:(
Looked like today would be a good time to try out the Infinity in the kind of winds it's supposed to be used it. Pumped it up to 7-8psi or so, nice and firm - tends to flop on its tips otherwise. God I hate those small valves, so much more effort than the big ones!
Got out onto the water and started... then I dropped it in a lull. Now it all starts to go wrong...
I pull the LH steering line and the kite scoots over to the RHS of the window, pops up onto its tip fine then - flops together in a clam :( I wait for it to open for a second but instead, it tumbles back onto its TE and tumbleweeds back into the center of the window.
It opens up on its LE so I'm about to grab the steering line to send it to the edge again when it whips up and down in a loop - WTF? I can see the LH rear leader is wrapped around the tip.
Quickly consider the options (QR, OS handle, hang on for dear life etc) and figure the best thing to do is give the rear lines slack - I pull the QR (with both hands) but it loops again. I start hauling in the depower line to manually pull the center lines but it loops for a final time - and the canopy unzips from TE to LE :o
The power has gone from the canopy now so I can wrap up the lines as the kite drifts to the beach and pack it up. Near as I can tell, the ring on the main bridle (!) conspired with the rear pig-tail and between the two of them, looped one around the other then over the tip during the tumble downwind.
Great. So now I gotta replace the kite and even worse, have to tell the dude who so kindly lent it to me. Man, now I remember why I don't borrow other people's sporting gear!
So I get out the Xbow and go on to have a great session anyway. Started off on the Mako but as the wind fell, swapped for the Flydoor. Man, I can't get over how I'm hating the Flydoor now :o
Got some good jumps in on the gusts, getting the Mako under control now...
Was wearing my long-sleeved rashgaurd under my wetsuit, my rainsuit jacket from the DIY store over the wetsuit then my orange t-shirt over that. I was actually quite warm and I guess cos my torso was warm, my body had extra blood to spare for my hands cos they were warm too. The only chilly thing I noticed back at the beach was my legs...
Mind you, pumping up 2 kites probably kept me warm too. Despite the snow drifting by :o
Moment of the Day was seeing Glove-giver Guy attempting back-spins - way to go that man!
Weather was reported as 14 to 16.2 knots at 3°C 57% but it gusted on either side, mostly lulls towards the end of the session.
What I learned today...
• Don't borrow gear :(
• Those open delta C things are as horrible for me as they are for everyone else - freakin' tumbleweeds!
• You CAN jump the Mako 'in the regular fashion' but it requires aggressive footwork; extra effort from the rear leg needed.
• Ra's al Ghul was right - Keep your core warm and the rest will take care of itself.
Showing posts with label infinity v2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infinity v2. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A GULP of the Kool-Aid this time
Long weekend off; that is, we don't have to work Saturday :-/ so we're up in Hamamatsu. I should really know better, I never get much joy from the beach here... anyway here's the story.
Wind was up-ish, waves were down; thought it might be worth breaking out the Infinity... I'll get to see what it's like up the top-end anyway. Cross-off is a bit of a worry though but nothing ventured and all that. Will try out my new Mako 150 too happy joy! Thanks Buzz!!!
Pumped the kite up and set up, easy self-launch. Hmm bit twitchy - probably the wind shadow. And the direction changes. And the gusts. Oh well - nut up. Got in the water - not too cold, good ol' Hyperflexx! Up and riding easily, that's good. Depower some - oh a bit gusty. Yes gusty. OH SHIT GUSTY! yoink off you go down-wind then, as fast as you can... rode the shocks out but aren't having fun. A few half-assed jumps but it's survival mode out here...
And aren't going upwind either :-/ give up, land the kite, pack up the bar and walk back up the beach... I was out on the water for over an hour but it felt like 5 minutes :o
Lucky I got off the water when I did too - the walk up the beach was made worse by an epic headwind... damn Hamamatsu! :(
More thoughts on the Infinity... (relative to today and the usual caveats apply)
• Good pull when it was being worked but I didn't have a lot of joy parking and riding it... tide, current and wind (and new board?) working against me though so we'll see on the lake...
