Bow guys what's your range??

[Greg]

I've been told that Naishs new bow design (called SHOCKWAVE) has a bit better low end and lots more top end then there c-kites. This said I've been really stoked on my 5th lined kites as far as power and depower goes. Further more, I believe the addition of a 5th line will improve the safty and range of many c-kites reguardless of MAKE OR MODEL year.
Anyway, my current plan is to use ShockWave kites sizes 9 and 12. Addionally I may get something in the 16 range for local riding. If you want to give a NAISH kite a test ride just holler I'll do my best to get you hooked up with a free demo. My only goal is that your happy with your future purchases and get more time on the water.
No strings attached, Just Enjoy!!!
L.M.G.

[elli]

Other good traits of the bow are safety, relaunch and the fact that you can stop it from pulling by opening your fingers. You do not need to open safeties unless you are in serious trouble. If you try something and fail, open your fingers and the kite will stop pulling hard.

Bow makes high wind look easy that you can over do it. Good for the knees for sure.

For me the big difference was the range and top end. In really strong wind you just depower and the strong wind effect is gone. Combine that with good low end and you got great range. Low end is like mid aspect Flysurfer, but you need a different board anyway. I actually have to try a bow and a Flysurfer in low wind back to back at some point.

It's about how easy it is to take very strong wind with a bow. So easy that you can get yourself in trouble. If you ride a bow 9 overpowered style like you would on C kite, you can get to very high wind. Not sure how much. From my short experience 30MPH on a 9 bow does not feel like strong wind. You are not overpowered and can ride pretty relaxed without edging hard and slowing down the board. I was using 145 board and had 136 on the beach. Normally you would switch boards, but I was lazy and just stayed on the 145 all day so I could cruise when the wind dropped.

I agree with Andy about the false sense of security. You can take so much wind with these kites and not feel overpowered, that if something happens you find yourself with 9 or 12 meter of fabric connected to you with a lot of power in it. In that situation it does not matter what kite it is, it's a few meters of fabric in 30+ MPH.

I have actually seen that happen. Crazy wind 40+ MPH, I decided not to go. People got lofted a few feet on 5.5, 6 and 7 C kites and mostly gave up. Some went out. A couple of riders did not make it back and we drove to pick them up a couple of miles down the beach. Not a fun day for sure.

One guy, a very good rider, went out on a crossbow 9. He did not seem to have the trouble everyone had with the smaller kites, lofting, overpowered and all. Sailed very nicely for a long time, and then something happened. I don't remember what, but he put the kite on his suicide leash. The kite broke the leash and disappeared. He had to swim back.

[andyandmarlys]

Today I was out on Evan's 12m Crossbow in winds gusting to near 40 and the kite felt fine...... I went out later on the Vegas 06 and it had great depower for a C kite.... but I still got picked up off the beach for a second, and had a harder time walking with the kite... When landing the Vegas in the stong winds, I had to lean againts the pull of the kite... I went and immediatly launched my 12m Turbo Diesel and again found the kite to be easy to handle...

Anyhow, this forum is about range... so I guess I'll say that I have ridden a 12m bow kite from 7 to gusts of 39mph. I am sure I could ride in more wind.. but that would be pretty extreme....( or stupid)...

[jjm]

You seemed to get that 8 working with your Glide when you shouldn't have. Maybe it felt less windy since I was in the water?

[Bob]

Hey LMG
HOLLER

[OliverG]

Yeah, I talked to Greg today, he's back from the Bahamas and says he's ready to work. But he also said he had new kites....

[windhorny]

I am with Andy. The bows range is a healthy 20mph. It is pure marketing as to why they make the printed range so small. I weigh between 165-170 and I am totally comfy on the 12 xbow at 30. It is at that point that i will depower the kite. Up tio that point there is no need to touch anything. It has that much range. but Andy has 50lbs on me and that is probably worth another 5-8mph. And given a larger board, the low end possibilities are endless. Literally, if there is enough wind to keep the kite flying you can ride-upwind! Not much but you wont be doing the walk of shame in 10mph. But it still isnt a magic kite, it takes wind to make the sport work and it will fuck up the average rider real good if they decide to pump a 12 bow when it is averaging 40.

[windhorny]

I am with Andy. The bows range is a healthy 20mph. It is pure marketing as to why they make the printed range so small. I weigh between 165-170 and I am totally comfy on the 12 xbow at 30. It is at that point that i will depower the kite. Up tio that point there is no need to touch anything. It has that much range. but Andy has 50lbs on me and that is probably worth another 5-8mph. And given a larger board, the low end possibilities are endless. Literally, if there is enough wind to keep the kite flying you can ride-upwind! Not much but you wont be doing the walk of shame in 10mph. But it still isnt a magic kite, it takes wind to make the sport work and it will fuck up the average rider real good if they decide to pump a 12 bow when it is averaging 40.

And I would personally not consider a rage or a contra to be a bow as neither of them are anywhere near as flat and the geometry is still the same as a c kite. but really, who cares? It's all tech talk. try a bow, you will see the range yourself, if you dont like it, dont buy it!

[elli]

I think 20MPH is a reasonable range, the SB9 is about 15-35. I never got to 35, but at 30 it felt far from top end, so 35 seems reasonable. 15 is doable but its work.

So what is the magic size for 3rd Av and the Delta for 160# rider? 9 or 12? So much overlap with those bow sizes.