Argh, which kites, already wasted $ on wipikas

surfncap · Since 06 Mar 2007 78 Posts NE

I can afford to get a slingshot 17.5 machine with 5 line bar, and 1 or 2 fuels.
How are fuels for a beginner when 5th line is added?
Or I can afford new bar and 1 best waroo.
Thanx 4 all help.

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Apr 05, 07 12:11 pm

where do you ride...

not sure what the new fuels are like, especially with the 5th line. My old fuels 01 and 02 were nothing short of brutal to learn on.

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

it really depends on where you want to ride and also on how much you weigh

NateDogg · Thu Apr 05, 07 12:20 pm **This will only happen once**

As a beginner your biggest concern is relaunchability. Beginners crash kites, period. The waroo's are good, but they can be tricky to relaunch sometimes in lighter winds. I absolutely love fuels, especially the new ones, but they can take technique and patience to relaunch as well.

If I could do it allover again, I would look for a used 2006 cabrinha switchblade, and not because I rode all last season under a switchblade, but because I taught all last season under switchblades. Once you figure them out, they always relaunch. Other riders who saw me get into some pretty weird situations at stevenson last year can attest to this. No matter what happened to the kite (invert, flip, roll, slack line, etc) I was always able to get it back into the air. And as I became more familiar with how the kite worked, the wierd situations became more and more rare.

On the other side of the table, no matter how green a student was, after some practice they knew what to do to consistently get the kite back into the air, without a ton of swimming.

I've heard the new Liquid Force Havocs have the same characteristic, but these might still be a little out of your budget.

Pair this kite with two boards, one big and one small for your weight, and you'll have the middle 70-80% of conditions covered. One kite, two boards=simplicity.

I usually don't post to things like this, cuz everyone has their own opinions and it's pointless to argue over kites on the internet. My point though? Look for a kite that will relaunch consistently, even if it means saving up for a bit longer. Afterall, you want to kite, not swim.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2622 Posts The 503 METAL

Which Wipikas did you get and what's wrong with them?

I would sure recommend my 07 Vegas! They have the depower and stability of a flat/bow, with the power and relaunchability of a C.

Check em out! Cool

railgrab · Since 29 Mar 2005 177 Posts Seattle, WA Stoked

what's wrong with your wipikas?

jonah · Since 20 Jul 2006 169 Posts Hood River Stoked

I'm assuming you're still learning. If so, consider that about 70% of all kites sold last year were bow/flat/hybrid kites.

As someone who just learned last year, I (and about 6 other friends who were also learning at the same time and tried many different kites) found that the Waroo was an excellent kite for learning.

With that said, I'm not tied to any brand and many of those same friends are now on North Rebels or Rhinos and liking those even more. But for the price, Waroos are a very good deal.

On this msg board, you might get a lot of input from very experienced kiters who come from a C-kite background and are used to that style. And there's no question there are some benefits to C-kites over flat kites.

Another consideration is that even experts tend to like bow kites in the waves, because of the ability to let the bar out and ride the wave without any kite-pull. So if you want to hit the coast with the same gear, a flat kite would be a good choice.

surfncap · Since 06 Mar 2007 78 Posts NE

I really appreciate everyones oppinions.