First of all; I have read everything on 12 and 14 what is ridden here in this forum, but still I am clueless and want to buy the kites very! soon.
I weigh 76kg and I can ride unhooked etc. and I have good marginal wind skills (can get planing early compared to my friends). I have a Nobile skimboard as well as a 135x48cm lightwind board and then Nobile 666 132x41 and a surfboard but due to my back problems I have been lately riding the skim and surfboard.
So I'm looking for a kite that starts in 10knots in flat water (which helps when creating apparent wind and speed). Is there a big difference in lowend between the 12m and 14 Dos if I use the skimboard?
I now use 14m C-kite 2008 Vegas and found out that the 12meter goes about just as early when I tried after I bought the 14. I fear that the same happens with 14 Bandit Dos.
1) So could you give your feedback on the lowend between the 12m and 14m and especially when using the skimboard?
2) is there a difference in bar pressure and forces needed to turn the kite between the 12 and 14m (if the bigger bar is used for 12 as well)? I remember reading the 14 is lighter but can this be true???
3) And what about the turning speed of 12 and 14?
4) And jumping ability in lower and higher winds of both these kites (I mean which is better in 12-14knots and then in 18-20knots)? And do you prefer 12 or 14m2 and how much do you weigh?
I'd _really_ appreciate your feedback on this dilemma as I should decide quickly which kite to buy!
at your weight the biggest Bandit Dos you need is the 12m.
In fact even consider the 10m.
definitely forget the 14m.
fully agree...I have a 12M dos- gets me going in near NO WIND and i weight the same as you mate...
Thank you very much guys!
12 it is then. We get quite a lot of 10-16 knot days = 12m2 (with skim & TT), and then 20-24knots = 9m2 (with surfboard & TT), and then rarely very windy like 30-45knots = 5.5m2 (with mostly strapless surfboard) 
I was thinking about building my set around the 10meter, but since we have quite a lot of low wind days, these 10-14 knots (if lucky then 16 knots) days I think the 12 is better here and I guess the 9 is nice as well?
What is the comfortable range for 9m2 with both surfboard and twintip for my weight?Am I correct assuming that I would get a better lowend with 12 Dos than my current 08 Vegas 14m? The Dos should be faster and still have at least the same power as the Vegas?
Thanks once again!
I steer my customers in your weight category towards the 10m as their go to kite.
But if as you say the wind for you is predominantly light then for sure go the 12m but I would recommend upgrading to a 50/55cm bar. No problems with the 45cm bar but it is a compromise to a larger wind range.
If you go for the 12 then the 9m is a good match but it is still a very powerful kite so 25kt+ days will be fun.
with the 12m start straight away with the 2nd knot on centre line. they choke without much warning and this increases bar pressure. I have given up using the 1st knot totally as this gives no advantage even in the lightest wind.
and Do PUMP it HAAARD
great! Thanks RAL INN and others too!!!
Just last thing;
when it comes to waveriding, ferw most important things is the kite should be fast, drift well (even when lines are slack) and smooth constant power delivery.Does the Bandit Dos 9meter or smaller tick these boxes?
After this I will puysh the button - yikes 
I was using the 9mDOS this arvo in small shorebreaks and she really can be used for powered wave riding, with it moving across the window with good speed and progressive POWER. I havent tried the park and ride as I havent found any decent waves lately. I use a 9 as my big kite but thats for 15-22 knots. would have liked a 7m this arvo. they have a lot of grunt so the 12 should be heaps for 15knots.
Does the Bandit Dos 9meter or smaller tick these boxes?
10m is big enough for your weight. I weigh 92 kgs and can ride in 12-13 knots on a tt....
Does the Bandit Dos 9meter or smaller tick these boxes?
).
Tightlines, there may be kites dedicated to waves that also tick the boxes but I would put them into the personal preference category and 90% of us are not really good enough to tell the difference.
My personal quiver is a 10/7 combo. I have use of a 12m but the times I have used it, I usually think I would have been ok or better off on the 10m.
But I only want to kite 15-30kts. of course I don't always get what I want
I recently got a 14m Dos for those light wind days. I was out on it yesterday and the wind was reaching 24knots. Sur when the gusts hit I was really powered but it was one of the best sessions I've had in ages. i'm not a huge guy only 84kg and riding a nobile 666 131 and LF skate 5.11.
some of the new 12m dos we got in whyalla came with line extensions which made a huge differance in light winds at 90kgs i could ride a nobile skim board in 10-12kts and be on a larger tt in 14+ nearly allways run my 12m one knot down as they do oversheet quit badly in lighter stuff and when unhooking.
with the extensions removed and 2 knots down i have riden the 12m in 25kts with some larger gusts they handle the higher wind well. but would rather be on my 8m once it picks up.
the turning of the 12m is quit laboured and would definatly be better with the larger bar. as it feels easyer to turn the 14m in lighter conditions.
the dos doesnt handle having slack in the lines for to long they just fall out of the sky and they are almost imposible to catch as they fall. but in the surf the do drift backwards quit well if you keep some tension on the lines.
All up there great kites and you can have large gaps in your quiver I ride the 12m and 8m in almost all conditions but with the amount of depower they have you could have a larger gap like 14,9 or 12,7 depending on your local conditions.
