Cloud BRM + Foil, kite size for a 185lbs rider ?

[irvinside]

Hi All,

I was wondering what is the right MAUI BRM kite size for a foil boarder weighting ~185lbs,
basic foil, spot: 3rd ave, expected wind-range 13-20knots.
I was recommended the Cloud D 6.2
http://boardridingmaui.com/order.html

What do you think ? looking for experimented advice

Thanks !
Greg

[opie]

I am 185 and ride clouds with hydrofoil. 11 to 18 mph I use 8.5m c.5. From 16 to 27 I use the 5.5m, and from 27 up I use the 3.5 meter. Mine flutter a lot at the top of the wind range but the new ones, the D models are supposed to be better on the high end of their range. Based on that I'd say the 8.0 in the D range will cover 11 to 18 mph, but if it were me I'd get the 6.2, which should cover 14 to 25, most days at 3rd.
Greg also published his range on his website in the blog somewhere. His ranges were all a couple mph slower than mine. He is waaay better at flying kites.
Good luck, Chris

[rowboat]

Hi guys. I don't look at this forum much these days, thx for the alert Jeff Finn. I would agree the 6.2 D would be a solid choice. I weigh ~179 and fly the 4.8 Cloud D most days foiling at Crissy in wind usually ranging a tad higher than 13-20 kts. I rig the 6.2m if it's not going to hit 20. The 4.8 is good up for me to perhaps 23kts.

There is a very active Cloudriders group on FB, join once you purchase https://www.facebook.com/groups/cloudriders/

- Bowen

[sflinux]

I agree with the 6.2 recommendation. I've only flown the 5M and was surprised by the low end, just had to work the kite to get going. You will love the clouds with a hydrofoil.

[irvinside]

Thanks a lot for your feedback Guys !
I only hear excellent feedback from the Cloud, and I am severely tempted :-)

See you on the water on a Cloud then ,
Cheers !
Greg

[reyrivera]

You might want to try and borrow/demo the latest version.

I tried an older (??maybe 2 years) 9 and 12 meter, the fluttering bothered me, and I'm not even looping the kite. My circa 2010 heavily home modified strutless converted 9 meter Naish Sigma flew better than the clouds. Maybe they fixed the fluttering on the newer ones.

[sflinux]

Fluttering on the Best Bularoo bothered me. Since then, my experience has been that fluttering is caused by improper sheeting of the kite. My 2004 North Vegas had bad fluttering in the wingtips until I got the trim just right. Clouds are like c-kites, 4" of sheeting is all you need, beyond that you get negative aspects like fluttering and sloppy steering input. Bar length and line length are also important tuning parameters imo.
When I first tried a Cloud I was worried about bar pressure and the fluttering. I was surprised to find that the bar pressure was fine. The fluttering is kind of a feedback thing, it tells you when you are sheeted out to far. For me, I am used to c-kites, so riding with the bar pulled in is natural. For those that are used to chicken loop dangle style bow kites, will have to adapt their riding style.
My impression is Clouds are not just another sle, they are the next generation sle. My impression of the Cloud kite is it inherited all of the positive attributes of all of my favorite kites. It packs the power of the c-kite, the turning speed of a c-kite, and the depower of a sle. What was most surprising to me is how the depower works because of the strutless design. A normal kite will surge in gusts. But a Cloud has a autocorrect feature as it will just hover at the edge of the window, never overflying because of the negative camber that a strutless airfoil allows. Early high performance kites could overfly the wind window because the aoa was so low.
Remember Greg doesn't like to fly anything over 8M, the smaller Clouds are highly refined. Personally I don't think I would like a large Cloud as I would prefer higher aspect ratio in kites over 8M.
I appreciate the work that Greg has contributed to the kitesurfing community (Paipo, CSS, and Clouds)

[jaxonholer]

I agree sflinux, when I'm over powered on the cloud it flutters since I'm trying to dump wind and sheeting out. If you choose the correct kite size, it will not flutter, and the correct size is almost always smaller than you think. These kites are sensitive to choosing the correct size, but when you learn how they fly and select the correct kite, they are hyper responsive, fast and fun. Perfect for foiling since you can put the kite exactly where you want it to be (its responsive) and you can sheet out and dump maximum wind (full depower)

[cleepa]

If it was a 9m and a 12m, that was the C2. If they are fluttering constantly, you were overpowered on them and should have been on a size smaller. It is also worth noting that the top end of the C2 is not forgiving. But if you are within the correct wind range for them, they are awesome awesome kites.

I don't know anything beyond what I hear and read of the Cloud D. A design goal was to improve handling at the top end of the range.