Bowverconfidence

[gomez72]

Hey Z

Just don't forget why you got into this sport in the first place. It's fun as hell. The most fun you can have with your pants on

I am going to kite with out my pants, just to see how much fun it really is. :mrgreen:

[gideonlow]

My opinion - no such thing as a quiver consisting of one or two kites. If you want to advance, ride many different spots and conditions and are a serious kiteboarder, a three (or even four) kite quiver is required. Your riding and skills will be at their maximum if you are dialed in and riding the right size kite for the conditions at hand.

I'm not sure I agree. I don't have much experience with SLE LEI's, but I've yet to miss a day with my 10/16 PL Venom quiver. I do have two bars setup--one with 22 M lines and one with 27. The Venom's also have an internal adjuster strap that increase their range by about 5 MPH. Sure, I could probably ride super light conditions with a huge kite, and insane gales with a tiny one, but it's hardly worth the cost for those very occasional days. Lightwind days, at any rate, are better handled with lightwind boards than lightwind kites.

Cheers,

Gideon

[Dax]

I've got a Waroo 7m and I have demoed 9m, 12m, 14m. I'd buy a 9m Waroo too but they are just damn hard to get right now (the local gorge shop have a back order list with 40 people on it just for the 9m.)

The popularity of the Waroo is exploding in the Gorge because of their sweet depower and feel. This is amongst not only beginners and intermediates but top riders in these parts.

Reading Karl's comments I am not too surprised. At 18-25 I would be on something smaller than a 12m. I think the real range of these kites is more in the low end than the high end. Say figure a 9m gets you from classic C kite 8m-11m. Remember the projected area of the kite is actually larger than an equivalent C.

If you want to ride Waroos like a C kite, with the kite powered up and your backfoot locked in, you can ride them in more wind. But you can't just keep depowering the kite and expect it to stay stable.

I will attest to Karl's claims that the 12m CB could handle 30+ mph conditions, its true because I rode his CB in that much wind. The kite wasn't entirely stable, but it was controllable. I have seen video of that sesh and the kite is doing some odd things, but it didn't flap like I think a Waroo would. My bet is either kite could have handled a Waroo like I handled the CB, but why?? Just get a smaller kite and have more fun.

Most people around here who are into the bow kite craze (from any brand) still have 3 kite quivers. Just because you can ride a kite in more or less power, you just know it would be that much sweeter on the right size.

For the Waroo the sweetest sizes are definitely the 9m and down. I am on my 7m as much of the time as I can be. Frequently when others are on 12's. If you ride it fast you can be powered throwing all kinds of stuff in just 20mph wind. After riding the 12m and 14m Waroo's a couple times, I'm convinced those are lightwind kites, less than 20mph. Anything 18mph or over, go for the 9m, its the mutts nuts.

Not too shabby price wise either. :)