2007 North Rebel 12m Review
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- windhorny
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Bobby, 12lbs is a bit high. Can you say you honestly feel a difference between the reccomended 10 and 12?bobbyboom wrote:The battens are $1 each and you can get them at Kite Wind Surf if you break them (I'm sure other places have them, too. I confirmed with Jeff at KWS that they are indeed $1 each and he confirmed). Like Bulldog said, I too don't notice much difference without them.
I haven't had a one pump or two pump system so i don't know the benefits. I do like making sure all my struts have 12lbs of pressure and my leading edge with 6lbs. I love the PSI meter on the North pumps. I'm a little anal about this and don't mind the extra minute-and-a-half it takes to pump the extra struts. If i had it I'm sure it'd be nice, but the trade off right now is not too big. The pumping up of the kite is where i get my "warm up." Legs, arms etc get warmed up and I'm ready to hit the water after the kite is pumped. Are we getting lazy here? :)
-Bobby
Oh yeah- I am very lazy but agree that pumping is a good warm up. I just dont like my warm up to last more than 1 minute.
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I've always done 12lbs in the struts and dig it. When my kite hits the water (I don't ride in waves) it is ready to relaunch quickly. I hate launching kites that are saggy. Even worse is watching someone whose kite is saggy in the water trying to relaunch.
One of my kite buddies (Brenden) has a 2 pump system and another one has a 1 pump system (Thomas). We are almost always launching at the same time. I really don't know if the trade "up" is so tremendous. The breakdown to put the kite away is identical so far as I can tell.
Looks like the 08 Rebel does not have a 2 pump system on it so I probably won't know what it's like to have a 2/1 pump system for a while. :)
-Bobby
One of my kite buddies (Brenden) has a 2 pump system and another one has a 1 pump system (Thomas). We are almost always launching at the same time. I really don't know if the trade "up" is so tremendous. The breakdown to put the kite away is identical so far as I can tell.
Looks like the 08 Rebel does not have a 2 pump system on it so I probably won't know what it's like to have a 2/1 pump system for a while. :)
-Bobby
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Well I got it!!!
A new 9m Rebel... And I got a chance to fly it on Saturday at Sherman in about 25 mph during slack and the beginning of the flood.
WOW, very fast, great de-power, so easy to fly... plenty of power, immediate power on / power off.. I felt completely "in control" even with it being the first time on the kite.
The first thing I noticed is how great it was to walk it to the water with the bar parked on the stopper, no power, completely stable! I let out the sheeting strap and gave it a little dip and off I went, like I had flown it for years, not a worry in my little head...
I liked everything about it but one thing I will need to get used to is the added bar pressure compaired to my 06 GK Sonic 11m...
But it is a fair trade off to get such preformance and such a totally fun kite...
I did need to get used to the sheeting strap as I fully depowered the kite and had a bit of trouble getting it to release but came in totally sheeted in and on shore I figured it out... I really liked the way it flew fully sheeted in, still lots of power.
As it was blowing a good 25 mph, I would expect I can ride it in at least 30 mph before I am OP and I look forward to really windy days in the 28 to 32 mph range.
I don't mind needing to blow up all the battens but I will need to get used to the main bladder as I found it hard to "pinch" and not let out any air... I like the way the "one way" valves work on the struts. I did have a little trouble folding up the kite to fit in the bag and I could actually see someone breaking a batten just stuffing it in the bag.
So overall I give it an 9 out of 10 and take off points for the bar pressure but I know I will get used to it and know this kite will really help me with my progression in kiting.
By the way, how doest the bar pressure compare to the Rhino or the Vegas and does it change with larger sizes?
One thing I did was to lower the stopper between the origional placement and down a notch half way to the green setting. I guess it will give me a tiny bit less de-power but I feel confident it will be more comfortable to fly.
If you have any tuning tips and any other advice for me please pass it on my way...
See you on the water, now on windy days too.. =D>
A new 9m Rebel... And I got a chance to fly it on Saturday at Sherman in about 25 mph during slack and the beginning of the flood.
WOW, very fast, great de-power, so easy to fly... plenty of power, immediate power on / power off.. I felt completely "in control" even with it being the first time on the kite.
The first thing I noticed is how great it was to walk it to the water with the bar parked on the stopper, no power, completely stable! I let out the sheeting strap and gave it a little dip and off I went, like I had flown it for years, not a worry in my little head...
I liked everything about it but one thing I will need to get used to is the added bar pressure compaired to my 06 GK Sonic 11m...
But it is a fair trade off to get such preformance and such a totally fun kite...
I did need to get used to the sheeting strap as I fully depowered the kite and had a bit of trouble getting it to release but came in totally sheeted in and on shore I figured it out... I really liked the way it flew fully sheeted in, still lots of power.
As it was blowing a good 25 mph, I would expect I can ride it in at least 30 mph before I am OP and I look forward to really windy days in the 28 to 32 mph range.
I don't mind needing to blow up all the battens but I will need to get used to the main bladder as I found it hard to "pinch" and not let out any air... I like the way the "one way" valves work on the struts. I did have a little trouble folding up the kite to fit in the bag and I could actually see someone breaking a batten just stuffing it in the bag.
So overall I give it an 9 out of 10 and take off points for the bar pressure but I know I will get used to it and know this kite will really help me with my progression in kiting.
By the way, how doest the bar pressure compare to the Rhino or the Vegas and does it change with larger sizes?
One thing I did was to lower the stopper between the origional placement and down a notch half way to the green setting. I guess it will give me a tiny bit less de-power but I feel confident it will be more comfortable to fly.
If you have any tuning tips and any other advice for me please pass it on my way...
See you on the water, now on windy days too.. =D>
Rich "ATOM" Baum
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- windhorny
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The sonic is supposed to have abnormally low bar pressure.
The pressure is similar, perhaps a bit lighter than the Rhino and Vegas. the vegas actually has pretty high bar pressure.
Pump the LE to 7 and by the time you let a few puffs out it will be right.
bad ass kite though huh? congrats.
When I wrap my kite I deflate all the struts, then roll both ends in to the center. I use my arm to fold the trailing edge towards the front as to not make too hard of a crease, then fold the LE back over. Seems to work fine. The key is getting all the strut air out.
The pressure is similar, perhaps a bit lighter than the Rhino and Vegas. the vegas actually has pretty high bar pressure.
Pump the LE to 7 and by the time you let a few puffs out it will be right.
bad ass kite though huh? congrats.
When I wrap my kite I deflate all the struts, then roll both ends in to the center. I use my arm to fold the trailing edge towards the front as to not make too hard of a crease, then fold the LE back over. Seems to work fine. The key is getting all the strut air out.
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