firebird
Hot shot  
Member #: 350 Posts 48
Registered: 2-9-2003 Member Is Offline Mood:
|
| posted on 2-9-2003 at 05:48 |
|
|
Guerilla vs LEI size
I'm thinking of starting kite-surfing but haven't decided upon a kite yet.
Has anyone here flown a Peter Lynn Guerilla? How are they, and how do there sizes compare to LEI's such as the Takoons or F1's?
Also are all LEI's measured the same these days so that a 12m Wipika will be the same as a 12m Caution kite or are they all
different??... I'm confused by the sizes and relative power of all these kites.
TIA
Firebird
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 3-9-2003 at 06:25 |
|
|
I'm not that sure (hopefully someone will have a better idea than me), but normally a foil (or ram-air) kite has significantly more
power per square meter than an LEI kite does, Guerilla's are slightly different from your average ram-air foil though because once in
the air theybend around into a similar shape to an LEI kite. Someone was flying an 18m Guerilla here at the weekend, and I reckon it
was fairly comparable to an LEI of similar size. Even when he stacked it with a 13 m Guerilla it still only gave him enough power to
just get going in about 10 knots of wind.
Other foils such as Titans, waterfoils and non-water-relaunchables like the Blades have much more power than a similarly sized LEI
though. My 4.9m Blade has pretty much as much power as my 12m Wipika LEI.
I think LEI's are all pretty much the same these days, but they do still insist on giving two sizes, a flat (actual area of rip-stop)
measuerment and a smaller 'projected' size, so make sure you are comparing the same measuerments. Some modelas are more powerful than
others within a manufacturers range as well, so that can make a bit of difference, but you'll generally find that most people will be
out on similarly sized LEI's for a given wind-strength.
Some older kites were measured differently though and some may only quote one size, so make sure you know whether this is the big size
or small size!!
I hope that helps.
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
firebird
Hot shot
Member #: 350 Posts 48
Registered: 2-9-2003 Member Is Offline Mood:
|
| posted on 4-9-2003 at 06:16 |
|
|
OK, thanks.
I think I'll have to get down to the local beach and blag a go on a few kites before I take the plunge and buy anything... these things
aren't cheap are they!
Is there any reason why most people seem to use LEI's and not inflatable foils, what makes the LEI better? From what I've read the
water-relaunchable foils are easier to relaunch from the water, and it seems as though there is less to go wrong with them, but
everyone still uses LEI's.... There must be something I'm missing??
Firebird
|
|
|
justal
|
| posted on 7-9-2003 at 06:31 |
|
|
Sounds like a good idea to me firebird.
I've always wondered why LEI's are more popular than foils too. as you say, foils are easier to water relaunch, they are also easier to
set up and more efficient. I think there will be a shiftng from LEI's to foils soon though. LEI's haven't completely taken over and the
Guerilla's and Titans are getting a fair bit of coverage in the kitesurf mags at the mo, and they are being seen quite a bit on the
beach, so maybe the balance is about to change.
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
|
|
|
Pixelwave Web Design.
justal@forces-of-nature.co.uk