BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Now that people have had a chance to fly them for a while, what's the word on the Shockwave, and it's bar pressure? Is it bearable, or to be avoided? How does it compare to a Torch? Is Naish releasing an upgrade kit or are people gonna have to get the '07 bars, to alleviate the problem?

Also, what sizes would I need to riding waves at Waddell? I'm intermediate, 165lbs.

I've been riding the Shockwave (12 m) for about 2 months...there is a lot of bar pressure, but it's not terrible once you get used to it. I've been getting in 3 hour sessions--I'm just a little bit sore afterwards. On the plus side, I'm getting buffed. Other than that, the kite is great. I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Also, you can make a bridle modification to relieve the bar pressure somewhat, although I don't think it makes that much difference. The modification simply involves putting in a string of knots on the rear attachment points (standard on the '07 apparently) to lengthen the bridle somewhat. By attaching the bridle to knots further from the kite, the pressure is supposedly reduced. I suppose you could modify the lines to give you the 1:1 as well (see the Shockwave 07 manual for the specifics on how they do it). I haven't played around with this.

For me (175 lbs), the 12 m is good for anything 18 mph+, but it's best in 22-26 mph.

Most to least bar pressure:

Shockwave

Xbow(gen 1)

Turbo diesel

Waroo

The shockwave is very stable. The Xbow is right down the middle in all respects, probably best for the beginner-and pro. Turbo Diesel is perfect bar pressure but stalls if you dont keep an eye on it. Waroo I dont have much time on but I hear it is ok, not quite the low end of the others, doesnt relaunch as easily but not that noticeable of a difference.