Hi All
I am in the market for a clearance, demo or good second hand 08 kite. So now is your chance to give me all your hard earned advice.
I learned to kite a few years back but havent done a lot as I was out of the country. I have an old 4 line C kite and have served my time swimming so deacent relaunch is high on the priority list. After that I am looking for a good tough all round kite that i can use 14-25knots and progress with.
From the varous threads and reviews I have come up with the following options - probably in this order but am very interested to hear your opinions and or any other suitable options.
- North Rebel 12m
for- good all rounder, good low end
against- 5th line? Never used one - is it a pain in the ass?
- SS rev 13m
for- good all rounder, 4 lines
against - poor low end?
- Cab SB3 12m
for- good all rounder, 4 lines
against - not so tough as some of the others?
- Best Waroo 13m
dont know much about these but there are a few positive notes here and there, poor relaunch?
cheers folks
I think all new kites are good, especially if your moving from an old 4 line c kite to a bow/SLE,
I personally own a 8m and 12m 08 switchblades, And i can't recommend them enough,
Bulk bottom end power and they relaunch that well it's a bit tricky to self land the 8m in 25+ knot winds.
I've flown a waroo and a rebel and couldn't fault them, but im in love with my switchy's.
My 2 cents.
Rebel 08 was a great kite they improved the low end and relaunch on it compared to the previous years. Initial batch shipped with faulty bladders however North replaced all of the bladders in this batch (you just had to take it back to the dealer) and subsequent kites were fine.
Bar is very clean trim is a cleat, i found that the throw on the chicken loop line was too long, ie too much depower so i shortend mine which was easy enough. Very strong well built kites, fly nicely reasonably quick off the mark and grunty too.
SB 08 also well made kite, four line with advertised 100% depower, whatever that is. Kite flies well. The best thing IMO about this kite is the low end, amazing low end and amazing grunt however you always feel 100% in control, very neat kite. Reasonably quick off the mark perhaps a tad slower than the Rebel but probably because the rebel was on shorter lines.
The 8m SB is a total blast amazing little kite with phenomenal low end for a small kite.
Not sure about the others Rev always gets good reviews and best well the only people i hear rave about the Waroo are those that own them, i tried one briefly in Kitestock but wasn't overly excited but again thats only my opinion whatever that is worth.
Anyway good luck with your purchase you cant go wrong really with the kites you have chosen. If it were me i would be tossing up between the SB and the Rebel, i like 5th lines so i would pick the Rebel, but hey thats just me.
They are all great kites. I have owned the Rebel 07, Switch 3 and Waroo and the Rev has pretty good reviews. Its all down to personal taste really. I am not overly keen on 5 line kites for the surf, so I now ride Switchblade IDS. You will find them all incredibly easy to relaunch compared with your old c kite.
Steve,
What do you find dangerous about the Best leash mate? I have an upgraded 08 Best leash and prefer it over my Cabrinha leash, I found in heavy crashes on the Cabrinha that the quick release on the harness would detach.
Cheers, Paul.
How? How does the Rev produce more apparent wind. Wouldnt that make it a better low end performer?
Can only comment on the Cab SB and REV
The Cab SB has a better park and ride low end though the REV can generate a lot more apparent wind.
The 2 kites feel totally different. The SB loses power through turns more in low wind while the REV has more of a C kite feel to me. The REV has lower bar pressure and has a lighter feel to it.
In higher winds the REV seems more stable and controllable to me. Both kites are fast. I prefer the SS bar setup with the adjustable stopper ball over the Cab bar setup and 5 line safety with a 4 line kite is a bonus for me.
The REV is more stable under slack line conditions.
I would take either kite any day at the right price. You may pick up a REV08 a bit cheaper than a SB3.
Steve
Not sure what rebel you are using but every rebel I've flown relaunches as easy if not easier than any other kite and that's not just me fly them that's every person that has been shown the right way. So maybe what you need is a lesson on how to relaunch kites. There is no secret method it is the same for all kites of that shape. Quality wise I have put my rebels down in 6 to 8 foot surf and every time they come out unharmed and since the rebels were released i have only tore one and that was on a sharp stick on the beach and my rebels get a harder life than most.
All the kites mentioned above are good kites just look around for the best deal as long as you are happy with it that's all that matters.
Thanks everyone for all your comments and notes - much appreciated
All we need now is for someone to spin all those green arrows around to point the other way!
Cheers
Just taken delivery of my new 12m 08 hp nemisis ordered online from the states and landed in oz for AUS$890 (free freight as part of the deal). Ordered on friday and recieved it on the following tuesday...couldnt believe how quick it arrived wasnt expecting it for another week at least. A very cheap way to get a top end performance kite that also has a warranty. This was kite only no bar, if you wanted a bar get it sent seperatley so as to avoid customs charges
ps - our dollar has droped a little since then
Well I got a 2008 11m NEW kite with a bar and lines delivered for $749 Australian dollars.
It took a bit longer than 1 week to arrive. WA is about as far away as America 
yeah thats pretty cheap but personally id rather pay the extra for the nemisis. hope it works well for you
Good luck with your warranty sending it back to the US!!
I bought an 8 and 12 Switchblade 3 as clearance stock. Coming form 07 rebel, was up for any of kites mentioned above. Finding the lack of the 5th line to be strange, but simple! How do you self land these things! (don't answer that, I'll figure it out).
i will note North's bar system has not evolved (dont know 09 bar though) 07 and 08 practivally the same high wear / too many lines feeding through the bar hole. On saying that, the depower is simple on rebel. Undecided on the SB's toggles. Both SB and rebel are above bar.
Top finish on the Switchblade. Rebels are good too. But I would have bought any of these kites .. change is as good as holiday!
Ultimate test will be how it looks after two week in Gnaraloo
hi i have a ss rev 13m and i weigh 95 kgs the kites low end is not that noticable because the kite is so fast for it`s size . it`s a stand out kite .
