But... the forecast was the same as yesterday!

Got skunked as the wind dropped while trying to ride the Nitro and then the Flite. Had a nice chat to Brendan, who turned up and set up but wisely, didn't bother...

Vanguard really is a fantastic board...!

Other end of the scale

Desperate for a ride, I went to South Beach and set up the Nitro3 to test the low end.

Was interesting, but wasn't a lot of fun. Put in 3 hours of riding the flattest water between the widest breaks in the waves, then walking out a bit, then riding again.

Now, if I can just get the Nitro out in the wind it was designed for...

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Weather was reported as 18kph.
Wind felt like underpowered (duh) to almost powered in the "gusts".

What I learned today...

• Shortening the rear lines on the Nitro by an inch improved the feel at the bar and got some grunt into it, without losing the upwind ability. Don't forget to remove that knot!
• Really responds well to being worked and building the apparent wind... shame the water isn't co-operating...
• Popped a few jumps - pretty impressed how well up it goes despite the lack of wind, and how easy it is to time the redirects. Good jumping kite... wonder if it would have gone absolutely mental with the tuned line at Waikuku.

Nitro at Waikuku

Due to circumstances, I had to use a different part of the beach than usual - Waikuku :o there's an estuary there that the .kml file said was usable at all tides but that's horseshit. So the beach was the only option til the tide came up.

Wind looked light for the guys on 10m kites, so I thought I could get away with the Nitro v3 14m on it's first run, with the small Vanguard... pumped up in a protected area behind the dunes and carried the kite out to launch on the beach. Would have been easier to fly the kite there :-/

Easy launch, feels like I got some power so should be good to go... head out to the water, start fine and - yikes, that's a big wave! Bit of a battle getting out through the breakers; got knocked off once, dropped over a wave and fell over... nearly had the kite tumbled by a wave when I dropped it on the water.

God, it's gnarly out here! The choppiest and sharpest breaking waves I've ever encountered. I get out the back but I'm just mowing the lawn. Boosts are bit lame but it's interesting to try out the Nitro.

Get sick of riding back n' forth and notice there's a kite out on the estuary now, so I head over there. Walk over the spit and jump in...

Better. Flatter water, bigger boosts but the kite... well, I guess it's over-powered. Nothing fancy, cos the water is only a foot or so deep :o

After a while, the wind suddenly drops and the other 3 locals make a bee-line for the set up point so I follow them in...

Not bad, I guess but I'd have had more fun on the Mako, playing in the waves.

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Weather was reported as 30kph at 4pm, 20˚C.
Wind felt like I dunno... the trim was never touched on the Nitro and I never felt over-powered but I wasn't working the kite hard.

What I learned today...

• Vanguard - god-like. No issues with the chop and slop waves, no bogging or sinking even with the new kite I wasn't used to. Great planing when the wind died too... just a fantastic board.

Thoughts on the Nitro 3 14m

• Wind range seems great.
•  Boosts and floats as well as the XBows, although today the XB would probably have been a more violent rip off the water.
• Flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flappity flap.
• Folded a wind tip, while loading a down loop :(
• Bit vague through the bar, and doesn't like being told to turn when sheeted out.
• Might be something to do with the light bar pressure.
• Really flies of the front lines, eh Eppo.
• Very short run in light wind - seems to have a great bottom end.
• Need to try it when it's not horrendously over-powered.