• Vicious bastard when it's over-powered - certainly not as much of a buffer out the top-end as the SLE kites eg. my Xbows; I have never felt so dangerously and uncontrollably over-powered for a very long time indeed! It was a real handful trying to land too and the DISASTER of a QR didn't help.
What I'm talking about is how punchy it got when over-powered but still pulled a lot... Cab's IDS may be for "learners" or "old men in golf pants" but it works to take a battering but not haul on you - I know when I absolutely have to change out my Xbow for a smaller size because the kite is twitchy and jerking when totally depowered... but isn't pulling me off the water :o
Twitchy and rough in the gusts and shifts, lots of flapping and stalling - I'm guessing it's the three-strut design... lots of 'canvas' to flap about. Compared with 7 on the Xbow - I'm beginning to see a pattern here, and why Dimitri says 20 knots is the top end limit! So 30 knots NOT good :D
• Definite rear-line flyer - needs the tension there to keep it under control and on the boil. Feedback is handy (not dropping out of the sky) but it's not taxing - although I was wearing thick gloves, I didn't get the forearm pump I've had from the 16m Xbow.
• Landing from the safety - easy! I was worried cos I've never done it before (except on the FSr) It dropped down onto the LE then sat up on the wing tip at the edge of the window. I reached up and pulled the upper flying line and it gradually came back into the window then down onto the LE and sat there... in 30 knots :o
Weather was a nightmare - here's why... cross-offshore to cross-onshore; I got readings of 10 to 20 knots with average around 14 at the water's edge, JMA read 12 to 14 with gusts to 30!!!
Moment of the Day was getting out on the new board. Oh and not dying. Always good, that.
What I learned today...
• Epic Infinity v2 likes 8psi. I know cos I measured :D
• Mako will be awesome when I get used to it!
• New kite and board make a tough combination for riding in rough weather :-/
• Just cos the waves aren't breaking doesn't mean they aren't towering over your head doesn't mean they're not powerful. And big...! Did I say big? Cos they were big.
• Season has started! Wetsuit FTW! Maybe I need a 5mm this year... push the envelope! Roger that, milli vanilli chilly willy!
• That quick release has got to go - when I tried to land, I couldn't release it with my left hand at all and only just managed with the right - What. The. Fuck.
• Walking sucks.
Wind was up-ish, waves were down; thought it might be worth breaking out the Infinity... I'll get to see what it's like up the top-end anyway. Cross-off is a bit of a worry though but nothing ventured and all that. Will try out my new Mako 150 too happy joy! Thanks Buzz!!!
Pumped the kite up and set up, easy self-launch. Hmm bit twitchy - probably the wind shadow. And the direction changes. And the gusts. Oh well - nut up. Got in the water - not too cold, good ol' Hyperflexx! Up and riding easily, that's good. Depower some - oh a bit gusty. Yes gusty. OH SHIT GUSTY! yoink off you go down-wind then, as fast as you can... rode the shocks out but aren't having fun. A few half-assed jumps but it's survival mode out here...
And aren't going upwind either :-/ give up, land the kite, pack up the bar and walk back up the beach... I was out on the water for over an hour but it felt like 5 minutes :o
Lucky I got off the water when I did too - the walk up the beach was made worse by an epic headwind... damn Hamamatsu! :(
More thoughts on the Infinity... (relative to today and the usual caveats apply)
• Good pull when it was being worked but I didn't have a lot of joy parking and riding it... tide, current and wind (and new board?) working against me though so we'll see on the lake...
• Vicious bastard when it's over-powered - certainly not as much of a buffer out the top-end as the SLE kites eg. my Xbows; I have never felt so dangerously and uncontrollably over-powered for a very long time indeed! It was a real handful trying to land too and the DISASTER of a QR didn't help.
