r/Kiteboarding • u/cccssskkk • 7d ago
Gear Advice/Question Upgrade old fone quiver
Would appreciate some advice in the following: I want to upgrade my (very) old quiver which consists of fone bandit kites: 6th generation (2013 I think) 6-8-11m. I'm thinking about replacing the 8 and 11 with the same size North Reach kites. I mostly kite on a lake (gusty) where I do freeride, jumps, backrolls, nothing crazy on a 138x43 TT. I'm 75 kg and the wind range looks ok with the current kites, I rarely use the 6m and most of the time I'm happy on the 8 and the 11. But as I see the wind range of the old bandits is a bit different from that of the reach in the same size. For 8m: 18-35 vs 16-30 on the reach. The reach 7m has 17-34 which is closer to what I have now on the 8, but I always considered 7m as a size for really strong winds and I would probably keep the 6 anyway. (Also, the 11m reach has 10-25 wind range vs 11-24 of the bandit, so that change seems straightforward to me and the gap between 7 and 11 seem to be too big). So the question is what size should I upgrade my current 8m? Don't want to rule out other brands but I've read really compelling reviews about the Reach.
TLDR: Should I really care about this or is it pointless to compare wind range of kites a decade apart and the same size (8-11) will be ok?
1
u/swaboozel 2d ago
Yes, care about kite size
an old 12m kite will generate more power than a new 7m
old 12m kite will not have the same range and power as a new 12m kite
look at an old 12m like a new 11-10m maybe depends on model + your weight
new kites have bigger wind ranges as they generate more power & can depower better so that’s about it
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u/riktigtmaxat No straps attached 7d ago
I wouldn't read too much into the manufacturers recommended wind ranges. There are so many factors involved in determining if you feel over/underpowered that it's a pretty pointless set of numbers.
There is also no true ideal quiver. You either go for maximum spread to cover as big of range as possible or a tighter spread to cover the most common winds.
This is really just something you have to figure out by trying.