winds ?

My guess is that you took that bad boy out in too much wind.

Yes, too much wind for the first time but not too much wind for the kite. It likely was the right kite for me, and perhaps the right size but it wasn't EXACTLY what I was looking for and mostly because I got caught up in the opportunity having just days earlier had a deal fall through on another one. I'll wait for the right one to come along (three of them in fact, one for me, Bladerunner and Rip ; )

15 vs 19? I dunno. I think if the goal is to have a kite that'll launch when the Arcs won't it'd have to be the 19 but I've also heard that you can work up some power outta a 15 just the same. Hopefully the experienced FSers out there will illuminate us. I don't even know if Skytex is that much of a requirement.

pics or in this case the vid will be worth a thousand words................................20km/hr or 12 mph on hardpack/icy? I guess my qeustion is was the snow a factor in edging upwind? Its hard to convince people but the 19m has immense power but depowers very well. Not too sound sarcastic but they are called Speeds for a reason. Did you have the kite deeper in the window or let her run to the edge? Sorry too many ??? post your vid and Im sure youll get some advice................Im very pleased with my Speed 2s and look forward to a full season on them..............I ususally park both of them 45 degrees or more off either shoulder, at 10 or 2 oclock, sine when necessary (the 12 much more so than the 19), and work the power thru the bar in that position.................

If you were trying to learn the snowboard while also learning on the new kite that would be a factor too.

Yup, you're right...for much of the flight it was way too deep in the power and I was too reluctant to crank it up and out (thinking I'd end up in the stratosphere ; ) Trouble is there seems to be no "easing" out of that pocket and I wasn't sure how quick the kite would react....she just sat there and tugged so well and when I edged downwind I did indeed feel the calling for the "Speed" namesake. Snow was bumpy with drifts that had been infilled with loose powder so by the time it was time to get up to zenith the added upward lift had me chugging downwind. Add to the badness - it was flat lighting (cloudy)...hard to make out the terrain.

And yes.......power is an understatement. I wasn't concerned at all and didn't really get spooked by it (humbled yes, spooked no). It's all just a crazy dumb set of circumstances and the opportunity was there to "reset" my purchase so I took it. I will most definitely have another.

I'll slice the vid this evening.

Posted the video finally over in the Kite Skiing thread.