I've had 3 goes at this kite so far:
Where and what.
1. Brighton (Melb) @ about 8knots,
2. Brighton @ about 12 knots,
3. 13th beach @ about... how strong is it when your board get blown/tumbled 15 meters down the beach?... 25knots & very gusty.
How did it go?
1. (No brainer here.) It fell out of the sky a few times but it flew! On the sand, getting a feel for it, nice quick turns very predictable positioning. I was happily looping it after a few minutes of play. Skudding/sand-dragging was easy with some low window swoops.
It doesn't feel big enough to be a 13 meter kite... it doesn't even look big enough... it feels and looks more like about 8.5-10 meters when your flying it.
Conditions where lousy, there was bugger all chance of any decent wind, but I was there to get wet. So I did. Using a big board (Stonker Mongrel 167) I (95kg... plz don't tell the girls) was able to get planing and run along the shoreline using the extra air-pressure found there.
Not bad. This kite has lots of bottom end because of the speed it can develop and it doesn't lose much when turning.
2.
Ok, not much more wind (Bugger this season so far), but I was able to get out for a few down-wind runs... almost held upwind a few times, enough to make me wonder how this thing would go on 27m lines. It comes with 20m lines and some 2m extensions, I don't know how much more power that would equal because it only gives you about 2-3m more of horizontal window, while 27m gives about 10m more... but likes messing with long lines?!? Still impressed by the bottom end of this thing.
3.
Headed down to 13th Beach, near Barwon Heads (Vic), on a day that promised a nice 20-30 SW'er... get there and it's about 10knots southerly (onshore to side-onshore). But then it swang around to the west and picked up. Greatly... in fact, violently (I was out on another kite, at the time, and you nearly read about that one in the papers. But that's another story.)
So, with a gusty side-onshore, I was able to play with the Impact at it's top-end. WOW! This thing is brilliant! The bar pressure is light to firm, enough to let you know exactly where the kite is (even with your face in a wave) and what it's doing (where it is in the stroke/turn/parked), but not too heavy (so as to pull you out of posture or off your edge).
It still felt like a small kite. It doesn't get a whole lot faster in stronger winds, interestingly, and if it does it isn't noticeable because of the precise control and feedback through the bar. If you're use to a kite that has a lag, between possition and bar feedback, you might over-fly the Impact the first few times until accustomed to it.
I'm not a great jumper but there's plenty of lift. I was able to easily jump (and even land a few).
As for the gusts, it hadles them well. Really well. And the bottom end is there for the lulls inbetween.
Overall assessment...
This kite is lots of fun!
Range is big.
Handling and feedback are brilliant.
Quality of build is as good as they come.
Setup (bar etc) is simple, tried and proven. 5th line standard rig.
I want one.
Now where is that fat bearded fella in the red suit??
I meet Tony L
on the weekend and also saw the F-one Impact in action.
There was not a hope in hell I was setting up in that wind, My smallest kite is 8m but noway in those squalls.
So how the hell does someone rip it up with a 13m kite.
It was only in the very worst of the squalls did it look uncomfortable.
My search is over and Tony has my order for an 11m Impact.
And thanks for taking time to answer my dumb questions Tony.
Freed
Just goes to show how dumb am I.
I thought those questions were tough.
Actually during those big squalls I was thinking of the look on the formula windsurfing guys at Elwood when they hit there.
And those winds at Altona on Sat arvo are the max you would have a 13m impact out in. The depower was right in and the rear lines were shuddering when you sheeted right out and steering was sloppy at this point.
Even though by moving the centre lines shorter you could get more depower movement, I now wonder would it be worth it.
Rider 94kg
lines 20m
125X39cm M8 board
Best Winds
Tony L
I'd be interested in trying one of the new tribal kites if there is any in Melbourne
There is a Tribal demo on its way to Vic. and will be here next week.
Christmas transport willing.
It will first be demoed at Sandy point probably 29th and 30th.
then Melbourne and Torquay.
The Impacts are very impressive and the Tribals are supposed to be similer with more depower.
And seeing the Impact outperform widespans in wind range, I can't wait to try the Tribal.
Best winds
Tony L
ABK
I'm not really up with all the new bow kites ie Crossbows/Switchblades/GK/Sonics etc but is the Tribal similar to any of these kites? I notice on the F-one website they mention a 'Stop and Go' feature of the Tribal. According to the website ...'when you let go of the bar, the kite loses its power and slowly descends to the edge of the wind window and stops on its tip and waits for you there. Grab the bar and go!'
I basically want to know how true to this statement the Tribal really is??? Any feedback from Tribal riders???
How heavy would that bar be when riding?
Ring M8 0754556633 and they will put you in touch with the nearest place you can try one.
I had a cruisy fun session on an Impact13 at Torquay yesterday in 28kts gusts to 34kts. One other who had a go was doing some great down the line riding with it.
28kts on a 13 is not Ideal for wave riding, and that same day the biggest Bow kite up was 9m. and next biggest C was an X3 10m.
The Tribal has even more depower capabilities than the Impact, I just wonder how much depower we all need.
