Best big kite size for East Bay for max water time?

[androka]

This is making me rethink my position
http://boardridingmaui.com/

A Cloud kite and Foil board might be the call for those lightwind days. Yesterday we tried to get out at Berkeley. It was consistent but light. My gut feeling is a Cloud and Foil would have given us a 3 hour session.

[WindMuch]

Kirk:
you are absolutely correct. I am the Cabrinha Mfg Rep for CA and have been with Cabrinha since the beginning.

If you re-read my post, you'll note I sd the Cabrinha 13/15 Contra and the 14 Velocity are ALL good OPTIONS...I didn't say they were the best or only OPTIONS.

steve

Steve,

Thanks for identifying your position and perspective.

You can twist your words any way you like, but your suggested "OPTIONS" on this subject aren't unbiased (double negative intended), are they?

The informed consumer, voter, patient or kite purchaser is wise to consider the source of all information, recommendations and options. When I'm voting, I consider the source of the information at hand. If I find the information or "OPTIONS" to be those of the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries, I take those differently than I would otherwise. For some, the opinion of a manufacturer's rep might be taken differently than that of a rider.

I have no problem with the promotion of the Cabrinha (or any) brand here on BAK, but only ask that in doing so it is made clear that you get paid to provide those "OPTIONS" - and that your perspective is biased by a paycheck for doing so.

To make your suggestions transparent in the future, consider a text signature indicating your position with Cabrinha? Then go nuts - we value everyone's opinion and appreciate all "OPTIONS".

Kirk out

[victor]

i feel your pain. i took up windsurfing the year my 1st son was born. two years later no. 2 showed up. it took me 10 seasons of hit and miss weekend sessions to figure out how to turn around.

foiling is your best bet if you are so inclined. for mere mortals like a lot of us your alternative is bigger gear.

one problem with the wind inside the bay is that it is not very steady due to topography and other factors. you may be able to get out on marginal wind but if it drops a tad your kite falls in the water and you're swimming. the bigger the kite the harder it is to relaunch or swim.

you can try a 12M cloud. i did once and was able to ride for 30 minutes longer than the rest of the folx that day but ended up dragging/walking back to the launch like them. the problem i found with the cloud was lack of high end if the wind goes the other way.

[windstoked]

At 190#, I spend 80% of my time on a 14m Slingshot Rally, and when used in combination with a Lightwave Wing when it's real light I keep kiting at Sherman long after everyone else but the foils have gone in.
However, with a bigger kite the launch is key, because the wind may ramp up requiring downsizing, and a sketchy launch site can make coming in overpowered unnerving. Many of the Bay Area sites have that challenge.

[Xor]

Wow, this post got big and interesting :)

I ride BRM Clouds C2 (2nd gen) and love them, I'm in 165-175lbs and use 7m, 9m and 12m, but I'm not limited with East Bay only.
If I would be limited, I would probably add 17m for the reason that if it got too high for it to handle - 12m will do for me.
In your case I would probably get 14.5 cloud and you can use any 4 line bar with it.
Clouds are light and fly in minimal wind. Difference between 12 and 14.5 could be not so big, but result between barely ride always sining it vs. having a blast. And another beauty - it is universal kite, while there are specialized kites better at that discipline, cloud is good for me in all conditions including jumps, but especially shines in wave, light wind and foilboarding according to foil guys. And it is fast.

Now to the upper range @victor mentioned - I bet he used c1 cloud as most differences for c2 were made to extend upper range alone with some refinements.

I've been on my clouds in ridiculous winds and if you know their differences and how to handle it you are good. The main difference in supper overpowered condition is not to trim it too far over luffing point, canopy would luff and kite sit lower in wind window, so the key is to keep it at luffing point and either force it to the edge with board or keep high staying upright.

I believe Bowen (his nickname @rowboat here) was planning to do demos to the interested riders, but anyway you are welcome to try mine, I usually ride Sherman, 3rd or Alameda.

[victor]

i flew the C2 12M.

xor is probably right. i may have been sheeting out too much to the point where i had no control of the kite. i notice in the videos with greg, the creator, that there is no luffing.

somebody was at alameda on a cloud on that big day a couple weeks ago. lots of luffing and didn't see him out for too long. must not have been xor. i was opeed on an 8.5

great kites for many reasons. looks cool (most important) and they are supper light and pack up small. great for travelling. i might be getting one when my 12 dies which may be a awhile. 10M has been my go -to kite for the past 3 seasons.

[ddubwinokur]

So, a question. Reading through all this I'm thinking that maybe the question about getting reliable time on the water is less about what kite to have, and more about where I should go. I've heard from multiple sources that the wind is just more reliable at TP and Alameda than the other East Bay sites. Is that true?

If it is, then there's no sense in trying to find the right kite for Racetrack/Isabel/Berkeley if the wind is iffy there anyways ... I should be focusing on TP and Alameda.

And if that's the case, then the decision seems pretty easy. A lightwind kite for Alameda (18M), or a large "regular" kite for toll plaza (~14M). And of course a big board either way.

does that sound right?

Thanks all, this has been really helpful. Also, Clouds are hella expensive. What about the Switch Helium?

[Xor]

somebody was at alameda on a cloud on that big day a couple weeks ago. lots of luffing and didn't see him out for too long. must not have been xor. i was opeed on an 8.5

Hah, most likely you have seen me, I was out whole day with some breaks out there that day.
Luffing itself is not a problem and it happens on such gusty and shifty days, you sheet out a bit on gust and then lull comes and it luffs, on steady op day it is much easier to trim right.
Speaking about wind range, I came out on 9m c2 when it was 15-18kts and then it slowly climbed to 20-29kts on 3rd yesterday and it was lots of fun!

[Rakky]

For Chrissy, would a 15 or 16m suffice for the lighter winds in the earlier part of the day?

[jaxonholer]

Earlier in the day is not the time to ride crissy. the wind is either 1)Off 2)Building and unreliable, or 3)ON. A 16 will very rarely be a usable kite at crissy, if it's blowing on the outside, it's 18-30. If it's dead on the inside, no kite will get you there. The problem of not being able to get to the wind is always less of a problem than not being able to get back to the beach.

When the wind dies, you'll be happy you have a big floaty board, either to kite or to help you swim in. If your board does not have a lot of float, you won't make it in with the constant heavy current.