What I'm talking about is how punchy it got when over-powered but still pulled a lot... Cab's IDS may be for "learners" or "old men in golf pants" but it works to take a battering but not haul on you - I know when I absolutely have to change out my Xbow for a smaller size because the kite is twitchy and jerking when totally depowered... but isn't pulling me off the water :o
Twitchy and rough in the gusts and shifts, lots of flapping and stalling - I'm guessing it's the three-strut design... lots of 'canvas' to flap about. Compared with 7 on the Xbow - I'm beginning to see a pattern here, and why Dimitri says 20 knots is the top end limit! So 30 knots NOT good :D
• Definite rear-line flyer - needs the tension there to keep it under control and on the boil. Feedback is handy (not dropping out of the sky) but it's not taxing - although I was wearing thick gloves, I didn't get the forearm pump I've had from the 16m Xbow.
• Landing from the safety - easy! I was worried cos I've never done it before (except on the FSr) It dropped down onto the LE then sat up on the wing tip at the edge of the window. I reached up and pulled the upper flying line and it gradually came back into the window then down onto the LE and sat there... in 30 knots :o
Weather was a nightmare - here's why... cross-offshore to cross-onshore; I got readings of 10 to 20 knots with average around 14 at the water's edge, JMA read 12 to 14 with gusts to 30!!!
Moment of the Day was getting out on the new board. Oh and not dying. Always good, that.
What I learned today...
• Epic Infinity v2 likes 8psi. I know cos I measured :D
• Mako will be awesome when I get used to it!
• New kite and board make a tough combination for riding in rough weather :-/
• Just cos the waves aren't breaking doesn't mean they aren't towering over your head doesn't mean they're not powerful. And big...! Did I say big? Cos they were big.
• Season has started! Wetsuit FTW! Maybe I need a 5mm this year... push the envelope! Roger that, milli vanilli chilly willy!
• That quick release has got to go - when I tried to land, I couldn't release it with my left hand at all and only just managed with the right - What. The. Fuck.
• Walking sucks.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
A sip of the Epic Kool-aid
It is with utmost gratitude for the over-whelming generosity of Matt (aka WaterManFitness) that I now have a very nearly brand-new Epic Infinity V2 to play with for a while :o Thanks again Matt!
So this'll be an ongoing review type posting about the kite and how I get along with it. After all the hype we get on the forums, it's great to get my hands on the thing and get a closer look at it...
First the easy stuff to 'review'.
The Bag
... is large and easily handles a kite that is loosely folded and wasn't squeezed totally empty of air. I think if you strapped, vacuum-packed or spent some time on it, you travel with the Infinity and 1, maybe 2 smaller kites in the bag.
... is well designed. With a full length pocket for the bar with a draw-cord on the top, that secures the stuff from flapping around catching on things like the Cab bag & bar does. There's a loop/strap setup on the other side for the pump. The zip on the front of the bag is small 'gauge' which looks easy to break... I like big chunky ones. There's a large pocket on the top of the bag, probably big enough for a sweater or jacket to be stashed. Plenty of straps to carry boards and cinch up the contents tight.
... is graphically pleasing.
... includes a 'day' bag or lightweight bag to take to the beach. Made of the same kind of material as the Peter Lynn sand bags, it has a draw-cord top, shoulder strap and a zip at the bottom so you can carry the kite with the spars inflated.
The Bar
... has knurled grips like the Ozone bars; nice for the fingers.
... has an odd, bulky trim system but it works fine.
... has a stopper ball that should work nicely. It also keeps the safety line separate so that'll please some people.
... is acceptable overall but seriously—for a bar that costs the same as a North or Cabrinha bar and at least 1/3 as much again as the Switch bar, it's over-priced for what you get IMHO. Especially considering that it...
... has a QR. Read below :-/
The Kite
... is deep blue with minimal graphics; yellow struts with the Epic pattern thingy on it.