Best winds
Tony L
ABK
I tried the 13 meter today in about 12-14/15 kts. It's very smooth, easy to kite loop powered aswell as depowered and fly's just like the 9m i've tried only a smidgen slower. It turns with no effort and extremely quickly for a 13m kite. The kite ozes of performance and intermediate / advanced riders will appreciate it as soon as it's in their hands, but due to the 5th line and huge wind range it is optimum for the beginner or peoploe looking for bow wind ranges without the bow disadvantages. priced well at around 1600 including suicide/safety leash.
What I find hard to describe and people find hard to believe is that this same kite is still fun in 25 kts.
Have you noticed with the other sizes that the actual speed of the kite doesn't alter that much for different wind strengths?
My students seem to gravitate to the Impact due to the speed, which I first thought would be intimidating, they say that it's great to let the bar go and loose lots of power but still reach and steer the kite. Also when they do get the kite in a position where a crash is imminent, they can recover quickly.
Also I note that by putting some time into fine tuning the 5th line stopper length, the 5th setup works even better.
Best winds and I'm off to Altona this arvo.
best winds
Tony L
I rode a 13m f-one impact today at Altona (nice to meet you today Tony and Azza!)
I was impressed with the kite - fast punchy turns, rides fast, and what suprised me the most was the solid low end of the kite, especially when at speed. It felt like more kite than a 13 and still depowered well. I was actually wondering if it would keep me upwind, but it rode upwind with ease (me at 88kg, wind at approx 15 knots, 152 mogul) I switched from that to my 18 BFK and to be honest, didnt feel much difference in power. Keep in mind the BFK can be depowered heaps, so it can be tuned to fly like a 16.
all in all, a fast, fun kite...
good to see you had fun Bondo,
That was the Tribal you were on and it is even more fun in the waves, as some of us found out yesterday at Pt danger.
Mr plow said he prefered the Impact.
because of it's better low down pull.
and Azza also prefered the Impact.
Personally after the weekend Both are fine by me.
cool - feel free to pop down to altona with pre rigged demo kites any time. i could get used to it 
quote:
Originally posted by bondo
cool - feel free to pop down to altona with pre rigged demo kites any time. i could get used to it
I tried the Impact 13m in unhooked setup, it's handy having the kit come with the kite, takes a whole 3mins to change if that.
This was my first try of unhooked since 2 line days. or the occasional play with my teaching kites. I was not sure of power setting but obviously set too much.
I must say raleys are way bigger and easier but i travelled way further downwind as well. I also found out I need to build up some arm strength.
Is there any advise on setting up the Impact for getting the best out of unhooked riding, I want to try it in the waves.
Best winds
Tony L
ABK
biggest bit of advice is set the kite up depowered ie, if it's light wind then use the longest depower and 5th line settings,( most powered), then prior to unhooking pull the depower strap between half way and all the way depowered so the kite needs to be pumped to maintain ground due not enough power.... use your speed to do whatever trick when you load up. if you like a bit of pull and going downwind then i would pull it half way...
For the 13 meter if the wind was over 15 kts , i would set the front line depower on the center setting and the 5th line 1 knot tighter aswell... If you need to fully power the kite with this setting ie it drops right off, you can let the depower strap right out and sheet in the back line straps at the bar, this will get you back to about 90% power, and if it's light will give you 100% power, in this setting you may need to pump to get up to speed vice beeing lazy and doing 1 stroke but once you've done 2 or 3 you should be able to park it and cruise., pull the depower between half and full so the kite doesn't fully power and go for it.
for me to use the 3rd centre line depower it would need to be hammering in at like 25kts on a 13 cause it is a massive increase in depower, so much that when i went out in Lancelin i tried the third setting and on a 9 meter almost lost all power in the 22-25 kt lulls from around 35+ kts i found the second depower setting and second 5th line setting is pretty much my limit for comfortable unhooking, hooked in the ammount of wind you can hold on the 3rd setting is scary, you start realiseing how high you are in boosts and wonder if the gear can take it, and at around that power level start asking yourself is breaking body parts worth it when you unhook and grab the wrong bar end and loop the kite in 25 kts.... owwee!
remember that just caus you can hold it hooked in, doesn't mean it's good for unhooking!
So that extra plastic loop thing that came with my Impact is for unhooked riding.
Is this better?
how do you change it over?
do you use the extra lines in the packet with unhooked riding?
by the way, I am totally happy with my Impact. and another guy about the same level as me with a GKSonic 11m doesn't do as well when the winds are light, and then has the front edge go wierd if he comes out with me in bigger winds. So I'm real happy.
Freed.
the plastic loop is an optional sized chickenloop , you can un screw the donkey dik, with your hands, then get a 10 mm socket to un screw the bolt i think, then you can change to a bigger chickenloop,and/ or change the donkey dik for a smaller one....i ride with both, setups, just easier to unhook / hook in and fall out with larger loop and smaller donkey./
Hey Freed,
yea unscrew the Donkey dik and replace with the short one, only there to protect thread. Then realease the safety and small loop pulls thru its loop at other end. Then attach the bigger one.
However, if I were you I would file this info for the future when you first start playing with raleys etc.
sounds like you are about to start your first jumps. there is still heaps of fun to be had hooked in.
best winds
Tony L
