13 Rev in in light wind
Moderator: MK
13 Rev in in light wind
Tighe let me demo a 13 Rev Tuesday at Waconia. When I got there the the wind was light, maybe 9 or 10 gusting to 15. Since my trusty 16m BFK burst I've been looking for the ultimate light wind kite, one that can get me up in light wind, is fast, and can handle gusts. Coming from C kites I just can't quite get used to the on and off feel of bows. I like the steady pull and even bar feedback you get from Cs. I had a great session on the Rev, even though the wind was up and down and variable. I had enough power to cruise in the lulls with very little sining, and even in the big 20+ gusts all it took was a little edging to keep the Rev in check. From lull to gust the kite feels almost the same. It's super stable and predictable. I got some nice jumps that could have been a lot better. Tighe was busy giving a lesson and forgot to tell me to sheet out in the jumps. I tend to hang on the bar like a trapeze, which kills the power. The only downside of this kite is that you don't get those adrenaline pumping highs that you get on a big C when a gust hits and you go skipping downwind at 40 mph. Thanks Tighe.
Re: 13 Rev in in light wind
glad you liked it Jeff...and yeah I probably could have done a better intro to the kite prior to the demo.
As you pointed out the biggest challenge most people have with the kite is training themselves not to hang on the bar when you send it. These kites get most of their lift through their speed through the air (like most kites) pulling in on the bar just slows them down and kills their lift. I like to ride with my sweet spot 6-8 inches from the CL, so pulling in dogs it out. I may have been confusing if I said you need to sheet out in jumps. I meant, you just don't want to pull down on the bar too much.
Many people just adjust the front lines ( via the CL cleat/adjustment strap) so that the bottom of the sweet spot is with the bar all the way in. Then the kite is still is flying fast and pulling you skyward even with the bar all the way in.
I love jumping on these kites because you have so much control in the air. Feel free to take another session on them Jeff.
As you pointed out the biggest challenge most people have with the kite is training themselves not to hang on the bar when you send it. These kites get most of their lift through their speed through the air (like most kites) pulling in on the bar just slows them down and kills their lift. I like to ride with my sweet spot 6-8 inches from the CL, so pulling in dogs it out. I may have been confusing if I said you need to sheet out in jumps. I meant, you just don't want to pull down on the bar too much.
Many people just adjust the front lines ( via the CL cleat/adjustment strap) so that the bottom of the sweet spot is with the bar all the way in. Then the kite is still is flying fast and pulling you skyward even with the bar all the way in.
I love jumping on these kites because you have so much control in the air. Feel free to take another session on them Jeff.
Tighe
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Hunter Welles
- Posts: 336
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:06 pm
- Location: Wayzata
Re: 13 Rev in in light wind
Those revs work great in light wind. I have a 15 that I absolutely love. It gets me out and going up wind in next to nothing, but I still feel in control in big gusts, and compared to most other light wind kites, like my previous 17.5m machine, this is crazy how smooth and fast this kite is. Also, I would guess that most of my biggest jumps were on this kite, and i can guarantee the longest. The revs have huge hang time, you can basically just float horizontally. If you see me out at the lake and want to use my 15 let me know.