... has a simple bridle made of regular amsteel and... rings for the sliders. Rear pig tail is unfinished length of that stitched stuff FSer used for bar leader lines on the Speed2 etc. Hmm.
... has a small diameter LE and struts; remind me of my 13m Xbow I guess. The struts themselves have quite a severe dog-leg in them - I guess that adds to the canopy profile for effective apparent wind building. Interesting.
... is made of regular kite material, more like my 2011 Cabrinha's - whatever that is. Doesn't feel as heavy as the Cab stuff, and not as light as the 2012 Slingshot kites I've fondled.
... is made adequately - I'd like to see that seam on the LE taped; the rubber bumpers that cover the bridle attachment points should IMHO be ditched and the saved weight used to beef up the dacron on the contact bumpers on the spars.
... has regular valves. Yikes, seriously? OMFG after using Cab's Sprint system forever, going to these tiny little things is a real work-out. Do. Not. Like. Also, the little velcro strap has a bungy to keep the valve plugged. Eek.
... was probably under-inflated and was all floppy like I'm not used to a kite being. I blame the effort required to pump it up and just giving up on it. Will use a gauge next time. ALTHOUGH it occurs to me that if you want to increase strength with thin-wall tubing, you increase the diameter - which explains why the Crossbows are more rigid... and have a fatter LE. Will see notice how this affects relaunch.
How's it fly, Mister?
... quite nicely actually! Medium to light bar pressure, and it seems to fly off the rear lines - in fact, how it feels at the bar reminds me of an arc... hands need to be wider than the Xbows for easy one-handed turns.
... easy self-launch and -land, just grab the center line and down she comes. Nuff said.
... turns quick & smoothly and makes power through the turns easily - non-stop scuds down the beach! But it's still a big kite - I don't think the turn rate is anything like the claims of "turns like a 12m!" that I've heard :( certainly not quicker than my 13.
... good pull, a real tractor when it's on the boil - can't wait to get it on the water!
Do Not Like
... the QR that is a horror show :o (It's a Blade part too which puts me off even thinking about a Fat Lady!) The QR has a very inconsistent feel and release load, and even at it's 'easiest' to release, it's still a struggle to overcome the friction of the locking clip. Often, I can't release it with my left hand; the one with the wrist I broke a few years ago and still has a weaker grip than the right... I'd hate to be out in the cold with numb hands and have to bail! Total fail. One good thing to say about it - I buried it under the sand, jammed sand every where I could but it still released... about the same as normal. Which meant it nearly required 2 hands! Replace it with a Switch QR for $30.
... its rotor-head for unspinning the lines that sticks terribly when it's loaded. See the solution above if it bothers you.
... the tendency to fall out of the sky on a slack bar that is, IMHO, more pronounced that my 16m Xbow due to the fewer struts, enhanced turning speed and need for tension on the rear lines. 'course, I could be wrong ;) or just lazy about keeping it in the sky.
All with the usual caveats - IMHO, for me, at my level now, at this time and place ;)
Winds from 2 to 4pm were 11 to 14 knots with gusts to 21 (2:30pm). It was bloody cold - less than 4°C...
So this'll be an ongoing review type posting about the kite and how I get along with it. After all the hype we get on the forums, it's great to get my hands on the thing and get a closer look at it...
First the easy stuff to 'review'.
The Bag
... is large and easily handles a kite that is loosely folded and wasn't squeezed totally empty of air. I think if you strapped, vacuum-packed or spent some time on it, you travel with the Infinity and 1, maybe 2 smaller kites in the bag.
... is well designed. With a full length pocket for the bar with a draw-cord on the top, that secures the stuff from flapping around catching on things like the Cab bag & bar does. There's a loop/strap setup on the other side for the pump. The zip on the front of the bag is small 'gauge' which looks easy to break... I like big chunky ones. There's a large pocket on the top of the bag, probably big enough for a sweater or jacket to be stashed. Plenty of straps to carry boards and cinch up the contents tight.