Make sure you get one of the latest shipment kites they have a small circle patch stitched on just at the top of the scuff gards on each strut, the bridles were getting stuck on these and pulling off the gards.
Hi
Just wondering what view you guys would have for a 2 kite quiver.
I'm 95kgs and was thinking along the lines of a 12m as a lightwind option.
I dont think I'd go as big as the 14 cos it looks like a bit of a truck and not particularly quick. The question is what's the second kite an 8 or a 9?
I'm being drawn towards the 9 as I generally like to ride fairly powered up.
Is the difference in top end very different between the two kites?
Cheers
Unless you are riding a fairly big board or riding in the surf i would say to get the 14-9m the 12m for you will stall badly in lighter wind and fly backwards. the 14m is no truck it actually turns verry fast for a big kite same speed as the 13m last year. Im 90kgs and have been using the 12-8m dos all year but have had to keep my 15m rev to get out from 12kts. If you choose the 12m you would probably be riding in 15kts on a 135tt board. and from 20kts on the 8m. my advice try one of each in the lower wind range that you would like to ride in this is where the kites strugle with larger riders dont be to worried about the topend as it is huge and when the kite gets in to the right range you will love any size.
Hi OMG
I'm 72kg have the 10,12 and 14 in my demo fleet and have ridden and taught with all these kites. Can say if your after a primarily light wind kite the 14 is the go, its design means it is the least likely to backstall even fully powered and unhooked in 10 knts. Where as the 12 needs to be tuned properly, dont get me wrong ive used the 12 on really light days too but if I know its going to be light the 14 comes out and I have more fun without having to work so much. Can handle up to low 20 s fine have had it out in 27knts, but not what i'd recomend.
Have fun
GEORGE
so not too many are recommending 12 then, how come? Is it a dud and should be avoided then?
And does the 10 have about the same low end as the 12 even if the 12 is flown with 55cm bar and tuned right?
And thank you very much for your replies!
I tested the 10meter in 20knots gusting 28 and it was really really powerful, but I was in 3 celsius so it makes quite a difference. However, the jumps were really huge with excellent hangtime. I had it on the second knot. It wasn't quick turning, which I would have expected.
Are the 8 and 9meter versions as good jumpers as the 10?
It may be that the 10m is so damm good that you need to base your quiver around that which makes the 14m the next best low wind choice.
however you are saying you weigh 76kg which would make the 14m to big. and also you have the 48cm wide board. all this says 10m.
Thanks Ral Inn!
I might have a chance to test the 14, but we'll see.
I was thinking about 5.5, 9 and 12 quiver. I know the 9 and 12 are quite close but I think the 9 meter would be nice size to have for our winds. I am a bit reluctant to go for the 14 since I have bad memories on Vegas 2008 14meter as I didn't get anymore low end than the 12 Vegas 08... And in very low winds I would be using the skimboard so that's why I would like to have a nice turning kite and I hope the 12meter would be like that with 55cm bar.
certainly the 12m with the bigger bar would be as big as you would want to go.
it's as big as my 95kg wants.
but a 10/7 combo is very sweet
I use these kites in my school and the 12 very rarely comes out, the 14 is the better kite from the 2, dont know why but the 12 doesnt have the same responsivness to all other sizes. if its getting windy enough to pack away the 14 i jump straight to the 10. which by the way is the kite which seems to perform in the widest range of conditions.
Im all for the 14 but only for 10 to 15kn then out comes the 10. I personally dont bother kiting until its 15kn and ive been on my 10 all season, only using a smaller kite once. wind starting to touch 30kn. its gotta be one of the most versatile kites ive ever ridden.
Hope this has helped confuse you, he he
Like i told before... The 12m2 is F-ones biggest mistake.
The succes of the windrange and lowend of the 10m2 kills the 12m2.
The 10m2 and 12m2 have the same lowend but the 10m2 has a better highend.
If you want to kite below 15 knt and you want a lowend machine you have to go for the 14m2 otherwise go for the 10m2....
I have the 14m2 - 9m2 Dos and have planty overlap
I your case go for the 10m2 and NOT the 12m2
THANK YOU all for your feedback!
I actually managed to test the 14 yesterday in very low winds. And it WORKED! I'm still inclined to go for the 12, BUT since the 14 is very nice kite for its size I will take it. It jumps really nicely and turns well if pushed enough for its size. I was able to to 1 footers with 360 transition in really low winds and the kite jumps unexpectedly good. So far all the 14m kites I have tried have been so so, but not this one.
So as you can tell, I'm very excited abt this kite. And as I wrote earlier I tested the 10 in its very upper wind range. So although I was thinking about 5.5, 9 and 12 the new set will be 5.5, 10 and 14. Yeah I know, it's maniac to have a such a gap between 5.5 and 10, but I will be using in higher winds the 5.5 and surfboard so there's enough overlap to the 10. And the 10 will be my bread and butter kite. It's not that fast turning so it's easier to do old school (big rotations etc.) when the kite isn't zooming all over the place in the window. Hopefully the 5.5 will be FAST!
thanks!
