Hello fellow kiters, I have a little kite question:
I recently changed my kitesurfboard (bought a firewire vader 5'1), which is much more agressive than my previous board (I like it a lot...)...
My Catalyst 9m? (2014) seems a little slow now when I surf...
Will it change a lot if I swap it for a Reo V5 9m? I'm a little scared to loose too much lowend with a pure wave kite.
I'm looking for a faster turning kite but with enough power to be able to use it from 16 knots on on my Vader 5'1. I'm about 80 kg (From 16 knots on I can use my cat 9 m? with my vader...)
I also plan to use it on my foilboard from 10-16 knots, so does the Reo V5 fly well in low-wind ?
I don't know if the Reo V5 in the onshore setting is very powerful... any feedback about this kite ?
(I also have a struttles 12 for my foilboard, and reo V3 7m? en reo V4 5m?).
thanks,
Nayy
I can answer most of your questions as Iam am on the v5 reos and was using enduros at the start of the year which are very similar to the 2014 cats . Don't belive the talk that the v5 are underpowered I have been flying my 9m reo in conditions I would have been looking at a larger Kite size in the enduros, due to there lighter canopy weight they just stay in the air.
if you can afford the swap go for it they are great kites ,
At 80kg and on a 5.1 I can't help but feel 16kn for ANY 9m kite will be a struggle. I think at your weight a 5.3 would have been perhaps a bit better on that low end. In saying that, some people are just better at light conditions than others.i favor light coneditions myself. In saying that, it's been awhile since I flew a 9m cat but I think you would be happy on the 9reo. It's alot more nimble and refined.
I can't understand why there is they hype of the V5 being underpowered. First, yes, they pair extremely well with a foil. 8mt kite and foil with barely a whitecap and I am 80 kilos as well. At 15 knots I can be in the waves, but I would normally jump to the 10 unless I expect the wind to come up a bit more. At 18 knots the kite is a dream. Two caveats, my board is 5'10, and I live on the south coast of NSW which would be different if I lived in a more tropical area.