... is graphically pleasing.
... includes a 'day' bag or lightweight bag to take to the beach. Made of the same kind of material as the Peter Lynn sand bags, it has a draw-cord top, shoulder strap and a zip at the bottom so you can carry the kite with the spars inflated.
The Bar
... has knurled grips like the Ozone bars; nice for the fingers.
... has an odd, bulky trim system but it works fine.
... has a stopper ball that should work nicely. It also keeps the safety line separate so that'll please some people.
... is acceptable overall but seriously—for a bar that costs the same as a North or Cabrinha bar and at least 1/3 as much again as the Switch bar, it's over-priced for what you get IMHO. Especially considering that it...
... has a QR. Read below :-/
The Kite
... is deep blue with minimal graphics; yellow struts with the Epic pattern thingy on it.
... has a simple bridle made of regular amsteel and... rings for the sliders. Rear pig tail is unfinished length of that stitched stuff FSer used for bar leader lines on the Speed2 etc. Hmm.
... has a small diameter LE and struts; remind me of my 13m Xbow I guess. The struts themselves have quite a severe dog-leg in them - I guess that adds to the canopy profile for effective apparent wind building. Interesting.
... is made of regular kite material, more like my 2011 Cabrinha's - whatever that is. Doesn't feel as heavy as the Cab stuff, and not as light as the 2012 Slingshot kites I've fondled.
... is made adequately - I'd like to see that seam on the LE taped; the rubber bumpers that cover the bridle attachment points should IMHO be ditched and the saved weight used to beef up the dacron on the contact bumpers on the spars.
... has regular valves. Yikes, seriously? OMFG after using Cab's Sprint system forever, going to these tiny little things is a real work-out. Do. Not. Like. Also, the little velcro strap has a bungy to keep the valve plugged. Eek.
... was probably under-inflated and was all floppy like I'm not used to a kite being. I blame the effort required to pump it up and just giving up on it. Will use a gauge next time. ALTHOUGH it occurs to me that if you want to increase strength with thin-wall tubing, you increase the diameter - which explains why the Crossbows are more rigid... and have a fatter LE. Will see notice how this affects relaunch.
How's it fly, Mister?
... quite nicely actually! Medium to light bar pressure, and it seems to fly off the rear lines - in fact, how it feels at the bar reminds me of an arc... hands need to be wider than the Xbows for easy one-handed turns.
... easy self-launch and -land, just grab the center line and down she comes. Nuff said.
... turns quick & smoothly and makes power through the turns easily - non-stop scuds down the beach! But it's still a big kite - I don't think the turn rate is anything like the claims of "turns like a 12m!" that I've heard :( certainly not quicker than my 13.
... good pull, a real tractor when it's on the boil - can't wait to get it on the water!
Do Not Like
... the QR that is a horror show :o (It's a Blade part too which puts me off even thinking about a Fat Lady!) The QR has a very inconsistent feel and release load, and even at it's 'easiest' to release, it's still a struggle to overcome the friction of the locking clip. Often, I can't release it with my left hand; the one with the wrist I broke a few years ago and still has a weaker grip than the right... I'd hate to be out in the cold with numb hands and have to bail! Total fail. One good thing to say about it - I buried it under the sand, jammed sand every where I could but it still released... about the same as normal. Which meant it nearly required 2 hands! Replace it with a Switch QR for $30.
... its rotor-head for unspinning the lines that sticks terribly when it's loaded. See the solution above if it bothers you.
... the tendency to fall out of the sky on a slack bar that is, IMHO, more pronounced that my 16m Xbow due to the fewer struts, enhanced turning speed and need for tension on the rear lines. 'course, I could be wrong ;) or just lazy about keeping it in the sky.
All with the usual caveats - IMHO, for me, at my level now, at this time and place ;)
Winds from 2 to 4pm were 11 to 14 knots with gusts to 21 (2:30pm). It was bloody cold - less than 4°C...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)